2017 Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) by Founders [End Of 2017 Review]

December 31, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Canadian Breakfast Stout, Canadian Stout, CBS, Chocolate, coffee, Disgaea, Etna, Founders, Founders Breakfast Stout, Founders Brewing, Maple Syrup, Maple Syrup Barrels, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7* Final 2017 Review

2017 Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) by Founders is an 11.7% ABV World Class Canadian Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate, coffee and aged in Maple Syrup Bourbon Barrels.

Description

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) is the epitome of why we launched the Backstage Series: to bring some of our most sought-after beers, which have been available primarily at the taproom or at a few select events, to a much larger audience.

Canadian Breakfast Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup.

==Introduction==
It has been a long time since I have done a proper review as I have been busy with other life tasks. Nevertheless, while I still posts beer reviews here on the site even if small. The lack of tl;dr has really been due to my other projects. Even so, I wanted to finish the year with a proper review of a beer that many have been considering a whale of a whale. A whale so rare, it is definitely still in the top 20 (13^th as of 12/31/2017). The Founders CBS has been a beer that goes way back before I even started trying all sorts of craft beers. A beer that had not been brewed for years until recently. With the return of that beer, it was actually available in a bigger quantity this time around so many could try this rarity of whales. So much so, that I made it the beer I finish the year with. A tradition I typically have been doing for a long time. So even while I do still post my reviews even in short, there will still be times I get a little more involved for the sake of the audience that still loves my wordy reviews. So that that said, cheers to a new year of beers! Happy 2018 and many more years to come!!

Aromas:

Maple syrup for days, rich complex chocolates, dark fruits, bourbon, molasses, mint chocolate chip, anise, tobacco, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut,mocha, doughnuts, mocha, tiramsu, chocolate cake, fruit cake, flan, sweetened condensed milk, esspresso, oak, and slight bacony.

Flavors:

Punch in the face super chocolates, dark, milk, bakers, milk shake, German, Mexican Hot, Belgian, Mousse, tootsie roll, dark fruit cordials, raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, marrionberries, cranberries, Khalua Liqueur, mocha, mild bacon, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, Danish, Irish cream, roasted coffee, jamoca ice cream, marzipan, rocky road ice cream, almond joys, marshmallows, chocolate smores, toasted coconut, maple syrup, pancakes, waffle cone, tiramasu, capirotada raisin bread pudding, figgy pudding, dulce de leche, borrachitos Mexican candy, Rum, oak, bourbon, molasses, tobacco, leather, cream filled doughnuts, sweetened condensed milk, flan, crème brulee, triple chocolate cake, chocolate trufles, toffee and pecan pie.

Aftertaste:

Aftertaste is maple and chocolate for days, mocha, Tiramasu, waffle cones, oak, bourbon, Marshmallow, variety chocolate box, leather, tobacco, borrachitos candy, dark fruits, rich dulce de leche, mint, rich mocha for days and rocky road ice cream. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black abyss full body, smooth, creamy, syrupy, chewy and velvety and sludgy mouthfeel. Sipping drinkability for sure. This is a huge whale!

Overall:

Wow!!!!! This beer means business. No joke, no down play, this beer is truly on the level of greats as Dark Lord, Black Tuesday, that recent MXYZPTLK beer I had from bottle logic and so many other great stouts. Heck, while I did make a homebrew similar to this, this one is on its own level. While I loved so many of the maple syrup stouts I have had before, this one takes leaps and leaps and just keeps going. Definitely the right beer to end the year with and if you can find or trade for it, make sure you get it. A true bucket lister!

Anime Corner:

Etna from the Disgaea series was used in his pairing since the days of the Midnight Brunch Arrogant Bastard, a Maple and Coffee bourbon barrel Strong Ale. That beer had left such an impact that I wanted to bring her for this one. Her colors compliment the red of Canada as it comes in the form of the flag, the mounties and the very maple syrup itself. Sweet, Dark, and intriguing is what makes all the qualities fit with this rarity of a whale.

Trappistes Rochefort 10 by Brasserie de Rocheffort in the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy

October 9, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Quadrupel, Brasserie de Rocheffort, Rochefort, Rochefort 10, Trappistes Rochefort 10, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Trappistes Rochefort 10 by Brasserie de Rocheffort in the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy is a 11.3% ABV Belgian Quadruple fermented world class quad ale.

It’s been years… But definitely worth looking back every now and again… One of the great Belgian Trappist

Past Review:
https://animebeers.com/2012/10/31/trappistes-rochefort-10-by-brasserie-de-rocheffort-in-the-abbaye-de-notre-dame-de-saint-remy/

2017 System of a Stout by Beachwood brewing

July 30, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged Adventure Time, american oak barrels, Armenian Imperial Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Beachwood Brewing, Brandy Barrel Aged, Ellie, Imperial Stout, Last of Us, Marceline, Portola Coffee Lab, Raven, Starfire, System of A Down, system of a stout, Teen titans, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2017 System of a Stout by Beachwood brewing is an 11.2% ABV World Class Armenian Imperial Stout brewed in the Armenian Coffee way with cardamom, molasses and Portola Coffee beans aged in oak brandy barrels.

Label:
System of a Stout incorporates the ingredients of a traditional cup of Armenian-style coffee: cardamom, molasses, and a massive infusion of coffee from our good friends at Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa, CA. This robust and flavorful brew is then oak aged, adding even more layers of complexity. Enjoy fresh or cellar at 45-55°.

==Introduction==

An awesome release that I haven’t tried in a while made in tribute to System of a Down. The last time I had it, it was very limited as you could only get it at the brewery. This year, many locations were able to receive this beer. Essentially, the public can now get the brew. I wanted to bring this one back since it was one of my favorite and well in the theme of System of the Down, I wanted to rock while drinking this one. There isn’t many beers made with Armenian ingredients and it is awesome to see that type of tribute many times as well. Let’s see how this one is this year, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian chocolate, mocha, dark espresso, java, cappuccino, Irish cream, roasted coffee, fancy coffee, anise, molasses, rye bread, toasted coconut, marshmallows, brandy, tiramisu, fruit cake and pecan pie.

Flavors:
Dark espresso, java, mocha, cappuccino, Irish cream, roasted coffee, fancy coffee, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, brandy notes, dark fruit cherries, plums, raisins, figs, cardamom, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian chocolate, pecan pie, flan, almonds, chocolate cake, bananas, anise, molasses, rye bread, toasted coconut, marshmallows, earthy spices, piloncillo sugar cone, rocky road ice cream, tiramasu, fruit cake, sweetened condensed milk, steamed milk, malted chocolate and Cadbury chocolate eggs.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with fancy coffee, marshmallows, dark chocolate dark fruits, dark cherry, caramel, vanilla, oak, brandy and earthy spicy notes. No alcohol in the taste, Dark abyss full body, smooth, chewy, creamy and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A supremely exceptional brew as before. Full of complex flavors, rich chocolate, coffee, oak, brandy and much much more. The kind that will definitely age for many years. I’m glad they started releasing this one again and this time to more hands than before. I just hope one day they release it more frequently. I highly recommend you get this one.

Anime Corner:
Marceline from Adventure Time as well as Raven/Rachel Roth and Starfire/Koriand’r were chosen for this pairing for many reasons. Marceline mainly since I used her in the original pairing to represent the rock and dark theme of System of a Down. This time, I brought Raven and Starfire using a pairing artwork from Sakimichan which goes well with the label. You can see how the blue sky and upper mountains are raven and the land and dessert are starfire. It was definitely something I really loved.

Sources:
http://artgerm.deviantart.com/art/Marceline-466739861
http://dandonfuga.deviantart.com/art/Marceline-648391984
http://en-so.deviantart.com/art/Marceline-the-Vampire-Queen-386640262
http://sakimichan.deviantart.com/art/Raven-Starfire-684968674

2017 Dark Lord Imperial Stout by Three Floyds brewing

July 25, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged Bloodstained Ritual of the Night, Claire Farron, dark chocolate, Dark Lord, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Coffee, Dark Matter Dark Blood, Final Fantasy XIII, Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stouts, Lightning, Maple Syrup, Miriam, Russian Imperial Stout, syrup, Three Floyds, Unicorn blood, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2017 Dark Lord Imperial Stout by Three Floyds brewing is a 15% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Dark Matter’s Blood Lord/ BBA Unicorn Blood Coffee, Mexican vanilla, and Indian sugar.

Description:
Dark Lord is a gargantuan Russian Style Imperial Stout, with a reverse cascading head that starts out billowing the color of burnt oil like the Dark Lord rising from the black primordial beginnings. Its resonant vinous aroma has been described as cherries, sweet malt, molasses, burnt currants, plums with a port wine alcohol undertow. Mochachino notes buried within. Motor oil consistency, hellishly smooth yet divinely burnt and vinous. The first sip coats your palate with a palatial charred fruit and chocolate blanket. Alcohol burn wiggles its way down your throat with a thick body.

==Introduction==

The time has come again! The presence of the Dark Lord has come again. Every year, or atleast when I get a chance, I love bringing this beer to the site. Since 2011, I have considered this one, the best Russian Imperial Stout I had ever tasted. While there are many players out there that have since overtaken the Dark Lord and many drinkers considering this one as one huge soy sauce bomb, I for one embrace what this beer has to offer even to this day. There aren’t many beers quite like this one and I think it can still hold a huge candle even to the greats of today. Let’s have a look at this one for old time sake, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark Fruits, molasses, soy sauce, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, brown sugar, maple syrup, peanut butter, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, rum notes, Irish cream coffee, Khalua Coffee Liqueur, vanilla, port wine, raspberries, dark cherries, smokey notes, hazelnut nectar and pecan pie.

Flavors:
Rich molasses, soy sauce, Rich dark cherries, burnt candi sugars, flan, crème brulee, peanut butter, richa dark chocolate, German chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Belgian chocolate, rich bananas, plantains, banana split, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, cocoa crispies, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, currants, raspberries, port wine, , Danish cream, Danish chookies, English cream, Cadbury chocolate cream, Mexican Abuelita hot chocolate syrup, Black cherry pie, blood pie, fruit cake, churros, chocolate empanada, rocky road ice cream, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, vanilla, choco maple, walnuts, marzipan, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, milk chocolate oreo cookies, marshmallows, chocolate mousse, rum hints, smokey hints, Irish cream notes and Jamoca ice cream

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich mocha, dark fruit, chocolate, port wine, caramel, soy sauce, pilloncillo sugar block, toasted coconut, smokey notes, and vanilla. No alcohol to be found here, dark abyss hyper dimensional full body, ketchup syrup consistency, smooth, chewey, oily and velvety mouthfeel along with a ridiculously easy drinkability that is only worthy of ninjas.

Overall:
Existentially bucket listed! While I have not tried any variants except for Dark Lord De Muerte, this beer keeps coming back as a reminder as to what some of the best imperial stouts in the world should be. People may hate and call this one a soy sauce bomb, but even if it is hinted, well, so it is with many other dark beer and especially those that dare to tread into the dark strong territory like some of my favorite Belgian Dark Strongs and Stouts. Yes, This beer series was one of the basis for crafting my own barrel aged experimental homebrews using the same Dark Matter Coffee and to my surprise, they ended up being so damn close, especially Sangrileche 1 and 2. The amazement of this beer is the fact that it is so damn strong and yet so damn drinkable and a sinfully endless pleasure of pure multi dimensionally palatable complexity. I can taste things that are only unique to this beer. IF you are able to trade for this one or are lucky to go Dark Lord Day, do yourself a favor and go toe to toe with the dark lord of beers… it was meant to be!!

Anime Corner:
Lightning Claire Farron, from Final Fantasy XIII series was chosen in the previous versions of the Dark Lord and this is the second time I bring the new Dark Lord… Miriam, from “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” which is the new upcoming Kickstarter series by Koji Igarashi (Godfather of the Castlevania series). Based on the progress, artwork and tribute to the castlevania games, Miriam seems like a major bad ass. The game is set to release sometime in 2018 but like the previous time I used Miriam, I figure I pair her with the unholy World Class Dark Lord Imperial Stout. Her colors are a good representative of the gothic but also the occult mysteries and the straight up powerful.

Sources:
https://cdnio.luscious.net/slywalker_96/457/lusciousnet_lusciousnet_1437152598845_1294766462.jpg
https://colemono.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/iga.jpg
https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/013/270/588/6dba1fe9e91ddb5c70949778d05337d3_original.png?w=639&fit=max&v=1470277036&auto=format&lossless=true&s=832f8b008fe4dd58ce15905db6958cb4
http://i.imgur.com/U6MuVV9.jpg
http://orig11.deviantart.net/ef35/f/2016/306/b/c/bloodstained__ritual_of_the_night_by_phillydelphy-dan1vwe.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/j9Fk2yV.jpg
https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/456/991/9fdd0517e9265b218087d7fd68d498c5_original.png?w=639&fit=max&v=1456871947&auto=format&lossless=true&s=f58957150f40be98063eba70d98fb047
https://i.imgur.com/qXeOdzx.jpg

Michigan Maple Jesus by Evil Twin brewing

February 2, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Evil Twin Brewing, Imperial Stout, Maple Syrup Barrels, Michigan Maple Jesus, Pyrrha Nikos, Rwby, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Michigan Maple Jesus by Evil Twin brewing is a 12% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Maple Syrup Bourbon Barrels

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Imperial stout aged in Maple Syrup Bourbon Barrels. Produced and bottled for Evil Twin Brewing at Dark Horse Brewing Co, Marshall, MI.

==Introduction==

It has been years since I last tried the Even More Jesus from Evil Twin. I have heard a lot of great things from their variants and have also heard that it is hard to find these beers sometimes. Lucky for me I was able to find this one. A little bottle indeed, but something I really wanted to bring to the sire specially since it was in the series. I had also heard that this one was insanely coveted as well, so even more of a reason to bring it to the site. Although, I would of liked a 22oz. of this. Nevertheless, the show must go on, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, maple syrup, pancakes, anise, molasses, smokey notes, BBQ, marzipan, pecan pie, almond joy, toasted coconut, mocha, Irish cream, dark fruit cherries, plums, currants, raisins, raspberries, blackberries, marshmallow smores, bourbon, whiskey, rich oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel and rye bread.

Flavors:
Rich Maple Syrup, molasses, anise, licorice, Smokey, BBQ, smokey campfire notes, toasted coconut, marshmallow smores, bourbon, whiskey, rich oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, rye bread, leather, tobacco, brownie batter, dark fruit cherries, plums, currants, raisins, raspberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, grilled bananas, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolates, Kahlua Coffee liqueur, almond milk, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, marzipan, roasted coffee, mocha, Irish cream coffee, Danish cream, cookies and cream and candied bacon.

Aftertaste:
Finishing Maple rich, dark fruit, anise, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, oak, coconut, bourbon, mocha coffee, sweetened condensed milk and almond marzipan. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark abyss body. Rich, velvety, smooth and creamy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A definite bucket lister. I had no idea of the crazy potential from this one. Rich maple, chocolate and super fancy coffee complexity taking things to a different level. It is a step above the original as the maple brings in some new characteristics to the table causing the original to shine even more. While this is only a small bottle, it is a kicker. Although me being me, I would have loved a 22oz. It will age very well. I highly recommend getting this one.

Anime Corner:
Pyrrha Nikos from RWBY was chosen for this pairing as I wanted to pair with the colors of the label mainly and maple syrup colors of red. The other part is the name of Jesus being used in the beer as I see is as representing something Christian and therefore angelic. While this beer in itself maybe a spoiler to some fans of the RWBY show who are not past RWBY Vol. 3, it was necessary for me to elaborate why Pyrrha as an angel works for this beer in relation. The beer gets you closer to the divine if it is not divine itself.

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6c/1d/2b/6c1d2b0068892293128804399f16589c.jpg
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/205/017/3a5.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cy8reIJVQAARaur.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Crny-55UEAI4__k.jpg
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/152/522/0e5.jpg_large

2016 Mash & Coconut by The Bruery

November 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, almond joy, best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, coconut, Dulce de leche, English Barley Wine, English Barleywine, Knives Chau, macaroons, MASH, Mash & Coconut, Ramona Flowers, rocky road ice cream, Scott Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The Bruery, Toasted Coconut, World class, World Class Barleywine, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Mash & Coconut by The Bruery is a 13.1 % ABV World Class English Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with coconut.

Label:
Bear The Palm

This Rendition of our classic bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ale amplifies the coconut character natively derived from extensive bourbon-barrel-aging.

This is our classic bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ale, Mash, stretching to new levels. Mash & Coconut has coconut added – nearly 1 lb. Per gallon, which ratchets up the complex coconut character and complements the oaky and vanilla notes that are imparted to the beer as part of its extensive maturation in oak bourbon barrels.

==Introduction==

After 2 years, the Bruery has finally re-released the one of their most awesome beers, the Mash and Coconut. I remember this one distinctively since the first time they released it, it was not up to their standards. Essentially, they had issues with the beer that could only be served at their tap room and not be bottled. Fast forward to now, and they not only released a tap room of it, but also in bottle form. I bring this one back as I remember it being a supreme coconut joy. Now since it has been released to all societies, let’s take a look at it from a bottle perspective, cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of toasted coconut, vanilla, caramel dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, chocolate brownies, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows smores, butterscotch, dark fruit prunes, currants, dark cherries, plums, stone fruit peaches and cream, peach cobbler, rye toast with coconut burnt sugar, Mexican Alfajor Coconut pastry, madamia nuts, Macaroons, flan, brown sugar and bananas.

Flavors:
Supreme coconut cream and pecan pie nectar, hazelnut, Dark chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate mousse, dark fruit prunes, currants, dark cherries, plums, fruit cake, marshmallows, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, smoked peat, toffee, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, stone fruit peaches and cream, peach cobbler, rye toast with coconut burnt sugar, Mexican Alfajor Coconut pastry, madamia nuts, Macaroons, flan, coconut custard, capirotada raisin bread pudding, maple, oatmeal raisins cookies, plantains, Danish cream, chocolate brownies, rocky road ice cream, butterscotch, marshmallow smores and graham crackers.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with Rich Almond joy chocolate, dark fruits, bourbon notes, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, flan, bananas, Mexican coconut candy, hazelnut nectar, vanilla and cheesecake. No alcohol despite the ABV. Dark brown full body, smooth creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bucket lister that finally was released in bottles. With the separation of Sour and regular brews, a much more controlled environment was what made this possible for the Bruery. Thankfully it was finally released and this time, Preservation Society would see this one coming. So if you signed up for Quarter 4 2016, you will get this one along with Black Tuesday and another brew. This is a must get and if you can get several, do cellar them. This is insane, I highly recommend this one!

Anime Corner:
Ramona Flowers and Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World were used in this pairing as the original since I wanted to compare them to the name MASH & COCONUT. Ramona always has a hammer ready to MASH up her opponents and Knives is a smooth ninja representing the coconut flavors and the overall smoothness of the beer. This is way too easy to drink. They are both hot but super damn deadly. Some of the colors of the label also pair with the artwork. Scott is there for the other complex flavors of the beer as well as the other characters from the series.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1250828
http://data.whicdn.com/images/102897436/large.jpg
http://data.whicdn.com/images/89284118/large.png

2016 Blue BBLS by The Bruery Terreux

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Chocolate, Black Tuesday, Blue Balls, Blue BBLS, Blue berry, Blueberries, bourbon barrels, Chocolate Blueberries, dark chocolate, Imperial Stout, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Shampoo, Sour Stout, Tart of Darkness, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, wine grapes, World class, world class beers, Xian pu | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Blue BBLS by The Bruery Terreux is a 16.3% ABV World Class Imperial Sour Stout blend (30% Tart of Darkness Sour Stout and 70% Black Tuesday Imperial Stout) aged in Bourbon Barrels with Blueberries.

Label:
Berries – Stoked – Oaked
IT’S SWELL

A sweet, sour, and fruity ale. Extended oak aging and an addition of blueberries results in a delightful vinous quality.

In brewing, BBL is the notation for “barrel,” a unit of a measurement equal to 31 gallons. This is not to be confused with an oak barrel, which typically holds nearly two BBLs of beer. Still with us? Great. Blue BBLs is best enjoyed fresh for peak fruit flavor, but may develop pleasantly with time if cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55°F (13°C). Best enjoyed in a tulip or wine glass.

==Introduction==

Released to the Bruery Reserve and Hoarders society, the original version of this brew was released to Hoarders a couple of years ago and since I finally had a chance to try before, I had to get this one again. With only so few variants of Black Tuesday ever released in bottles, this one is a staple just like the others. From the first time I tried it, I had fallen for this one. Reminding me similar to wineification but in blueberry form and still showcasing the flavors of the Black Tuesday along with the flavors of Tart of Darkness. So with the release under the Terreux now, let’ see how this one is, cheers!

Aromas:
Blueberry flan, Dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, Concorde grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, vinous grapes, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, blueberry fudge cake, bananas, port wine, chambord raspberry liqueur, rocky road ice cream, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, Belgian Chocolate, Danish cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Super blueberries, tart blueberry skins, concord grapes, blueberry flan, blueberry muffins, blueberry cheese cake, blueberry fudge cake, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, Concorde grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, vinous grapes, port wine, chambord raspberry liqueur, rocky road ice cream, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, burnt sugar, banana notes, Irish cream, molasses, anise, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Danish cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, pecan pie, blueberry preserves and blueberry chocolate cake.

Aftertaste:
Lots of Blueberries that linger forever, with flavors of the dark chocolate, bourbon, port wine, dulce de leche caramel, flan, sweetended condensed milk. Sweetness covers up a lot of the alcohol so only slight in taste but mainly sweet. Dark and Pitch black full body just like the original. Silky, creamy, syrupy, smooth, velvety mouthfeel, and a sipping drinkability although it seems easy to drink at times like many of the dangerous yet “plug it into my veins” beers go.

Overall:
If the Draco was the Blueberry Barleywine heaven and Smashed Blueberry the Wee Heavy Porter Blueberry heaven, then this must the imperial and sour stout of blueberry heaven. It is just as delicious as I had remembered when I first tried it. I am really happy they decided to release this one again and hope they make this a staple in their variant beer blends. There is a rich amount of blueberry yogurt chocolate complexity going on in this beer that can only be understood with every sip. This one is one of my favorites along with the Black Tuesday variants and is definitely one for the list. This beer is a must have if you have not tried it. Best to all that love Blueberry Stouts.

Anime Corner:
Shampoo from Ranma ½ was my girl for this beer as well as the original Blue BBLS. In the show, the main character Ranma hardly paid any attention to her even though she was the hottest girl in the show giving any man there including real men/women a boner. She was a huge representative of Amazonian women as she was huge but also very skilled kung fu master as well as a waitress. Her passion to fight for Ranma would be the kind that would destroy mountains and that is why even to this day she is one of my favorite characters of anime from back in the 90s. When I thought of Blue BBLs it not only reminded me of her being that representative of giving blue balls to others that liked her but mainly her Chinese style of hair with the little buns that looks like two blue balls. Shampoo’s strength and sweetheart of a personality but vicious for her passion is representative of the beers alcoholic strength and sweet super complexity.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Shampoo.(Ranma.½).full.875459.jpg
http://pds25.egloos.com/pds/201602/04/56/f0027756_56b3675f4c9ff.jpg
http://asha47110.deviantart.com/art/Shampoo-Ranma-FANART-D-509416937
http://orig14.deviantart.net/da6a/f/2015/142/1/a/shampoo__palette_challenge__by_animusubi-d8uapeg.png

2015 Quingenti Millitre Series Batch No. 07 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico

February 27, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Backstreet Billiards, bittersweet chocolate flavors, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cerveceria Insurgente, Cervezeria Insurgente, Charred, chocolate abuelita, Chris Banker, Cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, Collaboration Beer, Dulce de leche, May, mexican beer, Milk Stout, Mocha Stout, nutmeg, Quingenti Millilitre, Quingenti Millilitre Series, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Stone Brewing, Sweet Stout, vanilla, Viva Mexico, World class, world class beers, Xocoveza, Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2015 Quingenti Millitre Series Batch No. 07 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico is an 10% ABV World Class Milk/Sweet Stout brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg then aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Pronuced (SHO-CO-VAY-ZA)

Brewed August 17
The base beer is the recipe of 2014 Stone Homebrew Competition winner Chris Banker, an intensely flavorful milk stout brewed with coffee and spices to mimic the rich flavors of Mexican hot chocolate.

In The Mash
U.S. Pale, Maris Otter Pale, Crystal, Black Patent, Coffee Malt & Chocolate Malt

In The Boil
Challenger & East Kent Golding Hops.

Special Ingredients
Lactose, Flaked Oats, Coffee, Vanilla, Pasilla Peppers, Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Cocoa

Unfiltered and Aged 3 months in American Oak Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.

CELLAR NOTES: Time spent in bourbon barrels gave an already complex beer even more complexity and flavor intensity, layering additional caramel-like and vanilla flavors on top of those already present. Aromas of rich coffee and dark chocolate are followed by nutmeg and cinnamon; a lush, heavy mouthfeel laden with charred oak and toffee engulfs the palate on the first sip. Lingering pasilla pepper and soft oak flavors persist through an exceptionally long finish in this intensely rich and satisfying beer.
==Introduction==

I received this one as a gift by my new friend Joseph Taitano whom I was introduced by my friend Augie Escobedo, both of BeerBumz on Facebook. I had tried the Tequila variant but missed out on getting the Charred one. However, thanks to the wonderful donation, now I can share my thoughts on the beer. The reason I got it was as a special thanks as I had shared my homebrew on a beer tasting session. Every one of which who enjoyed my beers a whole lot. I even got a name, calling me “The Prodigy” of homebrewing. It is true, I have only been brewing beer for a year but the fact that I have been inspired by awesome beers that already exist make me take matters into my on hands and come up with recipes that mimic some of the best beers in the world. While I know I hope to one day make my own brewery, I still need years of experience as well to make it big. So to Augie, Joseph, My friend Will Carranza who introduced me to Augie and to all the BeerBumz as well as my fellow homebrewer Richard Avila, to my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com from Texas and people reading my blogs, Cheers to all and a sincerest Thank You!!! Someday, I hope you get to try my brews.

Aromas:
Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Dulce De leche cajeta/caramel, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, smokey oak, bourbon, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, marshmallow smores, butterscotch, rocky road ice cream, mocha, roasted coffee notes, cafe con leche, Mexican vanilla, coconut hints, cocada mexican coconut candy hints, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, grilled platanitos/bananas and Churros.

Flavors:
Charred smokey oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel/ cajeta, toffee, rye, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, cookies and cream, dark fruit raisins, dark cherry, grilled platanitos/bananas, Churros, marshmallows, campfire smores, graham crackers, honey comb, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile spices but no heat, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, butterscotch, cocada mexican coconut candy hints, mocha, roasted coffee notes, Jericalla Mexican custard, espresso, cafe con leche and Mexican vanilla.

Aftertaste:
Lots of smokey oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon notes, marshmallow, dark chocolate, campfire smores, piloncillo, chocolate abuelita, pumpkin notes,spicy chile notes, earthy notes, dulce de leche and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, ridiculously smooth drinkability, very creamy, velvety and smooth mouthfeel, and pitch black body just like the original.

Overall:
Supremely above and beyond. I had no idea the Xocoveza could take it to another level of enjoyment. Granted, I enjoyed the Tequila version but this is also just as good in its own league. The bourbon and charred oak brings about more smokey caramel and marshmallow flavors forward that you would find in the regular Xocoveza or even the Tequila and Wine one. Complexity on its own terms essentially. With that being said, I would highly recommend this one as well. Heck, I would recommend all 3 brews, they were one of the biggest hits for Stone Brewing.

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach, art by trzaraki of Deviantart.com and May from Backstreet Billiards for the PS1 were chosen in this pairing for different reasons. The original Xocoveza I used May as she represents the Mexican culture of where the recipe was inspired from especially the Mexican brewers that helped Stone with the creation. Since the upgrade using the bourbon barrel aging, I wanted to pair with one of my favorite anime characters, Yoruichi, since I wanted to show case how this was a more powerful beer than the original. I found a pic where she is what looks to be indigenous attire but also the colors of both pictures represent the colors and flavors of the beer. Her becoming a Goddess of Thunder with the purple hair represents the increase in the complexity and strength of the brew bringing the beer to a new league of its own.

Sources:
http://trzaraki.deviantart.com/art/Yoruichi-Shihouin-12-01-583945424
http://s27.postimg.org/ht9xex4cj/bsb_copy.jpg
http://i99.beon.ru/s013.radikal.ru/i325/1410/46/59c868e49075.jpg

Firestone XIX Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker

January 22, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 19th Anniversary, anniversary ale, Beer Hybrid, Blake Belladona, bourbon, cuvee, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Firestone XIX, FW, Ruby Rose, Rwby, Strategy guide, Weisse Schnee, World class, world class beers, Yang Xiao Long | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Firestone XIX Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker is a World Class Strong Multi-liquor Barrel Aged Style Hybrid Blend Ale.

Description: (Please Click On The Strategy Guide/Letter From Firestone Walker and the Box)

==Introduction==

Another awesome entry in the list of Firestone Anniversary beers. These beers have been very massive Cuvees mixing in several notable entries in their list of awesome beers. Usually a mix of more than 6 beers would go into one and trying to figure it out would be like a crazy strategy game. This year however, they only mixed in 4 brews. While still awesome, I wonder how taking a step back may improve the perception of the taste in this one. The brew will either be as complex as the others before it or it will be just as close as the fusion may have given rise to newer flavors. Only one way to find out.

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, currants blackberries, prunes, raspberries, rich marshmallows, chocolate smores, oatmeal cookies, oreo cookies and cream, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, Rocky Road Icecream, clove spice, grilled bananas, vanilla, bourbon, rich oak, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate and flan.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, clove spice, grilled bananas, vanilla bourbon, rich oak, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, almonds, walnuts, hazelnut nectar, rich marshmallows, chocolate smores, oatmeal cookies, oreo cookies and cream, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, currants blackberries, prunes, raspberries, piloncillo, dark candy sugar, rock candy, tres leches cake, flan, sweetened condensed milk, rye bread, molasses, anise, whiskey, brandy notes, chocolate cherry ice cream, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, fudge brownies, Irish cream coffee, port wine and capirotada raisin bread pudding.

Aftertaste:
Super complex aftertaste with rich flavors of Bourbon, brandy, maple syrup, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal and oreo cookies, rich dark fruits, oak, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, banana cream pie and mild earthy hop notes. No alcohol in the taste, crimson pitch black body, silky smooth, creamy, velvety and slightly syrupy mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Extremely exceptional! Even though they used only a composition of their best 4 beers, this turned out to be very complex still. While the craziness to dissect isn’t as crazy as their other beers and to see what flavors came from what and so forth, this one expands on the bit of complexity each brings and well, goes insane. Doesn’t make much sense right? But that’s essentially how I see it. Either each flavor is enhanced as it complements like flavors but also some flavors may have changed with the fusion. As a result, even at its coldest it will evolve to other flavors as it warms up. Just another delicious find you should look for.

Anime Corner:
Ruby Rose, Yang XiaoLong, Weisse Schnee and Blake Belladonna from RWBY were used in this pairing as I wanted to represent the 4 beers that were used to make up this beer, Parabola=Ruby, Stickee Monkee=Yang, Velvet Merkin=Weisse and Bravo=Blake. Ruby is Parabola as she is the leader of the bunch but also the name is like the shape of her scythe. Yang is the Stickee Monkee as she, like monks and shaolin monks alike, is versed in the inner strength and martial arts. Weisse is Velvet Merkin as she uses swords and magic to summon. Blake is Bravo like Brave and Courage as she is shy but can be very passionate about what she does. Altogether, make the team that is this beer,

Sources:
http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/large/810c16d6gw1ej5nlt2bigj215o0pogw2.jpg
http://pds25.egloos.com/pds/201408/22/30/d0142330_53f6ebb8997ba.jpg

2014 Tequila Barrel Aged Mexican Cake by West Brook brewing (Halloween Review)

October 31, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged 2014 Tequila Barrel Aged Mexican Cake, Cinnamon Sticks, cinnnamon, cocoa nibs, Dia De Los Metroids, Dia de los Muertos, Habanero chillies, Halloween, Hatsune Miku, Imperial Stout, Metroid, Mexican Cake, Samus Aran, Tequila Barrel Aged, vanilla beans, vocaloid, West Brook brewing, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2014 Tequila Barrel Aged Mexican Cake by West Brook brewing is a 10.5% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon, habanero peppers and aged 12 months in Tequila Barrels

Label:
Bottled 8/15/2014
Way back in December 2011 , they brewed 1st Anniversary beer – a serious imperial stout aged on cocoa nibs, vanila beans, cinnamon sticks , and fresh habanero peppers. It was so delicious to bring it back once each year and age it for 12 months in oak barrels.

¡Salud!

==Introduction==

Been meaning to try this beer for ages! The original Mexican was soooo good but all of them were always over priced and to some degree over hyped. Maybe it was me but I really wanted to try this one. Long behold we reach 2015 and I was able to finally land one of these for a decent price. Needless to say, splurging on something like this would be ridiculous but since I wanted it and it was at the right price, I got it. This is the first time I try a beer from Westbrook as well so definitely an honor for sure. I have tried so few Tequila barrel aged beers and so few chocolate abuelita beers but the closest I’m sure comes close to this is the Xocoveza Extra Añejo. So without further ado, here it goes. Salud!

Aromas:
Mild habanero, ancho and guajillo chiles, roasted coffee, marshmallows, piloncillo sugar cone Tequila, Agave lechugilla, mezcal, sangria vampiro, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, hazelnut nectar, dark fruit raisins, prunes, currants, blackberries, blueberries, figs, dark cherries, dates, Khalua liqueur, waffle cone, mocha, molasses, Champurrado, Molé hints, pan dulce, milk sugar, ginger bread, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, fruit cake, Dark and milk chocolate fudge cake.

Flavors:
Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Tequila, Agave lechugilla, mezcal, charred oak, Cinnamon, Capirodatada Raisin bread pudding, fruit cake, Dark and milk chocolate fudge cake, dark cherries, dark fruits like raisins, prunes, currants, blackberries, blueberries, figs, dates, ginger bread, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, Khalua liqueur, waffle cone, mocha, molasses, Champurrado, earthy notes, clove spice, grilled platanitos/bananas, churros, sangria vampiro, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, hazelnut nectar, leche, mild habanero, ancho and guajillo chiles, roasted coffee, marshmallows, piloncillo sugar cone, pan dulce, milk sugar and Molé hints.

Aftertaste:
Rich Dark chocolate, cinnamon, pumpkin notes, mild pepper spice, chocolate abuelita, tequila, mezcal, agave, mocha, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, earthy raisin bread and coffee. No alcohol in the taste, dark abyss full body, very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety and mildly syrupy and a drinkability that is ridiculously easy. Careful not to finish the bottle in one sitting.

Overall:
It definitely feels like a bucket list kind of beer. As ridiculous as this is, I am really pleased I got this. Funny thing is, the spices are not in the heat but allow for a Mexican style that fits similar to how Molé is made with chile and chocolate. There are only a hand full of beers that really deserve the title a World Class and this rarity gets the one of the highest rating for it. My expectations were really blown away and maybe it is worth what the hype is about. I may have not tried the original but the Tequila variant to me especially a year aged is like a dream come true. So yes, I highly recommend this version especially since the Tequila barrel aging just adds that cherry on top of the already awesome cake to truly make, Mexican! Ahuevo Cabrones! Busquenlo!

Anime Corner:
Dia de Los Muertos Samus Aran from Metroid and Vocaloid Hatsune Miku were used in this pairing for several reasons. You can already see some aspects of Mexican themes like dia de los muertos. The Guns Samus carries would be like those Mexican revolvers, you know, to vary it up a bit. She is in the theme. Also, why did I choose Miku for this pairing? 2 reasons. The first being that I used the picture of Miku on her side with the plugsuit representing the first tequila barrel aged beer I tried from Cupaca (Tequila Barrel aged Barleywine back in 2010) and barrel aging process but second, since she played a well known Mexican song called La Bikina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqIugY6pk0c) so I know already she will work. Also, she has so much of the blue agave colors which pair with what tequila is made but also the colors of the beer. So the singing then ties to the 3rd drawing where she has the acoustic guitar. So much tequila goodness and so much sweetness from art and flavor experiences!

Sources:
http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/b580/qinchao1204/chuyin%2012/wwwafterschoolsyscom-938.jpg~original
http://fashionablygeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/dead_Upload.jpg
http://static.zerochan.net/Hatsune.Miku.full.1518790.jpg

2015 Quingenti Millimitre Series Batch No. 2 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Extra Añejo Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico

August 22, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Añejo Tequila, Adelita, Backstreet Billiards, bittersweet chocolate flavors, Cerveceria Insurgente, Cervezeria Insurgente, chocolate abuelita, Chris Banker, Cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, Collaboration Beer, Dulce de leche, May, mexican beer, Mexican Revolution, Milk Stout, Mocha Stout, nutmeg, Red Wine, Red Wine Barrels, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Stone Brewing, Sweet Stout, Tequila, Tequila Barrel Aged, vanilla, Viva Mexico, wine barrel, World class, world class beers, Xocoveza, Xocoveza Mocha Stout Extra Añejo | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2015 Quingenti Millimitre Series Batch No. 2 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Extra Añejo Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico is an 11.3% ABV World Class Milk/Sweet Stout brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg then aged in Red Wine & Tequila Barrels.

Label:
Pronuced (SHO-CO-VAY-ZA)

Brewed July 19 & November 11, 2014
The base beer is the recipe of 2014 Stone Homebrew Competition winner Chris Banker, an intensely flavorful milk stout brewed with coffee and spices to mimic the rich flavors of Mexican hot chocolate.

In The Mash
U.S. Pale, Maris Otter Pale, Crystal, Black Patent, Coffee Malt & Chocolate Malt

In The Boil
Challenger & East Kent Golding Hops.

Special Ingredients
Lactose, Flaked Oats, Coffee, Vanilla, Pasilla Peppers, Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Cocoa

AGED in French Oak Extra Añejo Tequila Barrels that previously held Bordeaux Wine

CELLAR NOTES: We were so smitten with the initial batch aged in extra añejo tequila barrels that we brought in more barrels and brewed more beer specifically to fill them. The barrels smelled amazing, with aromas of vanilla crème brulée, dulce de leche and tequila. The result is both satisfyingly expected and surprising at the same time: Sweet caramel-like flavors, black pepper, vanilla and tequila notes meld seamlessly with the spice, roasted coffee and chocolate flavors of the base beer for a richly intense experience.
==Introduction==

Standing in line for 3 hours sucks and getting a chance to get only 1 bottle since the beer sold out within the hour sucks even more. I will tell you this thought, even if I did not know it was going to sell out so damn quickly, I am fortunate to be able to bring this beer to the website as the beer was way more coveted than it should have been. That and the fact that if you wanna get more of this, you will need to trade or look for it online. It is sad that they only made so few of this and the fact that the Bourbon Barrel version sold out quicker than the Tequila version (Although I personally wanted this one way more than the other one) so now I will have to look for the bourbon/charred version. Either way, let’s take a look and see if this beer is really all that is cracked up to be. I can only say the original blew mountains away so I’m kinda scared but excited to see what this one does. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, Port wine, Agave syrup, Tequila notes, lechugilla agave juice hints, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, marshmallow smores, butterscotch, magey plant, mocha, roasted coffee notes, cafe con leche, Mexican vanilla, Wined Goat milk Caramel/Dulce De Leche de cabra Envinado, coconut hints, cocada mexican coconut candy hints, wine grapes, sangria vampiro, honey comb, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Dulce De leche cajeta/caramel, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, dark cherry, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, grilled platanitos/bananas and Churros

Flavors:
Tequila, oak, Wine grapes, port wine, sangria vampiro, honey comb, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Dulce De leche cajeta/caramel, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile spices but no heat, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, dark cherry, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, grilled platanitos/bananas, Churros, agave necar, lechugilla agave juice hints, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, marshmallow smores, butterscotch, magey plant, mocha, roasted coffee notes, cafe con leche, Mexican vanilla, Wined Goat milk Caramel/Dulce De Leche de cabra Envinado, coconut hints and cocada mexican coconut candy hints.

Aftertaste:
Cinnamon, pumpkin notes, nutmeg, dark chocolate, chocolate abuelita, mezcal, tequila, oak, port wine hints, spicy chile notes, agave notes and earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste despite the richer ABV, ridiculously smooth drinkability, very creamy, velvety and smooth mouthfeel, and pitch black body just like the original.

Overall:
It’s hard to get more Mexican than this beer unless you pair it with some actual Mexican cuisine. Holy shit, one of the Best Tequila beers I have ever had considering the original was one of the best chocolate abuelita beers. It is so damn complex that I really wonder if the charred one is even necessary. Bourbon really isn’t a “Mexican” Spirit, but maybe good though. I still think this one would win over the bourbon one. Either way, I am thankful I was able to at least snag a bottle while it was painful for me to see the line behind miss out so much would have given them the bottle. However, I feel the fact that I present my findings here on the site maybe more beneficial as it could make you wanna find it online/ trade for yourself. Well, I damn sure recommend it as a bucket list beer for sure y que Viva Mexico y Las Cervezas Artesanales de mi patria…. AHUEVO!!

Anime Corner:
An original Adelita character by Genzoman and May from Backstreet Billiards for the PS1 were chosen in this beer to really bring out what made Xocoveza so damn special. Specifically, with the addition of Tequila along with the Mexican Hot chocolate flavors and Insurgente which were one of the 3 collaborators of this beer, I really wanted to show case an actual Mexican pairing with pride. Adelitas being women soldiers during Mexican revolution of 1910, along with the barrels behind her are like the Tequila barrels that were infused with the already awesome Xocoveza which I had brought May for that to show case the indigenous roots of the recipe as well. Solo lo mejor!

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Adelita-162831459
http://s27.postimg.org/ht9xex4cj/bsb_copy.jpg

Proprietor’s Reserve 2013 No. 001 PNC (Publican National Committee) by Firestone Walker

August 20, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Agave, Agave Nectar, aged in Bourbon Barrels, buck wheat, Buckwheat Stout, Firestone Barrels, Firestone Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, FW, Imperial Buckwheat Stout, Imperial Stout, PNC, proprietor's reserve, Publican National Committee, Ryoko, Ryoko Hakubi, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, Tequila, Tequila Barrel, Tequila Barrel Aged, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.35/7

Proprietor’s Reserve 2013 No. 001 PNC (Publican National Committee) by Firestone Walker is a 13.7% ABV World Class Imperial Buckwheat Stout brewed with Agave Nectar aged in Tequila Barrels, Bourbon Barrels and retired Firestone Barrels.

Label:
This bold and deliciously complex beer is an Imperial Buckwheat Stout aged in Tequila barrels for 13 months. Only a collection of pioneering, well seasoned, extensively traveled and passionate pub owners could come up with such a notion. A massive grain bill consisting of Pale, Munich and toasted Canadian Buckwheat was blended with pearled drum-kilned barley from Chile, a generous amount of Wisconsin roasted wheat and a slug of British Crystal malts. A couple of lumps of Mexican Turbinado sugar were added for good measure while we loaded the kettle with Styrian Golding hops. This carefully calculated collision of flavors, concocted over copious amounts of Orval well into the night, was laid down in fresh Tequila barrels wrangled over our southern border by the beautiful Meg Gill. W simply call this beer “PNC” in honor of its collaborative creators – The gothic symphony of flavors speak for themselves.

The week that the PNC rolled info Paso was one to remember , but more importantly, the PNC’s role in the Craft Beer Revolution should never be forgotten.

Cheers to the PNC!
Matt and the FW Crew

Ideal Aging Temperature: 45F

==Introduction==
It has been 2 years since the release of this beer and only at the actual brewery or through trading could this one become available. An elusive beer, yet the one that I really wanted to get my hands on. Thanks to some online sites like www.mybeercollectibles.com, this is a possibility. The one beer of their Proprietor’s Reserver series that was aged in Tequila and a component of the Firestone XVI Anniversary ale (considered on of the supreme best). Who knows if this beers was such a component that took that beer to the awesomeness it became but only here and now will I find that out. That and the fact that it has been sitting in condition for more than 2 years, well, that is just damn amazing. Cheers! To this beauty of a beer!

Aromas:
Tequila, oak, rich agave, sangria vampiro, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, mezcal, pancho pantera milk chocolate shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, roasted coffee,bourbon, toasted coconut, honey comb, sweetened condensed milk, capirotada raisin bread pudding, vanilla, mazapan, pecan pie, soy sauce, anise, port wine, dark fruit raisins, black cherries, currants, blackberries, tamarind, smokey marshmallows smores, graham crackers, lechugilla agave juice, sugar cone, cane sugar, rock candy, candi sugar, grilled banana hints, almond joy chocolate, buckwheat roasted, coffee notes, earthy notes, molasses, anise and licorice.

Flavors:
Deep Dark chocolate, mezcal, pancho pantera milk chocolate shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, roasted coffee,bourbon, oak, tequila, rich agave, sangria vampiro, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, buckwheat roasted, coffee notes, earthy notes, molasses, anise, licorice, dark fruit raisins, black cherries, currants, blackberries, tamarind, smokey marshmallows smores, graham crackers, lechugilla agave juice, brown sugar, aloe, floral hints, fruit cake, toasted coconut, honey comb, sweetened condensed milk, capirotada raisin bread pudding, vanilla, mazapan, pecan pie, soy sauce, anise, port wine, piloncillo sugar cone, cane sugar, rock candy, candi sugar, grilled banana hints and clove hints.

Aftertaste:
Smokey notes, cane sugar, agave, Sangria Vampiro, marshmallow smotes, rocky road ice cream, rich dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dark buckwheat roast, super dark fruits and rich dark rock candy. No alcohol in the taste despite the ridiculous ABV, Dark eternal full body, rich, smooth creamy, syrupy, velvety, mild bite to the mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Two years into the aging and I never thought how crazy good this beer could be. It is very rich in dark fruit, oak, mezcal, mild tequila, agave sweetness, licorice and a whole bunch of complex goodies. Distinguishing how much actually went into the Firestone XVI Anniversary is definitely hard but some of the individual flavors of this one are a major component of that one but also the flavors you see in Parabola and Velvet Merkin such as the Rock Road Ice cream flavors. I have no idea how you can get this beer as I don’t see this much anywhere which makes me hope they re-release this great beer again. For now, just hope you can trade for it or buy it if possible.

Anime Corner:
Ryoko Hakubi from the Tenchi Muyo series was used in this pairing as she is one of my favorite anime characters from when I was growing up during High School. A Bad ass girl with monstrous beauty and strength. Her hair resembles the Agave plants that are harvested for its creation in the world of Tequila. Her space pirate outfit works in conjunction with the dark colors of the stout while the other colors represent the other flavors and complexity such as the Sangria and Mezcal with her yes as gold as the rich honey and hazelnut sweetness. With the other beers from Firestone in terms of their reserve beers, I have always paired them with something that best represent the beers in terms of job class, like a fantasy game. Parabola= Knight, Stickee Monkee=Monk, Velvet Merkin=Sorceress, etc. Ryuko the Space Pirate represents somewhat of an organization acronym. In this case, an organization or Pirates!

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/58/b8/91/58b891d1e2d2d1652ef2a8f6aa8d0ad3.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/d5f890c2a627a250e1ab60bff82aad7f/tumblr_nrgy7tOSn01s1mohso1_1280.png
http://img01.deviantart.net/13fe/i/2014/020/c/2/ryoko_with_lighthawk_wings_by_tr3s_sss-d730i4o.jpg
http://www.zerochan.net/full/468286
http://i.imgur.com/5R2AP8M.jpg

Pierre Ferrand Billionare by Clown Shoes

July 14, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged clown shoes, cognac, Cognac Barrels, creme brulee, dragon fruit, English Barley Wine, Figgy Pudding, Matt Smith, passion fruit, Pierre Ferrand, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, stone fruit, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Pierre Ferrand Billionare by Clown Shoes is a 12% ABV World Class English Style Barleywine aged in Cognac Barrels.

Label:
What could be more distinguished than our Director of Operations, Matt Smith, gracing a billion dollar bill with a smirk and a neck beard? You! With this rich beer in your belly. The Billionaire is an English Style Barleywine Ale aged for sic months in 30 year old Cognac barrels we got from friends at Pierre Ferrand. Here’s to rare beer wishes and caviar dreams!

==Introduction==

I have never tried the original Billionaire beer but when I heard it would be available around my area and with Cognac barrel aging, I said, Sign me up!! Clown Shoes has made some pretty damn epic and phenomenal beers creating lots of various barrel aged gold and available in many areas. So without further a do, let’s check this one out shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, dark fruit raisins, figs, dark cherries, currants, stone fruit apricots, peaches, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple hints, Bananas, clove spice, Cognac, Wine grapes, Sangria, crème brulee, plantain, macadamia nuts, cookie dough ice cream, hazelnut nectar, leather, tobacco, rye bread, figgy pudding , butterscotch, marshmallows, waffle cone, rocky road ice cream hints, toffee, caramelized sugars, brown sugars, flan, sweetened condensed milk and stone fruits.

Flavors:
Bananas, clove spice, Cognac, Wine grapes, Sangria, Dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, dark fruit raisins, figs, dark cherries, currants, leather, tobacco, rye bread, figgy pudding, butterscotch, marshmallows, waffle cone, rocky road ice cream hints, toffee, caramelized sugars, brown sugars, flan, sweetened condensed milk, earthy hop hints, almond marzipan, pecan pie, molasses, anise, stone fruit apricots, peaches, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple hints, crème brulee, plantain, macadamia nuts, cookie dough ice cream, hazelnut nectar and coconut hints.

Aftertaste:
Lots of caramel, cognac, dark fruit, figgy pudding, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, port wine and leather. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavor. Syrupy, silky, creamy and slightly smooth mouthfeel, Orange Caramel medium body and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Hot Diggity! Drinking this is really rich. Not monetary but flavor wise super duper rich. A whole lot of complex worlds are abound with this one. So much complex sweet and alcohol goodies everywhere. Cognac as well as many other barrel aged beers does wonders to barleywines and other high gravity beers. I would definitely get this one again! I highly recommend it as it will make you feel like a billionaire, at least flavor wise.

Anime Corner:
This original character was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair something that represents the many things money can buy in terms of the briefcase and the unlimited amount of goodies that flow from it. This character is green haired which represents the money and being a billionaire. The is very attractive and like many people would quote, “like a million bucks” or in this case, “a billion”. Her seduction and beauty yet complexity shines in this beer as the money represented by power and the ABV strength shines but it gets you lots of good feels and gets you pretty buzzed if not careful. Surely, she is worth the try.

Sources:
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Anime-rockman-South-Park-butters-stotch-2118647.jpeg

Blue BBLS by The Bruery

July 7, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Chocolate, Black Tuesday, Blue Balls, Blue BBLS, Blue berry, Blueberries, bourbon barrels, Chocolate Blueberries, dark chocolate, Imperial Stout, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Shampoo, Sour Stout, Tart of Darkness, The Bruery, wine grapes, World class, world class beers, Xian pu | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Blue BBLS by The Bruery is a 15.9% ABV World Class Imperial Sour Stout blend (Tart of Darkness and Black Tuesday) aged in Bourbon Barrels with Blueberries.

Label:
IT’S SWELL

A sweet, sour, and fruity ale. Extended oak aging and an addition of blueberries results in a delightful vinous quality.

In brewing, BBL is the notation for “barrel,” a unit of a measurement equal to 31 gallons. This is not to be confused with an oak barrel, which typically holds nearly two BBLs of beer. Still with us? Great. Blue BBLs is best enjoyed fresh for peak fruit flavor, but may develop pleasently with time if cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55°F (13°C(. Best enjoyed in a tulip or wine glass.

==Introduction==

Released to the Hoarders society members in 2014, this elusive beer caught my eye a while back when I heard what this one was all about. The mere covetedness and the the fact that I got a small sip of this one last year left me wanting more so I was left with Blue Balls, umm I mean Blue BBLs. Either way, I was able to find someone that had it but was in Canada. So basically, this beer took a long trip from California to Canada and back here to California and will forever live in the infamy of the interwebs as an awesome anime review. So while being a Reserve Society member, Hoarders beers tend to be a slight step above what we get but sometimes I could care less bu in the case of this one, I was no stranger to a new Black Tuesday variant blended with Tart of Darkness and then aged again in bourbon with Blueberries. Quite the damn conundrum. If this is anything like Smoking wood or better, the we might have ourselves a gracious winner here.

Aromas:
Chocolate Blueberries, Blueberry flan, Blue berry cheese cake, blueberry preserves, blueberry muffins, hazelnut nectar, dark fruits like raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, concored grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, piloncillo sugar cone, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, milk chocolate, Irish cream, Danish cream, pecan pie, blueberry fudge cake, coffee cake, port wine and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Blueberry cheese cake, Blueberry chocolate truffles, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, piloncillo sugar cone, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, milk chocolate, blueberry preserves, blueberry muffins, hazelnut nectar, dark fruits like raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, concored grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, burnt sugar, banana notes, blueberry flan, cinnamon, Irish cream, Danish cream, pecan pie, blueberry fudge cake, coffee cake, port wine, rocky road ice cream, double chocolate mousse and vinous grapes.

Aftertaste:
Rich Blueberry lingers for infinity along with the gracious bourbon, deep dark chocolate, port wine notes, dulce de leche caramel, oak, dark fruits to the max, molasses and toffee. Sweetness covers up a lot of the alcohol so only slight in taste but mainly sweet. Silky, creamy, syrupy, smooth, velvety mouthfeel, Dark and Pitch black of the 5th and 6th dimensions full body and a sipping drinkability although it seems easy to drink at times like many of the dangerous yet “plug it into my veins” beers go.

Overall:
The epitome of blueberry heaven!. This beer should be in the Weekday Serries on the fact that combining Black Tueday and aging it in bourbon barrels again with the Tart of Darkness and blueberries is a supreme beer. The sour aspects are lowered down but still traceable tart goodness here and there. A beer orgasmic enough to satisfy even though the name would imply that you would be left feeling tempted to have more but the truth is, the name is name really implies that you really wanna try it but you can’t unless you find it through trades.

Anime Corner:
Shampoo from Ranma ½ was my girl for this beer. In the show, the main character Ranma hardly paid any attention to her even though she was the hottest girl in the show giving any man there including real men/women a boner. She was a huge representative of Amazonian women as she was huge but also very skilled kung fu master as well as a waitress. Her passion to fight for Ranma would be the kind that would destroy mountains and that is why even to this day she is one of my favorite characters of anime from back in the 90s. When I thought of Blue BBLs it not only reminded me of her being that representative of giving blue balls to others that liked her but mainly her Chinese style of hair with the little buns that looks like two blue balls. Shampoo’s strength and sweetheart of a personality but vicious for her passion is representative of the beers alcoholic strength and sweet super complextity.

Sources:
http://asha47110.deviantart.com/art/Shampoo-Ranma-FANART-D-509416937
http://orig14.deviantart.net/da6a/f/2015/142/1/a/shampoo__palette_challenge__by_animusubi-d8uapeg.png

2010 Coton (2nd Anniversary) by The Bruery

June 23, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged 2nd anniversary, Asagi Igawa, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, coton, Cotton, dark fruits, Taimanin Asagi, The Bruery, World class, World Class Old Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/5

2010 Coton (2nd Anniversary) by The Bruery is a 14.5% World Class Old Ale blend with 75% ale and 25% ale aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Bottle 08177
This sturdy beer marks our second year, and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years.

Coton (Cotton) will age gracefully for decades when cellared properly.

Commercial Description
2010 2nd Anniversary Ale. This sturdy beer marks our second year, an incredible year of growth and learning experiences. Together may our supporters, our brewery, and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years.

==Introduction==
Coton or “Cotton” in French, in the traditional sense of the wedding anniversary gifts, refers to the 2nd year in which Cotton is given. The beer will be released in 2010 but was sold as a special release in May 2015 to the public. I was able to snag a bottle since I have never had it or brought it to the site in the past. Here it is now so if your are able to trade for it, I hope my humble review helps you in your path to enlightenment to the great brews of old and supremacy. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruits like raisins, plums, prunes, dried cherries, dried cranberries, currants, figs, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberry jelly, figgy pudding, rich oak, rich bourbon, leather, Stone fruit peaches, apricots, peaches in syrup, pears, burnt sugar, pecan pie, tobacco, peach cobbler and almond joy, peaches in cream, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, flan, Cadbury cream eggs, crème brulee, brown sugar, Mexican vanilla, piloncillo, rum hints, bourbon hints, whiskey hints, toasted coconut hints and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Supremely rich dark fruits raisins, plums, prunes, dried cherries, dried cranberries, currants, figs, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberry jelly, figgy pudding, very rich oak, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, flan, Cadbury cream eggs, crème brulee, brown sugar, Mexican vanilla, piloncillo, rum hints, bourbon hints, whiskey hints, toasted coconut hints, marshmallows, grilled bananas, grilled plantains, white chocolate, Belgian Dark Candi sugar, rock candy, waffle cone, rocky road ice cream, stone fruit peaches, apricots, peaches in syrup, pears, burnt sugar, pecan pie, leather, tobacco, peach cobbler and almond joy.

Aftertaste:
Lots of oak, port wine, Raspberry Chamboard, Rich dark fruit prunes, dulce de leche, leather notes, molasses, rye bread, tobacco, earthy notes, old stone fruits and aged sugar. It’s crazy to see how non-alcoholic this feels. Damn smooth, rich, creamy, soft and mildly syrupy mouthfeel, moderate to siping drinkability and crimson brown colored clear body.

Overall:
A syrupy wine and barley wine fusion of complex proportions! This here for being 5 years old is one of the most, if not the most complex beer that has been aged for years, the most complex beer next to Draco from 2009. The beer is screaming for being one of the most complex beers I have ever had that was aged. I can probably admit that if I ever have Papier, then that would the up most of complexest experiences but this right here, even if not the 100% bourbon barrel aged has a ton to say for itself. It is the original so it deserves its merits as a veteran in the craft beer world. Which reminds me, I do have beers cellared from long ago. I wonder how those will be when I finally get around to them. Only time will tell.

Anime Corner:
Asagi Igawa from Taimanin Asagi was used in this pairing because I wanted to do a bad ass ninja but also the color of cotton which is white which was perfect for this pairing. Yes, she maybe from a restricted audience entertainment of Japan yet she is bad ass regardless. She fights for what she believes in and this beer for being 2nd to the supremest beer (Papier) fits the category of pure bad ass!. Hot as well (Complexity) Bad Ass (ABV) and drinks like an angel (Insert orgasmic drink quote here).

Sources:
http://www.theanimegallery.com/data/thumbs/790px/0156/tAG_156129.jpg

2015 Dark Lord Imperial Stout by Three Floyds brewing

May 14, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Bloodstained Ritual of the Night, Claire Farron, dark chocolate, Dark Lord, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Coffee, Dark Matter Dark Blood, Final Fantasy XIII, Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stouts, Lightning, Maple Syrup, Miriam, Russian Imperial Stout, syrup, Three Floyds, Unicorn blood, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2015 Dark Lord Imperial Stout by Three Floyds brewing is a 15% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Dark Matter’s Dark Blood Coffee, Mexican vanilla, and Indian sugar.

==Introduction==

The Lord of the Stouts is back this year and this time using a different coffee at that. A coveted beer ever since it’s conceptions in the dark murky barrels of the Three Floydian dark depths. Every year it is something different, something special along with their barrel aged variants and this year, their hot sauce and Dark Matter coffee “Dark Blood”. I am not sure if “Dark Blood” was the actual coffee in this one but they did make it using a left over Cognac Dark Lord Barrel. Either way, every year this one is a coveted one and somehow it has become a crazy mission of mine to be able to get this one. So I bring it forth for your analysis in hopes that you will seek out the dark one too!! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Dark, milk, sweet, bakers, German, Belgian and Abuelita chocolate syrup, Rich Fancy coffee, roasted coffee, espresso, java, mocha, Khalua liqueur, dark fruit raisins, rich black cherries, plums, figs, currants Danish cookies, English cream, walnuts, pecan pie, cocoa crispies, port wine, oreo cookies, coconut, marshmallows, chocolate mousse, rum hints, cinnamon, walnuts, hazelnut nectar, flan, brown sugar, Irish Cream and bananas.

Flavors:
Rich Cherries, Rich Dark chocolate, Rich fancy coffee, mocha, peanut butter, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, currants, port wine, milk, sweet, bakers, German, Belgian and Abuelita chocolate syrup, Kahlua coffee liqueur, apples, molasses, brown sugar, pilloncillo sugar, flan, vanilla, maple, burnt candi sugars, rich bananas, Danish cookies, English cream, walnuts, pecan pie, cocoa crispies, Black Cherry pie, Irish cream coffee, smokey notes, soy sauce, oreo cookies, coconut, marshmallows, chocolate mousse, rum hints, cinnamon, walnuts, hazelnut nectar, chocolate empanada, churron hints and rocky road ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Very Rich mocha, dark cherry, currants, molasses, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, fancy coffee, khalua liqueur, vanilla, dulce de lecher caramel, coconut, port wine, dark fruits and a grip of sugar! No alcohol in existence! Syrupy, very smooth, soy sauce like and oily mouthfeel like it’s brethren before it and sugar blasting coating the whole mouth. Easy to drink despite it’s ridiculous ABV and its dark abyss, 5th dimension darkness full body with a color that cannot even be perceived by human eyes!

Overall:
Each Year’s version of Dark Lord is definitely different. This one is definitely more coffee forward of a beer. However, as I drank more and more, it took me to the land of chocolate!! la la la la la la la la…..oh umm yes, so where was I? This beer beer rules and it seems each year there seems to be a variant. I can’t help wonder about how close this taste to my special beer that will be ready in November 2015. ObliVixen’s Sangri-Leche Maelstrom. Oh yes, ever since I started home brewing, I wanted to make a crazy beer like this and may other I have loved. But anyway enough of me, This is definitely a change from the one from last year. It is freaking awesome and definitely more forward in the cherry and coffee chocolate department. Extremely and Highly recommended!!

Anime Corner:
Lightning Claire Farron, from Final Fantasy XIII series was chosen in the previous version of the Dark Lord but this time I brought a new Dark Lord… Miriam, from “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” which is the new upcoming Kickstarter series by Koji Igarashi (Godfather of the Castlevania series). Based on the progress, artwork and tribute to the castlevania games, Miriam seems like a major bad ass. I know this game won’t be released until 2017 but I figured I wanted to pair her with an awesome beer like the World Class Dark Lord Imperial Stout. Her colors are a good representative of the gothic but also the occult mysteries and the straight up powerful.

Sources:
http://40.media.tumblr.com/0b13732a8486fe83ea1e0c17240659cc/tumblr_no751qv3xO1s2ut1zo6_1280.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CE1G2sxWEAABEKc.jpg:large
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gAz3SAm6Mw8/maxresdefault.jpg

Ruination 2.0 by Stone Brewing

May 7, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged craft beer, Darkstalkers, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Hops, IPA, Lord Raptor, Ruination, Ruination 2.0, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Stone Ruination, Stone Ruination IPA, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Savior, World class, world class beers, Zabel | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Ruination 2.0 by Stone Brewing is an 8.5% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
When this double IPA first hit the scene in 2002, the hoppy beer landscape was far different than it is today. Ales offering an onslaught of resinous humulus lupulus were virtually unknown. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Terms such as “lupulin” and “IBU” are well established in the craft beer lexicon. And with the knowledge of all that hops have to offer comes the desire to go beyond bracing bitterness. Fortunately, Stone Ruination IPA has always been crafted to celebrate all facets of the hop—its beauty and poetry, its boldness and might. As craft beer has evolved, so too have techniques for extracting the best and the most out of hops. So we modernized Stone Ruination IPA, coaxing every last drop of piney, citrusy, tropical essence from the Centennial, Citra, Simcoe and Azacca hops that give this beer its incredible character. Join us in cheering this, the second stanza in our “Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop.”

==Introduction==

An update to the Golden Standard of IPAs. I haven’t reviewed the original Ruination in years and now they went ahead and upgraded to a more “hop” modern type of double IPA. A more tropical rounded updated based on the Citra and Simcoe used in this beer. Ruination was and most likely still is one of the best Golden Standards, but now that the recipe is different, can it stand up not only to the it’s own standards but the best IPAs in the world of today? Only a few sips and taking notes will tell the truth. Follow me as we investigate. Cheers!

Aromas:
Tropical aromas like mango, citrus, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, guava, strawberry hints, caramel, orange peel, herbal, citrus, grapefruit, Piney, grassy, herbal, oniony, blue basil, garlicky dank and earthy hops, orange zest, lemon drops, lychee, biscuit bread and kumquats.

Flavors:
Herbal, Citrus, grapefruit, Piney, grassy, herbal, oniony, blue basil, garlicky dank and earthy hops, hop oils, passion fruit, tropical fruit like kiwi, mango hint, dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, guava, strawberry hints, caramel, biscuit bread, vanilla, stone fruit peach, apricot, toffee hints, orange zest, lemon drops, lychee, kumquats and honey dew melon.

Aftertaste:
Citrus, Piney, grassy, herbal, grape fruit, tropical, dank, oniony, garlicky and spicy hops linger along with caramel and vanilla hints finishing with some tropical hop burn vs. herbal of the original.
No alcohol in the taste, clear gold body, crisp, refreshing moderate, easy to drink despite the ABV unless you are not used to palate wrecking IPAs then definitely a sipper for you.

Overall:
Still a perfect beer as before but this time really balancing the tropical elements of the hops which was not previously there in the original. The update version may not please the pure herbal and grassy enthusiast/hope head but instead introduces a side of the ruination hop burn that it could not do before from the original recipe. I am going to miss the older recipe even though I love more tropical IPAs but this is still very well made and still a good representative of the golden standard that West Coast IPAs are known for.

Anime Corner:
Zabel/Lord Raptor from Darkstalkers/Vampire Saviour was used in this pairing since I used her in the original Ruination. Back then, Ruination not only stood for the palate wrecking machine but also ruining the someones character with different aspects, such as smoking or any other inhibitor that may be deemed a ruin in societies eyes. Not to say beer in general is the ruination but the way society sees the ruination of some people with substance abuse is the ruination that your palate sees. Unless you have a tolerant palate like mine, then let people do what they want and screw societies idea of what is normal. Whether it be their idea of how people should be or what people should drink (craft vs. macro). Live your life as you please!

Sources:
http://sbff08.deviantart.com/art/zabel-blissed-again-209579896

A Deal With The Devil by Anchorage Brewing

March 17, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged A Deal With The Devil, Anchorage Brewing, Asmodeus, Astaroth, Beelzebub, cognac, Cognac Barrels, Devil's honey, Dulce de leche, Maple Syrup, Mephistopheles’, Panty & Stocking, passion fruit, rocky road ice cream, Scanty, Scanty and Kneesocks, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, Shinrabansho, World class, World Class American Strong Ale, World Class Barleywine, world class beers, world class style | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/5

A Deal With The Devil by Anchorage Brewing is a 17.3% ABV World Class American Barleywine aged in Cognac Barrels

Label:
Batch#2
DEC/2014

Barleywine style ale brewed with Galaxy hops. A starting gravity of 37 Plato. Aged Eleven months in Cognac Barrels. The Devil is in the details…Enjoy.

Faustian pleasure has consequence, of this you must know
When you go down to the crossroads, expect more than a show
Robert Johnson paid dearly, for talent and fame
His deal with the devil, left only his name
Eternal damnation, no chance for retreat
Save only Mr. Daniels’, stunning cunning fiddle feat
This devil is in the details, diabolical pacts abound
Worldly riches and pleasures, but consequences come ’round
‘Twix barley and beer, there is liquid sublime’
But this devil is in the details, with consequence in time
Thirty-seven plato, a matter of some gravity
A Galaxy of hops, only adds to depravity
Eight months in wood, of Cognac in barrel
Mephistopheles you’re not, and the devil your peril
-Tom Dalidorf
Celebrator Beer News

Additional info:
1 hop, 1 malt, aged in giant freshly emptied Cognac Barrels.

==Introduction==

You can definitely say I was tempted so many times to try and find this to the point of madness. It wasn’t until I finally found it on mybeercollectibles.com with someone who was willing to make a “deal” on 2 of these demons. The bargain was set, and I finally received this crazy beer only to bring it to you and to see why this beer is such a great beer. According to this website here (http://www.anchoragepress.com/brew-review/20/devil’s-honey) this is all it took for me to just keep searching until I found it for a great price. Keep in mind, this was is going for a ridiculous price right now and me being of limited income but with a need to find something, there are ways to find these things, and you don’t have to sell yourself just to get it. So, with that being said, let’s see if the hype is true. Cheers!

Aromas:
Ridiculous amount of dulce de leche caramel, rye bread, oak, vanilla, rich honey, maple syrup, almond syrup, hazelnut nectar, cognac, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, prunes, dark cherries, blackberries, toffee, bourbon, marshmallows, chocolate smores, plantain hints, banana notes, crème brulee, graham crackers, rich pecan pie, cocada and macaroon coconut candy, dragon fruit, passion fruit, rich chocolate almond joy, rich rocky road ice cream and molasses.

Flavors:
Super rich dulce de leche Caramel, super rich Honey, Wild flower honey, maple syrup, toffee, french vanilla ice cream, vanilla beans, tres leches cake, sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche from the wooden container, wood oak, cognac, coconut, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, rye bread, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, prunes, dark cherries, blackberries, toffee, bourbon, marshmallows, smores, graham crackers, coconut hints, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple hints, crème brulee, plantain, macadamia nuts, black cherry cheesecake, choco flan, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, cookie dough ice cream and more!

Aftertaste:
Rich residue lingers of rich honey, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, cognac, oak, coconut, toffee, rock candy, dark fruits, dark cherries, three milks/tres leches cake, sweetened condensed milk tropical notes, pecan pie, rye bread and minor earthy hop hint. How can there be no alcohol in the taste at this ABV, why?!?!?! HOW!?? It drinks like so damn smooth, silky, velvety, with honey syrup mouth feel, easy to drink, and crimson brown medium to full body. Simply the most ridiculous beer in like forever!

Overall:
People were not kidding. Seriously, WTF is this?! It is way too fucking rich on some many aspects. I wanna compare it to the greats of the Bruery, cigar city or Three Floyds but I honestly can’t as the sugar levels are something beyond what I have ever had. This is more literal syrup than that of the Weekday Bruery greats or the Dark Lord and yet despite it’s alcohol, still drinks smooth. I cannot put my finger on it but drinking this is like I decided to make a blend of honey, caramel, sweetened condensed milk and just put it together without curdling the beer. I hope one day this is released in more than just “limited” batches but for now, if you can find it or trade, it really is a different experience.

Anime Corner:
Astaroth, Asmoedeus and Mephistopheles from Shinrabansho along with Scanty and Kneesocks from Panty & Stocking were all used in this pairing because for being one of the most hyped beers in a long time, I wanted to bring forth my favorite anime devils in a fashion where they are trying to bargain, be seductive and over all just plain playful to strike a crazy deal. Everything that has to do with the beer strikes gold with these girls.

Sources:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/35088274/images/1411599946809.png
http://static.zerochan.net/Mephisto.%28Shinrabansho%29.full.1579033.jpg
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mddihfPzld1rrsokso1_1280.jpg
http://blog-imgs-63.fc2.com/j/i/n/jingaidaisuki/cc6ade8ca3d4_0A32BEDC_aohada014_R_thumb.jpg

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

Pirate Bomb by Prairie Artisan Ales

March 3, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, brown sugar, Chiles, chocolate abuelita, cocoa nibs, coffee, dark chocolate, fancy coffee, graham crackers, Pirate Bomb, Prairie Artisan Ales, Rum Barrels, vanilla beans, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Pirate Bomb by Prairie Artisan Ales is a 14% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Rum Barrels with coffee,cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chilies added.

Label:
Made By People Who Truly Care From Oklahoma With Love.

==Introduction==

An awesome exclusive hard to get beer which was only possible thanks to Aaron Mendiola at www.beermetaldude.com . Prairie has come a long way to become many whale hunters’ favorite beers. They have been producing some magical bottles that we don’t see here much in California. Mainly since they are sold out quick but even at these tiny bottles, they are very coveted. I can only say I am thankful for my friend who has access to these living in Texas. So let’s see what the fuss is all about and walk the plank with this one.

Aromas:
Extremely fancy coffee, vanilla, mocha, dulce de leche caramel, Khalua Liqueur, sweetened condensed milk, Rum notes, bourbon notes, Crème brulee, marshmallows, graham crackers, oreo cookies and cream, banana notes, toasted coconut hints, ancho and guajillo chile spices, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate abuelita, brown sugar, Mexican Mole Spices, dark fruit raisins, cherries, and pineapple hints.

Flavors:
Rich flan, crème brulee, rich mocha, rich frappuccino, really fancy coffee, Khalua coffee liqueur, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, sweetened condensed milk, marshmallows, graham crackers, oreo cookies and cream, rum, bourbon notes, bananas, plantains, toasted coconut, ancho and guajillo chiles, cantaloupe hints, rocky road ice cream, chai tea, dragon fruit hints,old mango, hazelnut nectar, pumpkin spice hints, brown sugar, chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, chocolate truffles, dark fruit raisins, currants, figs, prunes, anise, mint chocolate, dark cherries, pineapple hints, Mexican mole sauce, rock candy and candi sugar.

Aftertaste:
Rich fancy coffee, mole sauce, dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, rum, tropical fruit notes, bananas, plantains, almond joy, flan and earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste despite the 14% ABV, Ridiculously smooth and creamy mouthfeel, Easy to drink despite the strong ABV and super pitch dark body.

Overall:
This is truly an awesome and super exceptional brew. There is a tremendous amount of complexity for such a little magic bottle. The label with the crystal ball just hinting at possible pirate Deep 7 seas magic. It surely looks like it came from the darks part of the sea. Also, this is not hot but the spiciness works well with this one. There is only enough to let you know its partially a chile beer. This is definitely outstanding and I highly recommend it if you can find this one.

Anime Corner:
Original Pirate girl character was used in this pairing to pair with the beer was the best choice as I wanted to show the colors of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and other flavors. She is also a pirate so it fit perfectly. The fact that this one is more of a guilty pleasure and smooth fits with how she stares into your soul! This beer goes into your soul too. It is damn good.

Sources:
http://i183.photobucket.com/…/Samur…/1548717967.jpg~original

Sure Bet by Pipeworks brewing

February 23, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged citra and mosaic hops, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, dragon fruit, honey, IIPA, india pale ale, IPA, mango, mango puree, MLP, passion fruit, Pipeworks Brewing, rainbow dash, Sure Bet, tropical fruit, tropical fruits, tropical IPA, Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Sure Bet by Pipeworks brewing is a 9.5% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale brewed with honey and mango puree.

Label:
Just the mere thought of the talk of a Citra and Mosaic hopped IIIPA brewed with honey and mango fills the Unicorn with too much joy and happiness for one horn to handle. The closest The Unicorn has come to this level of joy was when once, while skipping over rainbows, he encountered a cloud shaped like a rainbow! The Unicorns #1 favorite food is sunlight, but his #2 and #3 are honey and mangos respectively, and this brew has ’em both! The only thing that The Unicorn loves more than keeing something for himself, is sharing! So pour yourself a glass, because this beer’s a SURE BET!

==Introduction==

I obtained this beer through my online resources. I was unable to find this at any online shop. Seeing as this was a rarity and a highly rated beer, I really wanted to try it and bring it to the site. This is an IPA that can compare with some of the best IPAs out there and the fact that it has mango puree and honey. Well that just speaks tropical heaven to me. Let us see what this beer has to offer and see if this one is worth the buzz. Cheers!

Aromas:
A bouquet of rich tropical fruit fills the nose reminiscent of Power Plant and other awesome Tropical IPAs I have had before. Mango, Guava, Passion Fruit, Dragon Fruit Lychee, Papaya, Pineapples, Apricots, Strawberries, Prickly pears, raspberries, cherries, tangerines, tuna fruit, peaches, creamy vanilla, agave nectar, piney grassy, grapefruit, floral, herbal and dank garlicky hops, Sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, flan, caramel, gummy bears, citrus, orange and mango preserves, coconut hints and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Ridiculous amount of tropical fruits from all over the spectrum such as oranges, grapefruit, lychee, apricots, mangos, guava, papaya, dragon fruit, passion fruit, honey dew melon, strawberries, prickly pear, tuna fruit, raspberries, cherries tangerines, apples, peaches and cream, agave nectar, piney, grassy, herbal, floral, earthy, dank oniony, garlicky and grapefruit hops, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, mango flan, caramel, gummy bears, citrus and mango preserves and orange preserves on rye bread, toffee, butterscotch, blue basil, peppercorn hints, lemon candy, coconut hints and marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
Very rich tropical fruits, variety of citrus fruit, rich mango, honey, dank piney, garlicky oniony, grassy, floral, earthy and herbal hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, golden medium body, creamy, crips, refreshing and silky mouthfeel and an easy to drink beer despite the ABV.

Overall:
Talk about rare GEMS no one knows about. Supremely righteous of tropical gods! This Double IPA blew me away into the stratosphere. I have to agree that addition of mango and honey dynamically changes the beer from its highest potential on its own. This is why Power Plant by El Segundo brewing can be the best triple IPA in the world to me, but this one is beyond that with the addition of the ingredients that take it to the next level. Holy Shit! This beer is like the absolute Trifecta of the IPAs. Meaning, you get a huge balance of the herbal, the orange malty and the rich tropical aspect found in many IPAs. If I find the right recipe for this, I will have to make this one for sure! For now, you better make DAMN SURE BET that I will recommend this to the masses! The Pliny and Heady killer of the midwest.

Anime Corner:
Twighlight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash from MLP were used in this pairing to pair two of the best sides of an IPA. The malty sweet side represented by Twilight sparkle and the citrus and tropical fruit flavors represented by Rainbow Dash. Since this beer has a unicorn and has so many colors representing the flavor spectrum of the delights that is this beer, the ponies were the right choice to compliment the beer and label. That and this is the most bad ass I could find these characters.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/EW4mNmZ.jpg
http://nyuuchandiannepie.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-Auditore-da-Firenze-303474835
http://nyuuchandiannepie.deviantart.com/art/Diablo-3-Twilight-304708395

On the Wings of Armageddon by DC Brau Brewing

February 20, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged DC Brau Brewing, DIPA, Double IPA, IIPA, Imperial India Pale Ale, On the Wings of Armageddon, succubus, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

On the Wings of Armageddon by DC Brau Brewing is a 9.2% ABV World Class Imperial India Pale Ale.

Label:
And so it was written…….
According to Mayan and Hopi calendars the “transition from one world age to another” will happen on December 21, 2012. As an homage to the “transition” DC Brau has concocted an Imperial IPA named “On the Wings of Armageddon”.

==Introduction==

An awesome donation to the site, Aaron Mediola from www.beermetaldude.com came through for me by bringing this awesome piece forward. This is my first beer by DC Brau and it is one that I have been searching for a long time and kind of just let it slide me by. You can’t really find this beer in the west coast. Seeing as this was a very coveted beer, I was glad I finally had a chance to try this magnificent IPA and with a chance to bring it to the site, I am going all out!

Aromas:
Rich Citrus notes, piney, floral, herbal, grapefruit, piney, grassy and dank hops, orange and peels, rich tropical fruits like dragon fruit, passion fruit, strawberry, tangerine candy, papaya, honey dew melon, prickly pears, kiwi, raspberries, stone fruit peaches, sugar cane and floral notes.

Flavors:
Very rich Citrus, grapefruit, piney, floral, herbal, grassy and dank hops, sweetened condensed milk, oranges, orange peel, dragon fruit, passion fruit, strawberry, banana hints, honey dew melon, tropical flavors like pineapples, honey dew melon, papaya, tangerine candy, gummy bears, guava, plums, apples, raspberries, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mango, prickly pear, herbs, caramel, biscuit bread, sugar cane, rye bread with orange and tangerine preserves, kiwi, flower notes and cantaloupe.

Aftertaste:
Lots of orange peel, grapefruit juice, complex tropics with citrus leading the pack, variety of hops and a variety of sweet goods. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy Orange amber full body, creamy, refreshing and crisp mouthfeel, and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A Damn great IPA just as great as it’s east coast companion, the Heady Topper. I think in some aspects, I really was missing out on a great IPA. This one was a great amount of tropical notes but coscuing on the citrus malty aspects and then trying to balance everything. Of the many IPAs I have had, I would highly recommend this one and gladly get it again!

Anime Corner:
Succubus character was used in this pairing to represent the Wings of Armageddon in terms of the label colors with the silver but also what Armageddon represents which is the end of times. That was basically what I was going for. There isn’t much to the label and it s pretty bare like the girl in this pairing but the thing is, there is so much inside. Some great flavors, you basically have to pick this one up for yourself to find out.

Sources:
https://i.warosu.org/data/tg/img/0356/25/1413736858944.jpg

Mash & Coconut by The Bruery

December 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, almond joy, best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, coconut, Dulce de leche, English Barley Wine, English Barleywine, Knives Chau, macaroons, MASH, Mash & Coconut, Ramona Flowers, rocky road ice cream, Scott Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The Bruery, Toasted Coconut, World class, World Class Barleywine, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.2/5

Mash & Coconut by The Bruery is a 12.8% ABV World Class English Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with coconut.

Label (Proposed):
TO HAVE…

An English-style classic with rich flavors added by aging in bourbon barrels with tropical coconut.

==Introduction==

So this beer was supposed to be released for the Reserve Society but due to time restraints and quality control, this one was not released in bottles this year. Hopefully next year will be different. Same thing happened with So Happens It’s Tuesday as well. So when I found out they had this on tap and for growler fill, it didn’t take long for me to bring one home. When I went for a taster set, I had several greats from the Bruery but this one just blew everything away. That’s when I realized, I gotta get a growler. The original MASH was phenomenal, but this certainly took the cake and I had to review it so people can go try this at the Bruery before it is gone but also in hopes that a future release will be available for everyone. This is on tap for the public too, no membership needed so that works out great! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich macaroon and cocada coconut candy forward, rich toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, banana split ice cream, hazelnuts, almonds, almond joy candy, pecan pie, milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk (Leche Nestle), custard, rocky road ice cream, macadamia nuts, flan, coconut cream pie, capirotada raisin bread pudding, cinnamon, brownies, rye bread, plantains, mocha, clove spice and toffee.

Flavors:
Rich Macaroon and Almond joy chocolate flavors forward, rich toasted coconut, milk chocolate, rich bananas, flan, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, custard, cinnamon, rocky road ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, banana split, brownies, chocolate cake, rye bread, mocha, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, crème brulee, clove spice, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, maple, butterscotch, plantains, toffee, brown sugar, Danish cream and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Aftertaste:
Toasted Coconut, bananas, almond joy, milkchocolate, marshmallow, dark fruit, butterscotch and macaroons linger. No alcohol in the taste, way too easy to drink, silky and creamy mouthfeel and a dark brown full body.

Overall:
Possibly the best toasted coconut/banana nut/almond joy beer ever! This is liquid coconut macaroon heaven. This beer is super toasted coconut forward. The only sad part was that I do not think this will be coming out in bottles anytime soon but if you are ever at the Bruery this month, see if you can have a reserve society member get you a growler fill. They really need to bottle this one as this one was the one that stood out when I tasted it the other day. This beer is way too good for it’s own good. At the height of the 12.8-13%ABV, it is way too drinkable that you would be in big trouble finishing a growler in one sitting. Savor this if you can find it as it won’t last…

Anime Corner:
Ramona Flowers and Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World were used in this pairing since I wanted to compare them to the name MASH & COCONUT. Ramona always has a hammer ready to MASH up her opponents and Knives is a smooth ninja representing the coconut flavors and the over all smoothness of the beer. This is way too easy to drink. They are both hot but super damn deadly. Some of the colors of the label also pair with the artwork. Scott is there for the other complex flavors of the beer as well as the other characters from the series.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1250828

Pliny The Elder by Russian River brewing

December 2, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Heady Topper, Hop Heads, Pliny, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Power Plant, Russian River, Ryoko Hakubi, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, Washu Hakubi, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5 (Date of Tasting: 11/29/2014)

Pliny The Elder by Russian River brewing is an 8% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
Bottled on 11/12/2014

RESPECT YOUR ELDER: KEEP COLD, DRINK FRESH DO NOT AGE! PLINY THE ELDER IS A HISTORICAL FIGURE, DONT’T MAKE THE BEER INSIDE THIS BOTTLE ONE! NOT A BARLEY WINE, DO NOT AGE! AGE YOUR CHEESE, NOT YOUR PLINY! RESPECT HOPS, CONSUME FRESH. IF YOU MUST, SIT ON EGGS, NOT ON PLINY! DO NOT SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY!PLINY IS FOR SAVORING, NOT FOR SAVING,! CONSUME PLINY FRESH, OR NOT AT ALL! DOES NOT IMPROVE WITH AGE! HOPPY BEERS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE AGED! KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT!

Pliny the Elder, born in 23 A.D., was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Pliny, and his contemporaries, created the original botanical name for hops, “Lupus Salictarius,” meaning “world among scrubs.” Hop vines at that time, grew wild among willows. Pliny the Elder died in 79 A.D. while saving people during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle’s legacy by documenting much of what his uncle experienced during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This beer is a homage to the man who discovered hops and perished while being a humanitarian.

Unlike many of the Russian River Brewing Company beers which are ageable, the beer inside this bottle is meant to be consumed fresh. Keep Pliny the Elder refrigerated and consume fresh to experience the explosive hop character.

==Introduction==

It has been at least 2 years since I first tried Pliny the Elder. Back then this beer was a little easier to get. Today, it is pretty seldom if you can really find this one. If there are places that have this one, they get so little of them that they sell out within the first couple of hours. So I thought to myself, after trying so many IPAs for so many years, including the so called Pliny killers like Heady Topper and Power Plant from El Segundo, what makes this beer as well as Pliny the Younger, so legendary. Well, the story really has to be that this beer was one of the original inventions of the Double India Pale Ale Style. This beer is what started a lot of the hop craze of adding more and more hops to a beer to make it a hop supreme beer. With the evolution of hops and methods of growing them to have different flavor varieties like more citrus, more tropical notes, this is what I think really changed the way people like their IPAs. While I respect this beer and would one day like to try the younger, it seems that today, this beer may be going the way side due the more variety of IPAs and Double IPAs with a variety of hop profiles. Nevertheless, this is really what started it all and I think is the reason why the hop heads truly enjoy this one at the freshest possible. At least I tried to do the review as fresh as I could get it due to its limited availability. Without further ado, here is the review and thanks for reading. Cheers!

2012 First public review by me:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/pliny-the-elder-by-russian-river/

Aromas:
Rich Grassy Grapefruit, floral, herbal, citrus and piney hops, Cannabis, Oregano, Italian herbs, blue basil, honey on biscuit bread, rye bread, super dank garlic and onion notes, tropical fruits like pineapple, honey dew melon, lychee, passion fruit, dragon fruit, stone fruit peaches, cherries, plum hints, hop oils, lemon and orange peels, vanilla, caramel and tangerines.

Flavors:
Rich Grassy, floral, Piney, citrus, grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops, basil, super garlicy and rich oniony dank herbs, Oregano, tropical pineapple, honey dew melon, papaya, prickly pear, strawberry, mango hints, dragon fruit, lychee, passion fruit, stone fruit apricot, peaches, cherries, fig notes, plum hints, cannabis or dank Italian spices, lemon peel, orange peel, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, tangerines, hop oils, forest pine needles, honey and rye bread.

Aftertaste:
Super hoppy grassy herbal yet fruity, malty and tropical underlining sweetness but mainly super hopped dry to oblivion lingers on the tongue. No alcohol in the taste, clear gold body, smooth, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, almost easy to drink.

Overall:
A hop heads dream. Really, if you love super well balanced and refreshing Double IPA with lots of grassy and herbal hops, then this is the definition of its style. There is a reason people like it so much and despite the fact that I still think that it may be too hyped and I cringe at those that drain pour just because the beer is not “fresh” enough. Beer like this should be respected at least but not hyped. Take this one for what the origins stood for but not because it is the best out there. Does this one get beaten by the upcoming El Segundo Power Plant Triple IPA? Yes but only because that one is a different monster all together. Heady Topper is more on the citrus absolutes for its world class. We have to choose absolute tropics or absolute herbal hop dankness or absolute citrus or a massive variety. While I love all the variety, I love sweet beers so I feel I get more from the tropical fruit IPAs. Not to say this isn’t World Class. It truly is. Is it the best Double IPA? Not quite, but you have to give it respect where it belongs as this is one of the few that started the Double IPA style. I highly recommend it, even if it is elusive as all hell, and I hope to someday try Pliny The Younger.

Anime Corner:
Ryoko and Washuu Hakubi from the Tenchi Muyo series were used in this pairing since I had used Ryoko before for Pliny the Elder. Washu will someday be used for the Younger although the funny part is that Ryoko is the daughter and Washu is the mother even if she looks younger. Conundrum yes, but if you knew about Washu, she is 20,000 years old. Either way, you can see the colors pair up well with the artwork and the label. Ryoko’s light teal hair color represents the super hops but as well as the whole aspect of the ‘Elder’. Ryoko is young but I love how she sits contemplating or wondering. Like an elder thinking about the future or just simply day dreaming like a kid. Regardless, this beer is the kind that you take your time with and relax. You may not have another chance to try it, so might as well enjoy it since you can’t age it either.

Sources:
http://www.homemademech.com/Uploads/Areview/1501085314817.jpg
http://objection06.deviantart.com/art/Washu-and-Ryoko-472156179

Barrel Aged Narwhal by Sierra Nevada

November 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Aged Narwhal, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Jedi of the Sea, Kentucky Bourbon, Narwhal, Russian Imperial Stout, Selvaria Bles, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Valkyria Chronicles, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Barrel Aged Narwhal by Sierra Nevada is a 12.9%%ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.
Label:

Barrel-Aged Narwhal is our deliciously dark Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Barrel aging is a strange science; it mellows some characteristics of the original beer while intensifying others. Narwhal’s aggressive roastiness has calmed, but the rich, chocolate-like malt backbone is brought to the fore. Black as midnight, this intense stout is complex with notes of cocoa and espresso balanced with hints of vanilla and toasted coconut from the oak casks. Nearly as rare as it’s nautical namesake, try Barrel-Aged Narwhal while you can because like the creature itself, it will soon dive into the depths and leave nary a trace behind.

==Introduction==
The Jedi of the Sea has returned to save the beer world of whalez. Well, this one is a pretty elusive and will be more so as time goes on. Released in very limited quantities, this one is already a sought for item as the original beer was a major success for Sierra Nevada and is definitely one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts out there. It is my hope that this beer does turn out to be the hype it deserves otherwise, it might as well just get lost in the sea of beers altogether. Let’s take a look at this rare opportunity to learn more about this beast in nature… Cheers!

Aromas:

Lots of bourbon oak forward, toasted coconut, espresso coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla, whiskey bourbon, rye bread, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate smores, Khalua, smokey hints, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, figs, flan, brown sugar, banana hints, pecan pie, hazelnut, minty hints and molasses.

Flavors:

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate abuelita hints, vanilla, oak bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, roasted coffee notes, espresso notes, Khalua, mild smokey oak, dark fruit prunes, currants, raisins, mild cherries, figs, mocha, toasted coconut, marshmallow cream, chocolate smores, graham crackers, molasses, anise, mint, rum hints, whiskey, port wine hints, rye bread, leather, tobacco, whipped cream, brown sugar, Irish cream, bananas, pecan pie and hazelnut nectar.

Aftertaste:

Marshmallow cream, oak, leather, caramel, chocolate,coconut, bourbon, earthy notes, rye bread and vanilla with an almost dry finish. No alcohol in the taste, silky and creamy mouthfeel, drinks easy despite the ABV and pitch black motor oil full body.

Overall:

The Jedi of the sea struck with a hard vengeance brought forth from learning its way in the dark side. Now accepting its darkness, it can now deliver you into a sweet world of awesome. This beer is similar to the Barrel Aged Old Rasputin except this one has more barrel, dark chocolate, roasty coffee and coconut flavors forward along with the complexities I was able to explained as I tried dissecting this one. This is one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts out there but next to Darkness, well that’s just another dimension. Still, a whale by name enters its glory into fame when it comes down to the most coveted beers to claim. Highly recommended and possibly their best beer ever!

Anime Corner:

Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles was used in this pairing since I wanted to show someone that would be similar in color even to a Narwhal as well as a general or captain of a ship. In the original Narwhal, I showed a captain of a ship with a map basically looking for the legendary beast. Here now we can see the similar map and as Selvaria dashes into the adventure, it represents her in search of the beast. You can also see that her armor, shield and sword look similar to the Narwhal, not to say she killed one, but maybe, since it is a part of her and changes shapes, it is almost as if she is the very beast she searches for and doesn’t even know it. As you can see her in the bathing suit, this pairs well with the colors of the label as well but also represents the smoothness and silky aspect of the beer as it was barrel-aged afterall. Plain and simple, she is Jedi of the Sea, she is the Narwhal!

Sources:

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/238/1046597-selvaria_bles.jpg
http://keywithoutatone.deviantart.com/art/Selvaria-Bles-283643503
http://idnar.deviantart.com/art/Selvaria-Bles-203546525

Firestone XVIII Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker

November 28, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 18th Anniversary Ale, aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, anniversary ale, Asuka, Asuka Langley, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Barleywine, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, black ipa, Bourbon Barrel Aged, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, double jack, English Barleywine, Firestone Walker, Firestone XVIII, FLCL, Fooly Cooly, Haruko Haruhara, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oatmeal Stout, Ol' Leghorn, Parabola, Rei Ayanami, Russian Imperial Stout, Stickee Monkee, Three Floyds, Velvet Merkin, Wookey Jack, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Firestone XVIII Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker is a 13% ABV World Class Strong Multi-liquor Barrel Aged Style Hybrid Blend Ale.

Description: (Please Click On The Strategy Guide/Letter From Firestone Walker)

38% Parabola (bourbon barrel aged Russiant imperial stout),
16% Helldorado (bourbon and brandy barrel aged blond barleywine),
16% Bravo (bourbon and brandy barrel aged brown ale),
14% Stickee Monkey (bourbon and brandy barrel aged quad),
5% Velvet Merkin (bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stout),
4% Hydra Cuvée (a blend too much of a mouthful to describe here),
3% Wookey Jack (black IPA),
2% Ol’ Leghorn (English barleywine, collaboration with Three Floyds, aged in fresh barrels),
2% Double Jack (Double IPA)

==Introduction==

It has been an awesome year for Firestone Walker beers and with the release of their 18th one, they add some new beers into their final blend. As with every year, this one comes with the strategy guide to basically see if you can figure out what’s what. While this is a difficult task, I try to write down as much as I can and see what new flavors this one is composed of versus the previous releases. It really does not matter sometimes as they have all beer exceptionally world class beers. Yes, don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, vanilla, flan, bourbon, maple syrup, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgium chocolate, German chocolate, ferrero rocher chocolate, toasted coconut, almond joy, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, oreo cookies, cookies and cream, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, cocada coconut candy, pilloncillo sugar cone, choco flan, dark fruits like currants, raisins, prunes, raspberry, cherries, currants, blackberries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, anise, molasses, brownies, brown sugar, bananas, clove spice hints, mocha, tres leches/three milks cake, dragon fruit, tangerine, pineapple hints and more!

Flavors:
Very strong oak barrel forward character, rich vanilla, bourbon, toasted coconut, almond joy, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgium chocolate, German chocolate, ferrero rocher chocolate, pralines, cookies and cream, oreo cookies, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, flan, cinnamon hints, brown sugar, hazelnut, macademia nuts, cocada coconut candy, piloncillo sugar cone, dragon fruit, mango hints, pineapple hints, sweetened condensed milk, port wine, maple syrup, dark fruit currants, raisins, prunes, raspberry, cherries, currants, blackberries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, anise, molasses, brownies, brown sugar, bananas, clove spice hints, leather, tobacco, waffle cone, peaches and cream, pecan pie, candi sugars, rock candy, choco flan, espresso, mocha, toffee, tres leches/three milks cake, tangerine and more!

Aftertaste:
Port wine, dark chocolate, maple syrup, dark fruits, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal and oreo cookies, oak, vanilla, coconut, mango, chocolate chips and marshmallow smores with earthy hop notes finish at the end. No alcohol in the taste, Smooth and silky mouthfeel, dangerously easy to drink but should be handled as a sipper and crimson yet pitch black body.

Overall:
Exceptionally great. Each release more awesome than the last. I really think this one is the best one by far. If aged, it will will definitely do wonders I am sure. This one seems to have richer flavors which I am sure were due to the addition of the Three Floyds collab and the Hydra Cuvee as well as the Stickee Monkee, Velvet Merkin and Parabola. This beer is insane and it will only get more insane as time goes on. If you can still find this goodie, definitely get it. It is one of the best!

Anime Corner:
Asuka Langley/Shikinami Sohrty, Rei Ayanami, Haruko Haruhara, and many others from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fooly Cooly (FLCL) were used in this pairing to represent some of the blends represented by this beer. It is something I have done in the past with this series of Anniversary beers. This was a great pic because not only does it show case the colors of potential ingredients used but also how each flavor tries to out do the other. Also, Haruko was used in a previous Three Floyds collaboration this year (Rue D’Floyd) which represented her wacky aspect as “Not Normal”. The addition of Firestone and Three Floyd’s collab beer into this one made it so she can be in this pairing as well. What a bad ass!. Also, Asuka and Rei have been seen in pairings like Firestone’s Double Jack so they are definitely in the right pairing here too.

Sources:
http://articleimage.nicoblomaga.jp/image/64/2013/f/f/ffd9f7487115ef5bb2d6b22dedcca9f69c75e5641373178280.jpg
http://www.zerochan.net/full/39691

Union Jack by Firestone Walker

November 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Fate Night Stay, Fate Stay Night, Fate Zero, Firestone Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Genzoman, india pale ale, IPA, Saber, Union Jack, West Coast IPAs, west coast style, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Union Jack by Firestone Walker is a 7.5% ABV World Class India Pale Ale.

Box Description:
An aggressively hopped West Coast-style IPA. Union Jack showcases exceptional dry hop character with stunning pineapple, citrus, and pine aromas on the nose accompanies by honey-like malt aromatics. Double dry hopping brings bold grapefruit, tangerine and citrus flavors.

==Introduction==
It really has been a couple of years since I tried this beer. One of the first IPAs during the time that I started doing beer reviews but unfortunately never got the chance to bring forth. When I bought this as part of the Firestone Winter Variety pack, I finally had the chance. I have mainly tried this one on tap which was epic and great but I have not gone back to it since developing a taste for a variety of IPAs. The fact that I am bringing this here to the site is an honor as I will finally take my time to dissect what many have called one of the finest in the west coast-style of IPAs. Cheers.

Aromas:
Citrus, floral grassy piney, grapefruit hops, tropical fruit mango, papaya, guava, kiwi, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, strawberry, honey on biscuit bread, tangerines, lemon peel, Stone fruit apricots, lychee, apples, caramel and vanilla.

Flavors:
Citrus, floral, grassy piney and grapefruit hops, tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, dragon fruit, strawberry, papaya, passion fruit, honey dew melon, biscuit bread, honey, tangerines, guava, lemon peel, Stone fruit apricot, peach, lychee, apples, kiwi, floral notes, mild dank garlicky flavors, and gummy bears.

Aftertaste:
Lots of tropics, citrus, tangerine, grapefruit, vanilla, honey, caramel, biscuit bread and grassy hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, easy to drink, somewhat creamy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and a Clear Golden body.

Overall:
One of the finest and perfect examples of IPAs out there. The step below to the Double Jack still standing strong in the front of the many West coast IPAs that come close to it. The tropics in this are strong and is really one of the reason I really loved this beer. It isn’t all about tropical though as you do get some caramel notes and lots of that super hoppy west coast dankness. This is pretty much a commoners gold and if you haven’t tried this one, you are missing out because this one is very underrated and extremely awesome of IPAs

Anime Corner:
Saber from Fate/Stay night and an OC character by genzoman and zander-d from deviant art were brought forth in this pairing to bring forth a bit of what the Union Jack and what the UK is all about. Being inventors of the India Pale Ale style to make beer last through the travels as they were preserve with hops as a natural preservative for soldiers in their journeys. This was the best pairing to represent that about the origins of the IPA.

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Saber-Who-Dares-Wins-349352556

The Kaiser from the Dictator Series by Avery brewing

November 17, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Avery, Avery Brewing, Dictator Series, Marzen, Oktoberfest, Selvaria Bles, The Kaiser, Valkyria Chronicles, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

The Kaiser from the Dictator Series by Avery brewing is a 9.5% ABV World Class Imperial Märzen / Oktoberfest Lager.

Label:
MALT LIQUOR
The Kaiser once said, “Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.” If the Kaiser and his significant other had tipped this bottle, we’d all be “sprechenden Deutsch!” We took all that is good in a traditional Oktoberfest – gorgeous, deep copper sheen, massive malty backbone and spicy, floral, pungent noble hops – then intensified each into this, an Imperial Oktoberfest.
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Yes, so unfortunately I missed Oktoberfest this beer to attend the Black Tuesday release party. However, any time is a great time to enjoy a Märzen / Oktoberfest and this one has been an eluding one simply because I have not had a chance to find it. When I saw it this year, I knew I had to pick it up. This is an imperial Märzen / Oktoberfest so I do not know what to expect but since I have love this style I am sure this is gonna be pretty intense at 9.5% ABV. Let’s get on with this beer now, Prost!

Aromas:
Dulce de leche caramel, biscuit bread, rye bread, dark fruit raisins, prunes, cherries, pumpkin flesh, maple syrup, pilloncillo sugar cone, Danish Cookies, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger spice, fruit cake, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, bananas, graham crackers, trail mix and bananas.

Flavors:
Rich dulce de leche caramel, citrus, blueberry, black berry, grape and raspberry preserves, rye bread, coriander spice, bananas, Danish cookies, brown sugar, pumpkin spices, cinnamon, ginger, fruit cake, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, pilloncillo sugar cone, graham crackers, dark fruit raisins, prunes, cherries, toffee, bananas, trail mix, leathery notes and butterscotch.

Aftertaste:
Rye bread, cinnamon, pumpkin flesh, citrus, dark fruit, berry preserves in rye bread, Danish cookies and earthy notes. Slight booziness but not detracting from the flavors, medium to full amber body, syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Damn, possibly the best Oktoberfest beer I have ever had! I think the fact that Avery uses specialty ingredients or special yeast that is like a sweet maple like flavor that I have tried in some of their other amazing beers. Well, that in combination with the style is simply rich and delicious. If this was the main Oktoberfest beer everywhere, damn, not sure how long I would be able to be like Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi, before I pass out. Yeah this one is rich and definitely highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles was used in this pairing since I wanted to get something that would pair with the Kaizer. Selvarias clothing and pose compliments that of the Kaizer in the label. The caramel sunset and color of her hair and overall artwork represents many of the flavors of the beer. The strength of a leader and general is the strength of the complexity and the ABV this beer offers.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/247253

Happy 2nd Anniversary Brewerianimelogs! + No. 22 Barrel Aged Series 5 Monks by Avery brewing Review

October 17, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 2nd anniversary, 5 Monks, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Avery Brewing, Aya Brea, Belgian Quintuple, Belgian Sextupel, Belgian Sextuple, Bourbon Barrel Quad, brewerianimelogs, Claire Farron, Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts, Lightning, No. 22 Barrel Aged Series, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Parasite Eve, Quint, Quintuple, Sora, World class | 1 Comment

Rating: 7/5

No. 22 Barrel Aged Series 5 Monks by Avery brewing is a 19.39% ABV World Class Belgian Quintuple/Sextuple Aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
So yeah, it’s MUCH bigger and bolder than a quad. But the term “sextupel” seems inappropriate alongside a congregation of monks, so quintupel it is.

Bottled July 17 2014
Production 874 Cases
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Today marks the 2nd Anniversary of Brewerianimelogs and I am very happy for all my readers and fans. Thank you all for the liking the site and reading my reviews. I did a special on my 1st Anniversary long ago that is definitely worth the read if you want to know about my story and the site: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/happy-1st-brewerinanimelogs-anniversary/

As for being the the 2nd Anniversary of my website, I had to go with a special beer. Now this beer was given to me by my friend Aaron Mediola at www.beermetaldude.com in Texas and it was something that he was able to get for me at the last minute as I was unable to get it since it ran out in my local places here in California. So definitely a special thanks to Aaron, Cheers Brother!

Right next to Chocolate Rain but not including beers past 20% ABV, this is the strongest Belgian Strong Dark Ale I have ever come across or even the strongest beer for that matter. I expected nothing less from Avery. The Quintuple and Sextuple is an extremely rare style to come by. The only thing that I have tried that comes close to this style is possible Barrel Aged Quadruples (Straffe Hendrix 2011 Bourbon Barrel Aged Quad II) or even the Judgment Day Quad Aged in Oak with Cherries (Cuvee De Tomme). So for one to come out and say, this beer is a brand new style, I’ll be damned if we don’t see it here on Brewerianimelogs, the lost treasures of taste and experience. So for the special occasion, I really had to dig hard for the art work and what I really like and well, I really had to see if this beer was going to be up to expectations. I will be skeptical at first but at the same time it doesn’t help that the Belgian Quadruple is my favorite beer style ever or the fact that the Quintuple is like a 4th dimension to my 3rd dimension perspective on taste. I don’t know what to expect but wish me luck. Thought this tiny bottle of potion you may be, another existence and possibility will my senses thus see… Cheers!!

Aromas:
High dose of Rock Candy, Dark Candi Sugars, Brown Sugars, Oak, Agave like nectar, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, cherries, Belgian chocolate dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate notes, banana cream pie, cherry pie, pecan pie, hazelnut, almond joys, honey, highly spirited liquor notes like brandy, rum, bubble gum, plantain, tres leches flan, leather, ginger bread, all spice, molasses, rocky road ice cream, flan, crème brulee, all spice, clove spice, rich banana splits, cookie dough, fruity preserves, toasted coconut, mocha, currants, port wine, grapes, agave nectar, graham cracker smores, marshmallows, chocolate truffles and boozy sugars enough to give one a sugar coma with just a whiff.

Flavors:
Extreme dose of dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, raspberries, bourbon, dulce de leche rich caramel, vanilla, oak, tres leches, banana cream pie, plantain, clove spice, grilled bananas, rock candy, candi sugars, pecan pie, flan, crème brulee, toffee, leather, tobacco, toasted coconut, bubble gum, brown sugar, agave nectar, molasses, ginger bread, all spice, nutmeg, hazelnut nectar, almond joy chocolate, Belgian chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, rocky road ice cream, cookie dough, mocha, Kahlua hints, Chocolate truffles, marshmallow chocolate graham cracker smores, honey, fudge cake, cheese cake, velvet mousse, French vanilla ice cream, rye bread, biscuit bread, kiwi preserves, concord grapes, cherry pie, currants, port wine, chocolate chips, hints of brandy, hints of rum, hints of bubble gum, yum yum yum!!

Aftertaste:
Pecan pie, caramel, vanilla, bananas, dark fruits, leather notes, oak, port wine, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and rich sugary syrup lingers. Despite level of ABV, there is nothing about the alcohol that detracts from any of the flavors. This is a syrupy thick beer. Sipping drinkability, Full mouthfeel, pitch black body, hardly any head retention.

Overall:
Quite possibly, the Best Belgian Quad/Quint/Sext in existence I have ever tried. Westvleteren and St. Bernardus 12 ABT, this is certainly taking the lead guys. The saddest part about this beer is the fact that it is going to be so rare, limited and at only 12oz. It really makes me wish I had way more of this to the point where I did not want to let the last drops leave. They are a part of my soul now. I spent an entire 2 hours trying to figure out this beer as best I could and I am sure I missed some notes. I think that is how complex this beer was as the temperature kept changing. Even for 12 ozs, this was definitely a Vatican lost scroll of a relic or the holy grail of beers. This comes so far into the Bruery’s territory it ain’t even funny. If this was a 750ml, I would be dangerously in trouble. Extremely Highly recommend you get a bottle of this saintly beer. Not for those who cannot drink a highly potent beer! And Finally, to my friend Aaron, Thank you brother, this really hit on many levels. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Sora, Cloud Strife, Aya Brea, Lightning Claire Farron and Noctis Lucis Caelum from Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Parasite Eve, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV respectively were the 5 chosen monks in this beer pairing. These characters have been some of the highest most popular characters in JRPG history and thus an anime pi cure with all 5 of them was something I could not deny was the perfect pairing. If you remember correctly, I have used some of these characters in some of the best beers, like Claire in Dark Lord and Aya in Hellfighter from Texas. They relate to the beer in bad assery but also in the strength and complexity that even I cannot fathom. I guess being a big fanboy, it was just the right road to take with this one. The colors, and location pair with the flavors, the label, and more. So much to describe here, you figure it out, that is your homework!!

This beer also reminds me of the hardest battle in Final Fantasy history, the 5 Judges in Final Fantasy XII. This battle was just as hard as me trying to figure out everything this magic potion/elixir had to offer…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6jPS7cFr5o

Sources:
http://img-cache.cdn.gaiaonline.com/de697965d76e0231109b6fadac1048e7/http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad32/dekimbae/sora-vs-cloud-strife-vs-lightning-vs-aya-brea-vs-noctis-lucis-caelum-5612-1.jpg

2013 Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer by Brouwerij Het Anker

October 15, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 2013 Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Brouwerij Het Anker, Carolus, Charles Quint, Cuvee Van De Keizer, Fantasy Earth Zero, Gouden, Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer, Queen Wadritte Belkstein Hordaine, World class, world class beers, World Class Belgian Strong Dark Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.6/5

2013 Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer by Brouwerij Het Anker is an 11% ABV World Class Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Label:
Every year on the 24th of February, we celebrate the birth of Charles Quint. Therefore we brew a special beer in limited edition called ‘Grand Cru of the Emperor’. This exceptional beer is a special version of the Golden Carolus Classic, with an enriched taste palate and mysterious aromas added. The caramelized malts and its 11% Alc. Vol. give the Cuvée of the Emperor the warm roundness of wine together with the refreshing taste of beer. It is imperially crowned with a special cork so it can be preserved for a long period of time with a constant cellar temperature of 12° C. An imperial beer to cherish and enjoy in moderation.
Was 8% abv in 2000-2002, 10% in 2003 and 11% in 2004.
___

Aging for a year now, this beer seems just right for the review. I had over looked this one for a long time and I do remember my friend Richard telling me about how great this beer was. I finally decided to give it a try as I have passed this one up for a long time so I did not want to pass it up again. According to what I saw about this beer, it seem ridiculous and just like the great quads and Belgian Dark Ales, this was one of the many awesome ones. I definitely had to bring this one forward for a review.

Aromas:
Rich Dark fruit aromas like raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, currants, blueberries, boysenberries, pecan pie, dark candi sugars, rock candy, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, grapes, peaches, apples, hazelnut, licorice, anise, cinnamon, bananas, clove spice, molasses, chocolate and flan hints.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, figs, currants, boysenberries, blueberries, plums, rich dark cherries, dulce de leche caramel, banana cream pie, clove spice, pecan pie, hazelnut, vanilla, flan hints, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, rock candy, dark candi sugars, licorice, anise, molasses, chocolate, brown sugar, peach, grapes and strawberry jam on buttered toast.

Aftertaste:
Leaving traces of dark fruit, caramel, pecan pie, banana notes, buttery toast and chocolate hints. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, a sipping beer, smooth velvety mouthfeel, medium to full deep crimson body.

Overall:
Why did I not get this one sooner? This beers is ridiculously flavorful. It really is complex and somewhat of a Christmasy beer as it does have some notes of a Belgian Holiday Ale. Like St. Bernardus Christmas, this one screams warmth for the coming holidays. Yes it is still fall, but might as well let the cold start to come in. Regardless, this is damn great and it is one I would definitely pick up again. I highly recommend this one for sure.

Anime Corner:
Queen Wadritte Belkstein Hordaine from Fantasy Earth Zero was used in this pairing as it was the most perfect one I could find to pair with the label as well as some of the might and flavors this beer has to offer. For this one, you can tell it obviously pairs with Emperor Charles Quint and his horse but as you look at the different shades and colors you can already tell that this goes well with all the different flavors offered in the beer.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/208071#full

2013 Samichlaus Classic by Schloss/Castle Brewery Eggenberg in Austria

September 6, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Austria Beer, brown sugar, Castle Brewery Eggenberg, Dracula, Genzoman, Maple Syrup, Norsgard Undead, raisin bread pudding, Samichlaus, Samichlaus Biere Helles, Samichlaus Classic, Schloss Eggenberg, World class, world class beers, World Class Doppelbock, World Strongest Beer | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

2013 Samichlaus Classic by Schloss/Castle Brewery Eggenberg in Austria is a 14% ABV World Class Doppelbock.

Label:
The World’s Most Extraordinary Beverage

Brewed only once a year on December 6. Samichlaus is aged for 10 months before bottling. This beer is perhaps the rarest in the world. Samichlaus may be aged for many years to come. Older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish.

___

Once holding the title of “World Strongest Beer”, this beer was the first time I had tasted anything above 12% ABV back in 2010.I had done a review on the Helles version of this beer but this is really the first time I bring this one here to brewerianimelogs. Why have I avoided it? I really don’t know as this beer is one of the greatest examples of its style. I think at some point I was mainly just reviewing for local beers and mainly for art. Either way, the good thing is that it is now here for the review. This beer can be found in many craft brew shops that sell imported beers. While it maybe a tad pricey, a 12oz of this is probably all you really need to just relax for the night. They do come in 22oz bottles now…so yeah!…Cheers!

2012 Bier Helles Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/samichlaus-bier-helles-limited-editionby-brauerei-schloss-eggenberg/

Aromas:
Liquid dark fruit plums, prunes, raisins and figs, banana clove notes, maple syrup, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, toffee, butterscotch, biscuit bread, raisin bread pudding, stone fruits like apricots, peaches, melon, molasses and dark cherry yogurt.

Flavors:
Liquid dulce de leche caramel, pilocillo sugar cone, rich dark fruit prunes, plums, raisins, brown sugar, candied yams, candied peaches in maple syrup, toffee, raisin bread pudding, pecan pie, prailines, molasses, rye bread hints, biscuit bread, butterscotch, dark cherry yogurt, bananas, clove spice, stone fruits like apricots, melon, honey, apples, barley wheat bread and blackberry preserves on toast.

Aftertaste:
Brown sugar, dark fruits like dark cherry yogurt, banana hints,piloncillo and stone fruit linger linger. Partial Boozyness in the taste but mainly fruity sweet with no burn or detracting form the complex flavors. It really covers up the alcohol somehow. The beer has a sipping drinkability, syrup mouthfeel and a blood crimson deep amber but clear appearance. Hardly any head retention with a lot of alcohol leags.

Overall:
Perfect beer for it’s style. This beer makes me feel like Dracula. Its crimson appearance, the fact that it is brewed in a castle and comes in a creepy bottle with a potent rich complexity yet clear crimson amber appearance, whys shouldn’t it be the perfect beer for like Halloween or something. What is so special about December 6? I have no idea, but I do know I highly recommend this beer. It is damn insane! If you don’t like strong beers, keep away as you will be surprised by this magic potion.

Anime Corner:
Undead Norsgard original character by Genzoman of Deviantart.com was used in this pairing to pair with Samichlaus because I wanted to bring about the beer flavors, the history and creation of the beer and what it represents and the color of the label. As you can see, this beer was made in a castle in Austria, used to be the strongest in the world and the colors definitely compliment with the complexity and the strength of the character. While the character may or may not be evil, the whole thing I said about Dracula the beer being crimson deep blood amber red, well it does fit as well. Can you think of any thing else that pairs well about this piece?

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Norsgard-Undead-286579533

Aventinus Eisbock by Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH

September 6, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Aventinus Eisbock, Bavarian Style, Eisbock, German Beers, Knights in the Nightmare, Melissa, Schneider Weisse, Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn, World class, world class Eisbock | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Aventinus Eisbock by Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH is a 12% ABV World Class Eisbock.

Label:
Aventinus has been known to be the most intense and complex wheat-doppelbock in the world. This was the case for the past , but not anymore… Recently, Hans-Peter Drexler, brewmaster at G. Schneider & Sohn, heard stories about some extra special Aventinus resulting from partial freezing during a cold winter transport in the 1930’s . He decided to recreate this classic “mistake” to further concentrate Aventinus in a modern controlled facility. Thus, The Aventinus-Eisbock was reborn, Prost!
___

Considered the 3rd best Eisbocks in the World. Dunkelweizen styles is one of my favorites from Germany but they take this one to another level by freezing a portion of the beer and removing the water then adding it back to the base beer creating something super complex. This style is something I have never really tried and am damn curious to try and review here at brewerianimelogs. This beer is readily available world wide in many import craft beer sections. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich dark fruits like raisins, figs, plums, banana cream pie, pecan pie, dark candy sugar, brown sugar, clove spice, coriander spice, wheat bread, biscuit bread, honey, dark cherries, flan, raisin bread pudding, chocolate notes, rock candy sugar, toffee, vanilla and crème brulee and dulce de leche caramel.

Flavors:
Rich Banana, rich clove spice, phenolic notes, rich dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander, brown sugar, rock candy sugar, dark candy sugar, chocolate notes, flan, crème brulee, banana cream pie, banana split with dark cherries, pecan pie, hazelnut, honey, apple, cinnamon and stone fruit notes.

Aftertaste:
Banana, clove spice, wheat bread, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits and earthy notes linger. Partial alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors despite the fact that it is 12% ABV. A sipping beer, syrupy mouthfeel, brown, yellow an pitch black full body.

Overall:
This is is one of the finest ultra dunkelweizens on steroids I have ever had. This beer is definitely right next to the Belgian Quads in flavor but the unique Bavarian style definitely differentiates it completely from the Belgians. The banana notes and dark fruits are much stronger with this one almost to the point of no return. At 12%, I really love this beer and highly recommend you getting a bottle for sure!

Anime Corner:
Melissa from Knights in the Nightmare was used in this pairing to mainly pair with the aspects of label colors as well as the strength of the ABV. The armor she wears represents the ancient Bavarian style which has survived for many centuries and still alive in the German beer world. Melissa’s colors pairs with the dark complex flavors of the beer as well. The Angel likes wings represent how this beer is just as good as what the heavenly Belgian monastery’s can offer.

Sources:
https://files.yande.re/sample/ddaf0cf7182f84d985de522fe30f71b6/yande.re%20102442%20sample.jpg

Irie Pirate Ale / IPA by Alesmith

August 30, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Alesmith, alesmith brewing, Captain Harlock, india pale ale, IPA, Irie Pirate Ale, Kei Yuki, San Diego beers, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Irie Pirate Ale / IPA by Alesmith is a 7.25% ABV World Class India Pale Ale.

Label:

It’s Pretty Awesome. A San Diego classic, AleSmith IPA showcases the versatility of American hops. Aromas of grapefruit and tangerine lead into an abundance of fresh pine and tropical fruit notes followed by a crisp, resinous bitterness. The complex hop profile is supported by a firm malt presence to create an incredibly flavorful and well-balanced IPA.

The beer’s citrus and pine notes pair well with fresh, aromatic herbs, citrus-based dressings, and Asian-inspired flavors. IPA’s refreezing bitterness and dry finish also help temper the heat of spicy foods and contrast the tangerines of farmhouse cheddars and spicy blues.

___

Alesmith IPA used to be called “Irie Pirate Ale” but they had to change the name due to some seize and desist letters. Here at brewerianimelogs.com, we love to pay tribute to the roots of beer and so I leave the title as such. This is also borderlining a double IPA too. It was about damn time I pick this one up. For one of the best breweries in the world and from San Diego, I should have at least had their IPA right? Apparently not. Shame on me for that, especially since they make some of the best beers in the world. Well, I finally got a bottle to bring forth. Wherever you see this one, it is damn highly acclaimed for sure. So, I bring this to the site as it is a classic beer as so said. So here we go, one of San Diego’s finest and their IPA! Cheers!

Aromas:

Grapefruit, citrus, grassy, piney, hops, pineapple, caramel, tropical fruits like mango, honey dew melon, papaya, toffee, biscuit bread, caramel vanilla, cherries, plums, rye bread, brown sugar, kiwi and guava notes.

Flavors:

Citrus, tangerine, gummy bears, citrus, grassy, piney grapefruit hops, biscuit bread, lemon peel, tropical fruit like mango, papaya, honey dew melon, prickly pear, toffee, plums, cherries, vanilla, kiwi, herbal spices, dragon fruit, guava, dank garlicky, oniony notes, herbal notes and orange preserves.

Aftertaste:

No bitterness left over and yet the hoppy flavors flow like no ones business. Caramel, hops, tropical fruits citrus linger but nothing bitter. No alcohol in the taste, smooth easy to drink, clear body, light mouth feel, crisp and very refreshing.

Overall:

Perfect IPA example of awesome! There was no doubt about it but what makes this one a winner is the balance and smoothness right off the bat. Cold or warm (Colder I prefer) it keeps its own. It is insane and while it is just an IPA, it definitely competes with the Double IPAs without the boozyness in there. The crazy thing about this one is this will age but hops will die. So drink it fresh or drink it later, your choice, this one isn’t going anywhere. Highly Recommended!!

Anime Corner:

Kei Yuki from Captain Harlock series was used in this pairing to pretty much sum up everything that has to do with Alesmith IPA in terms of the color of the beer, label, flavors, history, legal issues and the very soul that is, Irie Pirate Ale. Basically, with the label, it is the colors of the pirate flag, the color of the beer is blonde like Kei and the pink suit is the cherry notes and her eyes show a complexity of honey dew while the long flowing hair is everything the IPA is about. The fact that she is a pirate and like all pirates disobey the law, she represents what this IPA used to stand for before the name change. While she is just Alesmith IPA, in heart and in her roots, she will always be the Irie Pirate Ale and those who dare mock the fact that she moves into Double IPA territory will be dealt with swiftly and justly!

Sources:
http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/captain-harlock-pirate.jpg
http://gallery.minitokyo.net/view/310793

Grapefruit Sculpin by Ballast Point

August 20, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Bakuretsu Tenshi, Ballast Point, Burst Angel, grapefruit, Grapefruit Sculpin, india pale ale, IPA, JO, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Grapefruit Sculpin by Ballast Point is a 7% ABV World Class India Pale Ale brewed with Grapefruit.

Commercial Description: (BallastPoint.com)
Our Award-winning IPA, with a citrus twist.
Our Grapefruit Sculpin is the latest take on our signature IPA. Some may say there are few ways to improve Sculpin’s unique flavor, but the tart freshness of grapefruit perfectly complements our IPA’s citrusy hop character. Grapefruit’s a winter fruit, but this easy-drinking ale tastes like summer.
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Picked this one up at the www.craftshack.com website. This is the next variant to the Sculpin IPA. I have tried the other variants such as the Habanero Sculpin and the regular one. This time, Ballast Point brings the sweet grapefruit infusion to the mix. I am not sure if this has been done locally at their brewery before but this is rather intriguing for being a world class beer. Let us see if it is just as good as the regular or if it is amped up just a notch. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Grapefruit, Grapefruit peel, grapefruit hops, floral, piney, grassy and herbal hops, mango, dragon fruit, orange preserves on rye bread, cucumber, biscuit bread, caramel, vanilla, honey, pineapple, stone fruits like apricots and peaches.

Flavors:
Lots of rich grapefruit, grapefruit peel, grapefruit hops, grassy, piney, floral and herbal hops, citrus, apricot, mango peach, orange preserves on rye bread, cucumber, biscuit bread, caramel hints, tangerine, honey, pineapple, dragon fruit, papaya, passion fruit, prickly pear and vanilla hints.

Aftertaste:
Grapefruit still lingers sweet along with the tropical flavors, floral, grassy and herbal hops at the finish. No alcohol in the taste, easy to drink, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel along with a light gold to orange body.

Overall:
Debating on which one I like better will definitely depend on the day and the situation. I love this one just as much as the regular sculpin but I find this one a tad more appealing because of the sweet tropics it provides. It is a winning beer and even if others have taken its title of the best in the world, It won’t change my mind about the fact that this is should be a staple standard for IPAs. Well at least the regular Sculpin. This one is just an awesome bonus. I really enjoy the grapefruit forward that this version of the gold winning sculpin has to offer. You should definitely pick up a 6 pack of this for sure, I highly recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Jo from Bakuretsu Tenshi/Burst Angel was paired with this beer because I wanted to go with the whole white shirt hair bad ass look as I showed with the previous sculpins. While Sculpin fish are supposed to be venomous, Habanero was plain evil while Sculpin was somewhat evil, Jo is quite the opposite. While understanding where she comes from, she has surpassed the previous Sculpins in the sense that she is not evil. She is a better person and wants to protect her friends. While her past shows that she was made for other purposes, the fact that she was able to establish herself as an awesome individual makes for one hell of a beer here. The colors of her pair well with the unleashing of tropical fruit flavors and the unleashing of a grapefruit barrage. Jo is a bad ass femme fatale and that is just about all you need to know about her. So check her out in her series and go get this beer now. Also, the bitterness she represents sometimes only shows her cold side. She is a very sweet person once she opens up though.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/1712610#full

System of a Stout by Beachwood brewing

July 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Adventure Time, american oak barrels, Armenian Imperial Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Beachwood Brewing, Brandy Barrel Aged, Ellie, Imperial Stout, Last of Us, Marceline, Portola Coffee Lab, System of A Down, system of a stout, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5

System of a Stout by Beachwood brewing is an 11.2% ABV World Class Armenian Imperial Stout aged in oak brandy barrels.

Label:
System of a Stout incorporates the ingredients of a traditional cup of Armenian-style coffee: cardamom, molasses, and a massive infusion of coffee from our good friends at Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa, CA. This robust and flavorful brew is then oak aged, adding even more layers of complexity. Enjoy fresh or cellar at 45-55°.
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What a beer, named after the System of a Down in reference to being a beer made in the Armenian style of coffee. Definitely traveled far and wide to Long Beach California where I had to pick this one up before it was gone. That and the fact that the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals and Anime Expo in downtown Los Angeles were going on all at the same time. That day was totally worth it and the fact that I was able to bring this for a review for you may hopefully make you decide to seek this one out for yourself. Let us see why this one is so, ‘World Class’!

Aromas:
Immediate rush of dark and rich espresso coffee fragrances, dark chocolate, dark fruit notes, molasses, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, cinnamon, flan hints, oak, brandy, dark cherries, chocolate cake, bananas, flan, almonds, pecan pie and vanilla ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich Dark Espresso coffee, Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, brandy, dark cherries, toffee, rye, earthy hop notes, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, dark fruits like raisins and plums, cardamom spice, molasses, anise, pecan pie, flan, almonds, banana and chocolate cake.

Aftertaste:
Lingering coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, oak, brandy, cherry hints and earthy spicy notes. No alcohol in the taste, drinks smooth yet syrupy mouthfeel. Dark full body with no trace of light in site.

Overall:
Exceptionally awesome! This is my favorite beer from Beachwood so far aside from the Mrs. Stoutfire collaboration they did with the Bruery. This beer is pretty close to Mocha Wednesday but misses the super complexity of that one. It is way delicious and up there with the greatest of the the great and the Brandy oak aging definitely takes it to that next level. I highly recommend getting this one as it is freaking amazing and close to one of the best coffee stouts in the world for sure!

Anime Corner:
Ellie from the Last of Us and Marceline from Adventure Time were used in this pairing for many reasons involving the dark aspects of the flavors and tribute to System of a Down. In the art work from Ellie it actually reminds me of the song B.Y.O.B video where it shows an army of soldiers in suits marching forward. The soldiers in the artwork you can say represent those soldiers from the video. The Marceline artwork just represent overall rock and basically the darkness of this beer and System of a Down as a Rock Band.

Sources:
http://artgerm.deviantart.com/art/Marceline-466739861
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/andyrobertson/files/2014/05/The-Last-of-Us-concept-art.jpg
System of a Down: B.Y.O B https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUzd9KyIDrM

Backwoods Bastard by Founders Brewing

July 2, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Backwoods Bastard, Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy, Founders Brewing, Kawashiro Nitori, Kurodani Yamame, Scotch Ale, Touhou, Wee Heavy, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Backwoods Bastard by Founders Brewing is a 10.2% ABV World Class Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy aged in bourbon barrels.

Description:
Big and delicious for your ’perty mouth. Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts. A bit of earthy spice and a scintilla of dark cherries. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.
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Thanks to my friend Aaron from www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up with this awesome Wee Heavy. Rated as the 5th best Wee Heavy Scotch ale in the world, this is quite the honor. The Wee Heavy Style is one of my favorite styles of beer that is not often brewed or just not often seen by me. All the ones I have tried are just phenomenal, and yet I have not found a true bad Scotch Ale yet. So to Aaron, once again, cheers for donating this one to the site good sir!

Aromas:
Lots of rich vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark and milk chocolate, very dark fruit raisins, figs, dark cherries, plums, rye bread, brown sugar, smoked peat, toasted coconut, bourbon, marshmallows, raisin bread pudding, pecan pie, choco flan, molasses, oak, scotch whiskey, port wine, almond joy, anise, licorice and marshmallows smores over campfire.

Flavors
Lots of oak, rye bread, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, bourbon, scotch and butterscotch, toasted coconut, macadamia nut nectar, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, molasses, smoked peat, dark fruits like raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, anise, choco flan, raisin bread pudding, prailines, milk and dark chocolate, espresso hints, rye bread, brown sugar, marshmallow smores, almond joy chocolate, licorice hints, port wine, ginger spice hints, earthy notes, brownie on vanilla ice cream and cookies and cream.

Aftertaste:
Leaving with dark and mil chocolate, vanilla, caramel, scotch, toasted coconut, dark cherry, dark fruit raisins and anise. Well hidden alcohol, a sipping but very smooth drinkability with a medium mouth feel.

Overall:
Definitely one of the highest candidates. This beer is truly exceptionally world class. The way it is done with balance, smoothness and lots of complex and rich flavors is just up there with some of the greats! Probably the best Wee Heavy I have ever tried. Highly Recommended! Thanks again Aaron, and cheers!!

Anime Corner:
Kawashiro Nitori and Kurodani Yamame from the Touhou were chosen in this pairing represent the label and the overall name of what it really means to be a Backwoods Bastard!! Yes they fight over a cooked fish at camp grounds but that does not mean they should not share. That doesn’t meant you shouldn’t share this one as it comes in a 4 pack. My friend was awesome for passing this along to me and knows what it is like to share the wealth when it comes to searching for the lost beer treasures. I had only heard a little bit about this beer and now that I know, I wish to seek it out again one day. The woods and mountains is where Nitori is from and Yamame was probably lost since she is from the underworld. Just goes to show, how much of a Bastard Yamame may be. Oh well.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/1241174

Habanero Sculpin by Ballast Point

June 5, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Ballast Point, Chile beer, Habanero Peppers, Habanero Sculpin, india pale ale, IPA, Kill-LA-Kill, Kushina, Naruto, Ragyo Kyurin, Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, Sculpin, Sculpin fish, Sculpin IPA, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Habanero Sculpin by Ballast Point is a 7% ABV World Class India Pale Ale brewed with Habanero Peppers

Description: (http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/sculpin-with-habanero/)
Our popular IPA, with a punch of heat.
Our Sculpin IPA is a great example of what got us into brewing in the first place. After years of experimenting, we knew hopping an ale at five separate stages would produce something special. The result ended up being this gold-medal winning IPA, whose inspired use of hops creates hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors, but still packs a bit of a sting, just like a Sculpin fish.
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Ballast Point finally decided to get this beer out to the masses. I have had this beer plenty of times before and let me put it this way, I can already tell you that this one is HOT!! So basically, if you don’t like heat driven beers, or chile in general, there is a high chance you will not like this. So yes, this is a chili head type of beer basically. However, it is not just a pure heat beer, it definitely has a great amount of complexity provided by the original sculpin.

Aromas:
Grapefruit, grassy, floral and piney hops with habanero chile pepper in the aromas. Yes, that means this ones hot, A warning. The aromas follow up with mango, papaya, dragon fruit, citrus, apricot, peach, caramel, biscuit bread, cucumber, hibiscus, tangerine, bell pepper, pineapple and honey.

Flavors:
Forward Habanero heat but the flavors of the sculpin IPA pull through. Caramel, biscuit bread, honey, cantaloupe, cucumber, flowers, grapefruit, pine resin, grassy hops, tangerine, mango, citrus, papaya, dragon fruit, apricot, peach , passion fruit, candied mandarin orange and mild rye.

Aftertaste:
He searing heat keeps on burning but dissipates unlike crime and punishment from stone. Caramel, pineapple, grassy and grapefruit hops linger. No alcohol in the taste but while this is crisp and refreshing, it is a highly sipping beer.

Overall:
Great Beer if you love IPAs and chile beers. The heat varies in each bottle and in this case, these are fucking HOT!!. I really had to take my time with this one. The heat dissipates as the beer gets warmer since I believe the sweet tropical fruits kind of mellow some of the heat. Highly recommended if you love chile beers or chile in general. This is best paired with something to eat as drinking this on an empty stomach….well… lets just say I warned you. If you like regular Sculpin, this is good to try but like I said, stick to regular sculpin if you don’t like the heat.

Anime Corner:
This one’s one mother of a beer. Like the previous Sculpin which I did with Terese Rose, it represents a delicate flower like the fish. But test it out, you will find that this flower is deadly!! Ragyo Kyuruin from Kill La Kill and Kushina “Bloody Habaneo” Uzumaki from Naruto are the mothers of the main characters, Ryuko Matoi and Satsuki Kyuruin and Naruto Uzumaki respectively but different series. Ragyo’s colors represent the tropics and beauty that is brought forth in this tropical IPA but she also brings death and destruction which is represented by the heat. Kushina is very kind and sweet but when she gets mad, she unleashes all hell, hence why they gave her the nickname, “Bloody Habanero”. I can’t stress how awesome, beautiful but deadly this beer is. Patience is key!

Sources:
http://cs618417.vk.me/v618417231/4b17/8QEd1B3jW_w.jpg
http://31.media.tumblr.com/844e72c621c85d99eecc19a625b2becb/tumblr_n21s1uKGtm1rxojvro2_1280.jpg
http://static.tumblr.com/5896fa2eabf96eadc51f04bf373d8ef1/qgfktsz/YrTn1sh3u/tumblr_static_c45290ab1faddebe43e90c5ac766676b.pnghttp://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/223/5/9/kushina_uzumaki__childhood__by_shinoharaa-d5as14l.png

Proprietor’s Vintage 2014 Stickee Monkee by Firestone Walker Brewing

June 4, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Quadrupel, Black Tuesday, Capcom, Central Coast Quad, Firestone Walker, Goku, Journey to the West, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Monkey King, proprietor's reserve, Son Goku, Son-Son, SonSon III, Stickee Monkee, Sun Wukong, Trappist beer, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Proprietor’s Vintage 2014 Stickee Monkee by Firestone Walker Brewing is a 13.4% ABV World Class Central Coast Belgian Quadrupel aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Since founding our brewery in 1996, we have specialized in the rare art of brewing beer in oak barrels. In the fall of 2006, we embarked on a program to barrel age a series of vintage strong ales that would later be used as components of a blended beer. That blend would become our first Anniversary Ale, “10”.

After the release of “10”, we released limited amounts of the component beers on draft only. Many of these beers gained a cult following that craft beer fans raved about and begged for us to put in bottle. Stickee Monkee was one of these beers.

We present the 2014 vintage of Stickee Monkee, a barrel-aged Quad. It has been said that the only constant is change and the same is true for barrel-aged Quad evolves and shows a different face each year; a result of time spent aging in the barrel.

Turbinado brown sugar from Mexico adds wonderful molasses flavors that are reminiscent of Belgian candi sugar. It has a full body and lush texture with battle expression all over; toasted oak, coconut, leather and rich cigar tobacco.

This Central Coast Quad is a one-of-a-kind sipping beer built to last and will reward careful aging for years to come.
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This is very damn special. So special along side some of the best in the world so far. This beer was so coveted that I barely was able to get a bottle for myself. Initially sold at the Firestone Brewery, it saw a very limited distribution. I really wanted to bring this forward for a review here at the site and lucky for me, my chance was answered. If you seek this beer, you may have to trade.

Aromas:
DAMN! Smells like Black Tuesday. This isn’t an imperial stout but damn it has so much complexity going on here. Dulce de leche, grilled bananas with Irish cream, vanilla, oak, coconut, flan, almond joy chocolate, marshmallows, bourbon, pecan pie, hazelnuts, maple syrup, bourbon, molasses, pilloncillo sugar cone, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, currants, maple syrup, milk, dark and Belgium chocolates, waffle cone and raisin bread pudding.

Flavors:
Brown Sugar Grilled Bananas with pilloncillo sugar cone, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bourbon, toasted coconut, French Vanilla ice cream, oreo cookies and cream, flan, sweetened condensed milk, marshmallow smores, maple syrup, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, black berries, currants, port wine, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark cherries, currants, maple syrup, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, Belgium chocolate, candi sugars, waffle cone, clove spice, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, choco flan, molasses, tobacco, leather, Trappist Belgian yeast, grape nuts, peaches and cream.

Aftertaste:
Caramelized Bananas, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, dark fruit raisin pudding and pecan pie. No alcohol in the taste, Unbelievably smooth, syrupy mouth feel and extremely dangerous. This is one of those beers that you want to be careful as you can probably finish the whole bottle in one sitting which is not recommended. Take you time with this one.

Overall:
This beer was a fucking mind blow. There is a reason this is a key player in the anniversary ales they release every year. Each year the recipe is different and each one just pushing the edges of what I can give as extra credit. This might truly be the best quad I have ever had, yes even in lines with the Westvleteren. Also the strongest quadruple at 13.4% ABV except for the Agave Maria at 13.5% ABV and Forgotten Island at 15% ABV. Each one is just unique in its own way. I really love this one for reminding me so much of Black Tuesday or Bourbon County but it is a quadruple and its flavor profile really shows.

Anime Corner:
SonSon III was chosen for this pairing for the fact that she is a monkey but she is also a Buddhist Monk. As it applies to the monks in Belgium, those characteristics about her are what worked well in my mind, hence why I chose her. The peaches and cream aspect fit as well as she represents what is sweet about this beer. Her origin is that of the monk Son Goku or Sun Wukong or the Monkey King. She is inspired by the Chinese classical novel of Journey to the West. Her grandfather was the original SonSon. Her power comes of the that of the martial arts and the is Ki attacks. Yes, this beer is very powerful and she makes a great representative. Can you come up with any nice aspects from this pairing?

Source:
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080319020048/marvelvscapcom/images/b/bf/Sonson-big-mvc2.jpg
http://johnjoseco.deviantart.com/art/Monkeys-and-Peaches-395292236

Mogli by Caldera Brewing

May 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, bakers chocolate, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cacao Chocolate Porter, Caldera brewing, Candi Sugars, Chocolate, Chocolate Porter, Imperial Porter, Mogli, oak barrels, White Chocolate, World class, World Class Imperial Porter | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Mogli by Caldera Brewing is an 8.5% ABV World Class Imperial Porter Aged in Oak Barrels with Chocolate.

Label:
Caldera’s “Mogli” was inspired by the loss of a dear friend. This is a chocolate, oak-aged Imperial Porter. Mogli is complex, sweet, chocolatey, big and full of unconditional love! Sit, Stay, roll over, cookies? Malt beverage brewed with natural flavor. If ever in Ashland, Oregon, come by and check out the Caldera Tap House. Located 31 Water Street.

Served in a 10 ounce wine glass. Malts: Premium Two Row, Crystal, Munich, Brown, Pale Chocolate, Chocolate, Dark Belgian Candi Sugar, Natural Chocolate, Bourbon-Soaked Oak Spirals; Hops: Galena, Willamette; ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 55, SRM: 55.0
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From the Caldera Kettle Series ~ Limited Small Batch Release, Mogli is a beer I have been passing up for the longest time. I guess it wasn’t until recently when I read the label that this beer was made for the loss of one of the brewer’s pet that I was like awe man, this is cute. I definitely had to try it. Now, without further ado, here is Mogli!

Aromas:
Rich Milk, dark and bakers Chocolate, chocolate yoohoo, plantain bananas, rich vanilla, blackberries, blue berry muffins, hints of oak, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, cocoa powder, cocoa krispies, peanut butter, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, dark fruits figs and dates, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, hints of coconut, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow, white chocolate, mocha and notes of Kahlua.

Flavors:
Very Rich Milk, dark, bakers and Yoohoo Chocolate covered blueberries, blackberries, Chocolate Cheese cake, Banana Flan, maple grilled plantains, White Russian, White Chocolate, rich vanilla, oak, bourbon, blueberry muffins, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, figs and dates, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, marshmallow, oatmeal cookie dough, rocky road ice cream, oreo cookies, peanut butter, cocoa krispies, cocoa powder, chocolate cordial cherries, fudge cake, coffee cake, brown sugar and rum.

Aftertaste:
Lingering rich chocolate, banana and dark fruit complexities with hints of vanilla and caramel. No alcohol in the taste. A sipping beer with a smoothness that can be described like drinking chocolate milkshake. Medium mouthfeel and very creamy.

Overall:
HOLY SHIT! I love this beer! I definitely have a new favorite. Who would have thought that for beer that is not as coveted as many other well known beers, that this one literally takes the cake, or atleast a huge chunk of chocolate cake. I got this beauty at Ramirez but I have seen it in many places like total wine. I believe they release this almost every year so without a shadow of a doubt, a highly recommended must try. I think what really does this one in is the chocolate and the other ingredients it shows it is made from.

Anime Corner:
Original artwork by Saintversa and allinix of Deviant art were used in this pairing mainly because of the colors and the label. Blue Green or Teal is my favorite color but I mainly wanted to show a black canine as I am unable to find many good pictures to pair these beers with. I take a gut feeling and usually take a perspective when choosing these. In terms of chocolate and dark beer, I felt this was perfect because I wanted to show guilty pleasure and unconditional love, in whatever form it may be for the loss of a pet. Hence why the canine anthropomorphic pictures are hard to see. Especially since anthropomorphic I guess in the “Furry world” (Don’t quote me on this, I am not a Furry) is the dividing line between man and animal or maninal. Essentially I am trying to say how pets are part of a family and we love them as such. Either way, this beer is very special and pleasant that you have to try it!

2014 Reserve Mirror Mirror by Deschutes Brewing

May 19, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged barley wine, Deschutes Brewing, English Barleywine, Mirror Mirror, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, oak wine barrels, Pinot Noir wine barrels, Wine Barrels, World class, World Class Barleywine | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.85/5

2014 Reserve Mirror Mirror by Deschutes Brewing is an 11.2% ABV World Class English Barleywine with 50% aged in wine barrels.

Label:
The Reserve Series romance all began with our first release of this limited-edition brew. Mirror Mirror, born of a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, is an inspired, barrel-aged barley wine layered with intriguing nuances. Explore this latest incarnation and enjoy its delicious complexity in every sip.

Malt: Pale, Victory, Crystal, Maris Otter, Cara-Pils
Hops: Millennium, Cascade
Barrel-Aging: (50%) 10 Months in Oregon Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Malbec Barrels
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Picked this one up at Uncle Henry’s deli. I have been passing this one up for the longest time and after trying the NOT the Stoic, I wanted to see what this one was all about as I heard great things about this one. Pick this one up if you can find it. Deschutes makes some bad ass beers that are very coveted. Like I said, I missed this one by like a sliver and lucky for me Uncle Henry’s in Downey California had this one in stock.

Aromas:
Dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, cherries, toffee, molasses, maple, earthy notes, oak, port wine, old mango, leather, anise, blackberry and grape preserves, dark chocolate notes, vanilla and cinnamon grilled apples.

Flavors:
Lots of dark fruit raisins, figs, cherries, plums, lots dulce de leche caramel, oak, wine grapes, earthy hop notes, papaya, grilled pineapple,coconut, old mangoes, papaya, dragon fruits, molasses, grape marmalade of rye bread, toffee, grapefruit, butterscotch, clove spice, brown sugar, cinnamon apple pie, pecan pie, pralines, maple syrup and French vanilla ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Earthy hops, rye bread, grape marmalade, leather notes, oak, caramel, toffee, dark fruits and maple lingers but then has a semi dry finish. Well hidden alcohol, none in the taste, a sipping yet smooth beer. Syrupy and deadly!

Overall:
Well…Damn…. Needless to say, this is pretty damn fantastic. It is definitely on top notch with some of the best Barleywines in the world. The addition of the wine barrel aging gives this one a semi barrel age feel that is freaking delicious and is responsible for that semi dry finish. Now you are drinking a closer to wine beer. Highly recommended for those that can find this beauty.

Anime Corner:
Reaper Angel original artwork by artist unknown (Please let me know who this belongs to) was used in this review to show case the aspect of mirror mirror. Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all. Beauty is only skin deep and this pairing goes to show that no matter how beautiful one is on the outside, it is what is on the inside that counts. We all have to answer to the reaper in the end and the duality of the beer making half be aged in wine barrels is showcased by the reaper side. So either way, enjoy life, take it one step at a time, have some beers and realize that perspective of the world can be an interesting when you look at both sides of the coin.

2014 Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout by Three Floyds

May 12, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Claire Farron, Dark Lord, Dark Matter Coffee, Dark Matter Unicorn Blood, Final Fantasy XIII, Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial Stouts, Lightning, Maple Syrup, Russian Imperial Stout, syrup, Three Floyds, Unicorn blood, Unicorn Blood Coffee, World class, world class beers, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

The one and only…2014 Dark Lord by Three Floyds is a 15% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Dark Matter Unicorn Blood Coffee.

It’s been a while, but we meet again, the Lord of all Imperial Stouts, the darkest of the dark, the sweetest and most luscious of all. The last time I tried this beer was back in 2012, and I could still remember how syrupy and delicious this damn beer was. Like just by having it in presence was like something out of the ordinary. This beer’s recipe uses Dark Matter Unicorn Blood Coffee which is an insane name. I am sure it will add a crazy new complexity to beer. Good luck finding this beer, I wish you the best. How did I get my hands on this one? Well you see ..uhh…. hehehe ….

Aromas:
Super Rich dark, milk, chocolate, extremely fancy coffee, dark cherry liquid sugar, yogurt, Kahlua, dark fruits like plums, apples, currants, molasses, brown sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, port wine, dulce de leche caramel, flan, maple syrup, burnt candi sugars, vanilla, Unicorn blood coffee, peanut butter, pecan pie, walnuts, hazelnut, chocolate cake and more.

Flavors:
Very very rich milk, dark, sweet, bakers, German, Belgian and Abuelita chocolate syrup, Kahlua coffee liqueur, dark cherry puree, really fancy Unicorn blood coffee, Irish coffee, molasses, vanilla syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar, burnt candi sugars, bananas, coconut milk, cocoa crispies, flan, cinnamon, flan, peanut butter, mocha, walnuts, pecan pie and a complex variety of dark sweets!

Aftertaste:
Dark Cherry, yogurt, milk chocolate, vanilla, coconut, dulce de leche caramel, maple syrup, molasses and lots of sugar seems to lingers forever not in the palette, but in the soul !! Syrupy as all hell and yet, very fucking smooth and extremely dangerous. I’m not even kidding, you can’t even sense the alcohol. I can easily drink this on its own and be like bring me more without even knowing what the hell happens next. Holy Shit!

Overall:
Who needs Bourbon Barrels or any special barrels for that matter. This beer is one of the best beers in the world hands down. This brings back memories to the day I first tried this. Syrupy as all hell with like a soy sauce or oil consistency with the flavors hitting all the best sweet tooth a hearts content can only find. The hype is pretty real and while Black Tuesday has its origins of some of the most chocolate aspects, this one holds it in the cherry, coffee and chocolate department with Kahlua. Oh yeah , did I mention, no barrels to amp it’s flavors. It is pretty ridiculous on its own. The hardest part is figuring out how it compares to other beers. Without the barrel aged aspect, how can you compare where the deliciousness comes from. This Devil’s water is sweet as hell… Now, if I can only have more!

Anime Corner:
Lightning Claire Farron, from Final Fantasy XIII series was chosen in the previous version of the Dark Lord along with some of the other awesome Final Fantasy characters, however I wanted to make her the focus of the beer as before. Lightning is a fucking bad ass! She’s kicked ass in many aspect of the Final Fantasy universe and just like cloud strife, she has cold side but also a very sweet side (Rich sweetness and Super Hidden ABV). Lightning is a complex character set with emotions ranging from very conservative and self conscious due to the guilt she felt for losing her … well, you will have to play the game. Let’s just say, her complexity and turmoil make her enough to bring about the chaos of how different the beer is to others. You really have to see for yourself to see what this entails. The added picture is of a beast warrior which if you know the artist, please let me know who to credit as I do not know. Yet it fits the whole dark lord aspect.

Proprietor’s Reserve Series Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Balthier, Black Rye IPA, Chewbacca, dark chocolate, Final Fantasy XII, Firestone Walker, Fran, han solo, IPA, proprietor's reserve, rye bread, rye ipa, Star Wars, Star Wars beer, Wookey Jack, Wookie Jack, World class, World Class Black Rye India Pale Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Proprietor’s Reserve Series Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker is an 8.3% ABV World Class Black Rye India Pale Ale.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Wookey Jack is our first foray into the dark outer world of black IPAs. Rich dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold citrus laden hops creating a new dimension in IPA flavor. This brew has been left unfiltered and unfined to retain all of its texture and character. At 60 IBUs, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.
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Considered to the 4th Best American Black Ale in the world by Beeradvocate.com. I have tried the majority of the common Firestone Walker beers but I have always skipped this one for one reason or another. Well, I finally decided to go with it and give it a shot. My friend Aaron recommended I should try it. He’s over there in Texas and I’m in California. Yeah I know, I’ve been living under a rock right? HA! Any ways, here is the review. The cool thing about this one, is that it has that star wars reference too.

Aromas:
Piney, earthy, grapefruit and grassy hops, dark chocolate, rye bread, roasted barley, caramel, slight smoke, tropical fruits like mango, kiwi and papaya, brown sugar, molasses, notes of dark fruits, anise and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Herbal, piney, earthy grapefruit and grassy hops, anise, caramel, dark chocolate, rye bread, tropical fruits, pineapple, apricot, old mango, papaya, kiwi, molasses, campfire smoke, roasted barley, toffee, biscuit bread, notes of dark fruit plums and oranges.

Aftertaste:
Piney and earthy hop bitterness with surprisingly lingering tropical flavor, caramel, smoke and chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, moderate to sipping drinkability with medium to full mouth feel.

Overall:
One of the best Black Rye IPAs for sure. It really reminds you about the fact that it is an IPA first and foremost before it gives you the dark sweet aspects. While the hops aren’t super dank, they definitely help the beer so it doesn’t feel, too bitter, too sweet or too smokey. Well made beer and definitely one that is underrated. This beer is phenomenal and I hope this review convinces you to try this one. It is a great example of the style.

Anime Corner:
Fran and Balthier from Final Fantasy XII were used in this pairing since I wanted to get the whole Chewbacca and Han Solo aspect of star wars but I wanted to related to anime and video games. Which lead me to Fran and Balthier. It is pretty crazy how good partners they are in the game that you can tell they took the them right out of star wars. Yes, I was going with the whole, Fran is a wookie but not yet she is like Chewbacca partnering with Han Solo. Either way, flavors and label of the beer also compliment their colors as she is a smoking hot chocolate bunny. There I said it lol.

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel by Brouwerij Westmalle

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged attack on titan, Belgian Dubbel, Brouwerij Westmalle, Dubbel, Mikasa Ackerman, Trappist beer, Trappist Dubbel, Westmalle Trappist, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel by Brouwerij Westmalle is a 7% ABV World Class Belgian Dubbel.

Commercial Description:
Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.

Since 1856 the monks have also been brewing a dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.

The 33 cl bottles are distributed individually, in baskets of six or in 24 bottle crates. The Westmalle Dubbel is also the only dark Trappist beer available on draught in some 300 selected hotels, restaurants and cafes, from kegs of 30 and 50 litres. Dubbel Trappist continues to ferment, making the draught version slightly sweeter than the bottled version.

Dubbel Trappist is also available in 75 cl bottles, in which the beer matures differently than the smaller bottles. You will particularly notice a more subtle aftertaste.
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The need to try some of the Trappist ales of the 10 Trappist Monasteries of the world got me to finally pick up a bottle and do a review. I have tried this one long ago at a restaurant but I had yet to do a review on it. What a better time than now. Many of the craft beer shops will sell this one as it is easy to find like Trappist Rochefort or even Chimay. I have done reviews for about 6 (including this just now) of the monasteries and some of their beers but I still got 4 more to go. All world class so far, you really can’t go wrong. So let’s check this one out.

Aromas:
Very rich dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, dates, cherries, currants, dulce de leche caramel, candy sugars, raisin bread pudding, pecans, hazelnut, chocolate notes, vanilla, pears, blackberry marmalade, rum, oak, brown sugar, toffee, cinnamon, bananas, phenolic notes, clove spice and molasses.

Flavors:
Once again, rich dark fruits, raisins, plums, dates, toffee, candy sugars. Rich raisin bread pudding notes, pecans, walnuts, hazelnut, vanilla, blackberry marmalade, pears, blackberry marmalade, chocolate notes, bananas and clove spice, molasses, peaches and cherries.

Aftertaste:
Raisins, blackberry marmalade, vanilla, rum hints, dulce de leche caramel and brown sugar lingers. No alcohol in the taste, sipping drinkability with almost syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Perfect Belgian Dubbel with some exceeding great qualities. Seems like the hidden secrets of the Holy monasteries can brew up something that cannot be copied but may be similar. This is the second best dubbel in the world and rightfully so. When drinking this, it really is raisin bread pudding in a bottle. No joke at all, this stuff is sweet and bready. This really comes close to the Partridge in a Pear Tree except not as strong and its not using pears. It seems like a base for that beer though.

Anime Corner:
Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan was used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the label but mainly the abbey aspect. While it is not shown in readily in the the background, but if you know the Attack on Titan Story, she fights for unveiling the truth outside of the walls which protect from these giants called Titans who destroy and eat humans, which you find later on are tied to the religious sects. While Westmalle is a holy trappist monastery, and it seems to share a special flavor of the Dubbel Belgian style which even the best, Westvleteren will not share since you actually have to visit. Nevermind the complexity of getting the Westvleteren 8 but either way, Westmalle is knows of making the second best and even then, is responsible for sharing the best strengths to the world of its style. Mikasa is all about being the best but at at the same time humble and only doing for her only family member left, Eren Jaeger of the series. The Red scarf she wears represents the hard work of the monks in getting this special style together for everyone to try. Mikasa always wears this scarf which was given by Eren, like Westmalle wears the proud logo of the Trappist.

Abbey by New Belgium

December 16, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged abbey ale, banana bread, Banana cloves, Belgian beer, Belgian Dubbel, belgium beers, dulce de leche caramel, Monks, new belgium, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Abbey by New Belgium is a 7% ABV Belgian Dubbel

Label:
A beauty of a Belgian dubbel with six different malts and an authentic Belgian yeast strain that’s happiest being served in a New Belgian globe glass.
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Yes, I agree. While it would be plain and simple to use the NB globe glass, I decided against it since I wanted to use the Monkish glass to appeal to the art pairing. Anyways, this beer comes out every year around the Fall/Winter season ready for X-mas. I have never got a chance to review it since the last time I bought a 6 or a Folly 12 pack, they are all gone. This one did not get away and is here for the review. You can get this nation wide in 6 pack or the NB Winter Folly pack.

Aromas:
Rich banana bread, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dulce de leche caramel notes, vanilla, chocolate hints, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, biscuit and toffee

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel notes, dark fruits forward from the raisins, the plums and figs, dates, banana bread, coffee and chocolate notes, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, earthy hop notes, molasses, anise notes, clove and coriander spice, peppercorns and bubble gum hints

Aftertaste:
Close to a dry finish but some biscuit, raisins, earthy hop bitterness and caramel linger for a little bit. Despite being a dubbel quite the easy drinking. No alcohol in the taste either.

Overall:
A Great beer very delicious. To the height of many of the New Belgium beers that I have tried, only some have made it with a high rating. This one takes the cake and is probably one of my favorite annual releases from New Belgium. This beer definitely makes it to the world class (14th best dubbel according to beer advocate). Belgian beer lovers will love this one

Anime Corner:
I am not sure who created this piece but I was able to find it when looking for different pictures online. This was a perfect pairing because it includes everything about Belgian Abbeys, monks, monasteries and so forth. A tribute to the Belgian abbeys

Backyard Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island

December 16, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Backyard Rye, Backyard Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout, black berries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon county, Boysenberries, chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate, Goose Island, Imperial Stout, Lily Salvatana, Marionberries, Mulberries, Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey Barrels, Tre Donne Crudeli, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Backyard Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island is a 12.7% ABV World Class Imperial Stout brewed with Mulberries, Boysenberries and Marionberries and aged in Rye Whiskey barrels

Label:
This Bourbon County release is Inspired by the berries our brewers first remember eating from the trees in their backyards. Full of the dark, spicy, and pleasantly sweet flavors, this trio of berries nicely compliments the flavors imparted from barrel resulting in a smooth, jammy stout perfect for sipping on your back porch.
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The 5th variety of the Bourbon county series I try. One with lots of berries. Like many beers, this one is coveted as well and released on Black Friday. If you want to get this one, you will have to trade or find it online. Either way, just like the other Bourbon Counties, they are a must try, even if once.

Aromas:
Deep dark chocolate covered cherries, raspberries, black berries, dark fruits, subtle bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, boysenberry preserves on rye bread, marshmallows, cherry flan, mocha, coffee, rocky road ice cream dark cherry and rocky road ice cream, bananas, toasted coconut and rich fancy berry desserts

Flavors:
Liquid chocolate raspberry bliss! Lots of raisins, dark cherries, boysenberries, black berries, blue berries, currants, dark chocolate, oak, marshmallow, raspberry cheesecake, banana split, lots of berry preserves on rye bread, toasted coconut, cherry chocolate cake, vanilla, rich caramel, flan, blackberry jam, molasses and more complex flavors as it develops

Aftertaste:
Slightly tart raspberries, chocolate, bourbon notes, coffee, vanilla and oak, but mainly the combination of all the berries is what truly lingers. No alcohol in the taste, a sipper, yet smooth and dangerous like the previous.

Overall:
Damn exquisite like its brethren. This on is more berry forward. Distinguishing the berries is difficult but doable. Either way, I think I love this even more than the regular BCBS. Like the “Life is Like..” beer, this would the berry mash up equivalent. Damn good and damn well worth getting if you can find this and love fruit beers.

Anime Corner:
Lily Salvatana from the Tre Donne Crudeli “Outlaw” Django was used in this pairing to represent once again, the old west in Bourbon county but also the colors and aspects of the beer. The berries found for this beer were found in a back yard. Most people in their backyards would practice shooting which is what she is doing . Her hair color is the representative of the berry flavors as well as the colors she wears, more flavors.

2013 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout by Goose Island

December 16, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon county, Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee, Donne Anonime, fancy coffee, Goose Island, Imperial Stout, Intelligentsia Coffee, Los Inmortales, Los Inmortales Intelligentsia Coffee, Tre Donne Crudeli, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2013 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout by Goose Island is a 13.4% ABV World Class Imperial Stout brewed with Los Inmortales Intelligentsia Coffee beans and aged in bourbon barrels.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
Everyday Goose Island smells the wonderful coffee roasting next to our brewery at Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea. This world class roaster puts the same passion and skill into their coffee as Goose Island does with its beer. This excellent stout is made with a different coffee from our friends next door each year. With the change in coffee comes a change in the flavor profile, making each release truly unique from the previous years.
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The 4th and possibly the better variety of the Bourbon county series I try. It is also Beer advocate’s number 4 best in the world. Like many beers, this one is coveted as well and released on Black Friday. If you want to get this one, you will have to trade or find it online. Either way, just like the other Bourbon Counties, they are a must try, even if once.

Aromas:
Very fancy coffee, mocha, espresso, roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, vanilla, Irish cream, earthy notes, bourbon hints, dark fruits, chocolate coffee cake, mocha rocky road ice cream, oak, marshmallows and cinnamon.

Flavors:
Lots of very fancy coffee, Kahlua, bourbon notes, Irish cream, dark fruits, mocha, java, espresso, dark fruits, dark cherry, rich vanilla, dulce de leche, marshmallows, oak, chocolate mocha ice cream, rich dark and milk chocolate, double chocolate chip cookies and rocky road ice cream

Aftertaste:
Lingering to the finish is that very fancy coffee, mocha, vanilla, oak, bourbon, chocolate and dark fruit character. Not as much heat as the original and like the original, no alcohol in the taste. A definitely dangerous sipper but by that I mean, it is just like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning or frappuccino. Smooth!

Overall:
Exquisitely world class, just like its brethren. I think what really makes it this far is the coffee. This may be the 4th best beer in the world but, personally for me though, the Alesmith Bourbon Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak was the best overall coffee beer ever. This one, just like that one, is damn good and should not be missed if you are a fan of the series.

Anime Corner:
Donne Anonime from the Tre Donne Crudeli “Outlaw” Django was used in this pairing to represent the colors of the label, the old west for the Bourbon County aspect of it and the Los Inmortales coffee. The way I saw it was like the previous Bourbon County’s using cow girls and the old west. Los Inmortales could be seen by the cowboy hat, the life beyond death is immortal. Her name is “the Stranger”, she comes from places unknown and just like a thief in the night, she comes to swoop up that world class spot.

Bourbon County Brand Barleywine by Goose Island

December 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon county, Bourbon county brand barleywine, English Barleywine, Goose Island, pecan pie, Shimma Kunoichi, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.95/5

Bourbon County Brand Barleywine by Goose Island is a 12.1% ABV World Class English Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then our renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional English-style barleywine possesses the subtlety of flavor that only comes from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak, charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat – are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold, flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging.
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This is the 3rd variety of Bourbon County brands that I have tried aside from the Cherry Rye and the Stout. Highly coveted and sought after. Just like the others, sold on Black Friday with each being very unique in their own way. Best bet to get this one is through online sources or via trade. I bring this forth to see if I can put it to the test. Both Beer Advocate and Ratebeer give it 100 overall. Lets see if this is is true.

Aromas:
Chocolate chip and dark fruit cookies, almond joy, Rich flan and pecan pie, rich chocolate, rich hazelnut, almonds, pecans, macadamia, oak, vanilla, bourbon, breme brulee, rocky road, butterscotch, toffee, custard, chocolate cake and brownie batter.

Flavors:
Very rich caramel pecan pie, bourbon, vanilla, milk chocolate, chocolate with peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazel nut, dark fruits, rich dark cherry, toasted coconut, almond joy, flan, maple, rye bread, oak, rich campfire smores, tobacco, toffee, butter scotch, custard dessert, sweetened condensed milk pudding and other complex sweets.

Aftertaste:
Lots of dark fruits, pecan pie, chocolate covered macadamia nut,bourbon notes, oak and vanilla linger. No alcohol in the taste, yet the heat is warming for the body. A sipper, but a dangerous one as it feels smooth as hell.

Overall:
Exceptionally world class and extremely good. Only reason it did not get a 6 is because the Lost Abbey Sede Vacante had other things I loved a lot about Barleywines and the fact that it taste much like the Bourbon county stout but with more emphasis on pecan pie. Is it worth the hype? Only if you can find it and afford it. If not, I have shown other beers that have been very exceptional Barleywines. Yet this one definitely comes in second best in the world for me.

Anime Corner:
Shimma Kunoichi by Genzoman of Deviantart was used in this pairing to represent the color of the label but as well as the bad assness of the beer. As with the previous bourbon county, The old west was used but the one thing I could link Feudal Japan to the Old West was the fact that there was a movie where ninjas and cowboys did go head to head. The Warrior’s Way it was called. Anyways, the strongest aspect is mainly with the colors and possibly some of the delicious flavors found in this beer.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout by Alesmith

November 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Alesmith, Blake Belladona, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout, Civet, Coffee Beans, fancy coffee, Faunus, Imperial Stout, Kopi Luwak, Kopi Luwak Coffee, Rwby, Speedway Stout, Symphony City Kitty, World class, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5*

Bourbon Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout by Alesmith is a 12%ABV World Class Imperial Stout brewed with Kopi Luwak Coffee beans and aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Kopi Luwak is one of the world’s most expensive and rare coffee varieties. The beans are specifically selected for their ripeness and quality by the Civet, a small jungle marsupial that feeds off the fruit of the coffee cherry. They are then gathered by humans from the jungle floors of Indonesia, throughly cleaned, and sun-dried. A precise roasting by San Diego’s Ryan Bros. Coffee leads to extremely aromatic and exceptionally smooth final product that complements this barrel-aged imperial stout amazingly well. Good to the last dropping!
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So there you have it, to put it bluntly, it is basically an already world class stout made with coffee beans that have been pooped out by the Civet cat and then barrel aged the whole thing. Considering this was hard to get, the price of a cup of just the coffee by itself would put the price of this beer to shame. Yet, the flavors are most likely very unique to even the coffee by itself that the palette understanding of the complexity would cause a tongue would send signals to the brain causing a mind blow division by zero. Even if the concept of Civet poop coffee sounds disgusting, one must have an open mind. This is really clean beer too. Anyway, enough of that, on with the review

Aromas:
Straight out of the bottle, uniquely rich pecan pie, bakers chocolate, really fancy coffee, hazelnut, Irish cream, dark fruit, a type of boozyness that smells like cantaloupe, dark and milk chocolate, flan, mocha, java, espresso, Kahlua, dark cherries, floral notes, oak, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, bananas, rocky road ice cream notes

Flavors:
Chocolate covered cherries, really fancy coffee, Kahlua, pecan pie, rocky road ice cream, rich java, mocha, earthly bitter notes, flan notes, bananas, vanilla, caramel, marshmallows, bourbon, oak, floral notes, Irish cream notes, dark fruits, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate syrup, roasted coffee beans, black berries, herbal spicy notes, rum notes, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies and more flavors I cant make out.

Aftertaste:
Finishing off with layer of roasted fancy coffee, minor earthy possibly off flavor (LOL could be the poop ;)), caramel, chocolate, dark fruit, berries, bourbon, herbal cherry and spices as well as some bourbon. A big sipper with the booziness not detracting from the rich complex but more like it plays well

Overall:
*Bar none, the best coffee imperial stout ever!! I have tried the Mikkeller Beer Geek Weasel Cognac and this one beats it big time. Who knew Civet poop bean coffee could be so good. One of the reasons why this coffee is so great is because the process or digesting these beans causes the impurities and bitterness of coffee to be removed leaving beans that are more appealing, except for the poop part ofcourse.. That gets cleaned off thoroughly (I hope O_O). Definitely world class adding another depth of character that is hard to describe even with the barrel aging part itself for sure. Lots of extra credits here.

Anime Corner:
Blake Belladonna from RWBY is one of the main characters from the show with a reserved and sometimes antisocial personality. She carries a lot of burden on her shoulders rom her past. She is a Faunus, which are humanoid people with some animal traits. In the show, people may be prejudice against the Fauni as they consider them thieves. While Blake is a good person, she believes the people may be misunderstood seeing how the actions of some of the bad Fauni may give the overall race a bad rap. This part of her history can reflect the cruelty from some of the people who may abuse the Civets they harvest the coffee beans from. It is wrong to abuse some of the animals, but I am hopeful that the beer this was made from did not abuse any of those animals. While fighting, Blake is perceived almost like a ninja, a fast paced ninja. In relation to this beer, she is black like a stout, fast enough to meet the name “speedway stout”. She looks like a black cat which some Civets, even though marsupials, kind look like cats. The red background in the pictures is used to explain some of those dark berry flavors. The bourbon is in her eyes which have seen many things but remain strong and determined.

In the last 2 pictures, Symphony City Kitty by petite-emi.deviantart.com I used to represent the Civet. In weird sort of way I sort of artistic way, I saw this picture as the Civet releasing the berries. The blue background of the Civet may represent the astonishment of the delicious flavors from the coffee beans, either that or the Bullshit of humanity represented by the cities that a small portion of places actually don’t obey animal rights. I really hope the coffee beans picked for this beer were harvested in respect to these creatures. Which leads to the last piece of work where Symphony flicks the cigarette to represent disgust at animal abuse, but also looking very classy as in saying “here is your fancy coffee made from my poop, while I stand here looking classy and awesome, you sick bastards!!”

Anyways, if you can see any more artfulness in these pieces let me know. While I am against animal abuse, I really hope they harvested these beans with respecting the animals. Otherwise, I’d definitely feel like a hypocritical bastard for drinking this. It is an extremely good beer though. I do Thank you Civets of the world.

2013 (Brewcifer) Darkness by Surly Brewing

November 8, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged banana mango, Brewcifer, Chocolate, dark chocolate, Dark Lord, Darkness, Khalua, Kill-LA-Kill, Lord of Darkness, Maple Syrup, Naruto, raisin bread pudding, Russian Imperial Stout, Ryuoko Matoi, sakura Haruno, Satan, Surly Brewing, Surly Darkness 2013, sweet darkness, The Seven Deadly Sins, World class, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.55/5 *

Darkness by Surly Brewing is a 10.3% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout

Label:
Brewcifer Lord of Darkness

From the depths of the Brewhouse he arises! Enveloped in raging flames, his shadowy visage commands submission to the dark nectar in his goblet. Brewcifer holds before you a massively opaque black brew with notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries and raisins. The thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop character.

Brewcifer commands that you enjoy this creation in a tulip glass, to capture the complex aromas and flavors. Brewcifer would suggest that you share with a friend. Brewcifer doesn’t want you to be a jerk.

Each year, we select a different artist to create a Darkness-inspired monstrosity. This year’s fiery creature is from the dark imagination of local artist Josh “Jawsh” Lemke.

Omar Ansari Todd Haug
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Happy National Stout Day 😀 !! I Was able to find this one online, special thanks to Ben for hooking me up with this one. A contribution that is well appreciated here at brewerianimelogs. This evil brew comes all the way from Minnesota. The beer is a response to 3 Floyds Dark Lord RIS. Surly has made some of the best Midwest beers ever. I have tried several of their special releases and the majority have been very outstanding. This is the first time I try this and may consider picking this one up for future reviews if I like it.

Aromas:
Deep rich dark chocolate, milk chocolate, , earthy hops, roasted coffee, dark fruit notes, vanilla, toffee, caramel, that special sweet raisin bread pudding, surly yeast, dark cherries, hints of spices, anise, currants, chocolate cake, walnuts, hazelnut, some tropical essence like a hint of grapefruit and piney hops, chocolate covered mango notes, brown sugar and molasses.

Flavors:
Very good dark chocolate, piney, earthy hops, chocolate covered mango, vanilla, caramel, toffee, delicious rye bread, dark fruits raisins, dark cherries, currants, coffee, mocha, Kahlua notes, molasses, raisin bread pudding, tart raspberry skins, anise, pecan pie notes, brown sugar, cherry Dr. Pepper syrup notes, maple syrup, molasses, peaches and cream

Aftertaste:
Sweet,bakers dark chocolate, mild tropical and earthy hop aftertaste with lots of berries, dark fruits and syrupy mango linger. No alcohol what so ever in the taste, dangerously smooth and easy to moderate drinkability. Scary stuff

Overall:
Exceptionally epic and delicious example of the style. Goes to show that not all great beers have to be bourbon barrel aged to exceed expectations. This one does its own, with no extra help. The interesting part is how the hop flavors come to play along exceedingly nice with the stout flavors. Almost saying, I am just as important as the rest of you sweet chocolate goodness. Lends a very hefty hand. You get more sweeter tropical notes as the beer gets warmer. That is where it becomes it’s best. Highly recommend it if you can get this one online or lucky enough to know where to get it or have someone who can hook it up. This devil’s water is insanely sweet and I honestly wish they would sell this year round. Would definitely be one of my favorite Russian Imperial stouts that were not Barrel aged. Definitely meets that World Class qualification.

*This beer gets the extra credit for exceeding my expectations and it did it without the help of barrel aging

Anime Corner:
Ryuoko Matoi is a character from the Kill-La-Kill series. A fierce and ruthless character who shows no fear when it comes to finding her father’s killer. Her outfit and and personality best fits the label as well as the name, Darkness, although since the beer is pretty sweet, it is a part of her personality that makes her self conscious of her body while fighting.

Second character is Satan from the series The Seven Deadly Sins from Nitro Plus. She obviously fits the brewcifer label for her being and her colors. While she is passionate about war against good, she has a weakness for cute animals which is best represented by Darkness flavors being so sweet, mysterious, smooth and appealing.

The Third character is a demonic form of Sakura Haruno from the Naruto series. While she never has this form, canonically, it is a fan art that best fit the beer in terms of the label, demon look, pink hair for the dark cherry flavors and the sharp green eyes which reflect the out-pour of the tropical hops notes within the stout

Proprietor’s Reserve Series No. 001 Velvet Merkin by Firestone Walker

October 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, bourbon barrels, dark chocolate, FFX, Final Fantasy X, Firestone Walker, Lulu, Lulu FFX, Merkin, Merkins, Oatmeal raisin cookies, Oatmeal Stout, Oreo Cookies and Creme, Release the Merkins, Reserve Series, Velvet Merkin, Velvet Merlin, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

Proprietor’s Reserve Series No. 001 Velvet Merkin by Firestone Walker is a 8.6% ABV World Class Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t; at least in name… After all, it’s not your style to conceive monikers that are confounding scandalous or comical. But in this instance, we inadvertently achieved all three of these things with “Velvet Merkin.” And so the name went off the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. If we get asked we’ll say it’s all your fault.

Once in the glass, however, Velvet Merkin is dead serious – The 2013 vintage outpaces its predecessors. Aged for a gull year in seasoned Bourbon Barrels, this decadent oatmeal stout holds your nose hostage with chocolate and vanilla-bourbon aromas. Rich flavors of dark chocolate truffle, Bourbon and espresso ultimately yield a beer that is dangerously smooth and increadibly drinkable.

Velvet Merkin is one-of-a-kind sipping stout that is built to last, and that will reward careful aging for years to come. Hoarding tendencies may occur.
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One of the last bottles I was able to get at Ramirez Liquor stores in Boyle Heights California near down town Los Angeles, this is a coveted beer and a first time bottle release for Firestone Walker. There many stores online that are still carrying this and will ship it to you. Get this one before it is gone for good. While you wait, read this review and let me know what you think of the beer once you get a chance to try it.

Aromas are of oatmeal cookies, oreo cookies, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, marshmallows, vanilla, bourbon, graham crackers, caramel, mocha, espresso, roasted barley, oak, hazelnut and ferrero rocher chocolates

The flavors are awesome! Dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, oreo and oatmeal cookies, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, marshmallows, rocher chocolate notes, espresso coffee, oak, hazelnut, pecans, cookies and cream and coconut.

The aftertaste leaves with some flavors of vanilla, bourbon, oak, oatmeal, chocolate and. Hidden alcohol and the drinkability is easy to moderate but it goes down very smooth

Overall, this is an awesome beer exceeding a few points of expectation and note. If you love cookies and cream and oatmeal, you will like this one. Not to mention the fact that it is very smooth and close to easy drinking for an 8.5. An outstanding example that a beer need to be over the 10% ABV range to bring about some of the best flavors out there. Simply put, a must get and extraordinarily delicious. Release the Merkin unto thy palate for its magic, the bloodstream of the universe, will take you to some really sweet places.