Monday, November 29, 2010

Cyber Monday Beer Review!

Had to stay home for a number of appointments. Took advantage of a nice camera deal (Thanks MC for the recommendation).

1) Flying Fish - Hop Fish IPA - 6.3% - Very tasty English Style IPA - This could be a serious go to type beer! Too bad we can't get it in Connecticut.

2) Uinta - Labbyrinth - Black Ale - 13.2% - Third of the crooked line series that I've reviewed. Obviously a big beer and then some. Aged in oak barrels and brewed with licorice! Jet black, have a little spiciness from the licorice, chocolate & vanilla abound. I really like the Crooked Line Series!

3) Defiant Christmas Ale - 7.5% - Nice Belgian Strong Ale. See you next weekend!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Weekend Beer Review

Figured I'd start a new thread...

1) Brooklyn Brewery - Cuvee Noire - 8.7% - Latest in the Brewmasters reserve series, via Growler from Deciccos. More like a porter to me don't really get the spiciness I would expect. Still a nice drinker!

2) Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale - Nice and dry, but no.

3) New England Brewing Zapata Bot - 8% - Got this on Saturday at Nebco. Bottle 29 out of 713. Have been waiting to try this since the release of Ghandi Bot and after hearing what the guys intended on doing and the tribulations they went through to get a serviceable tequila barrel. Appearance - Murky orange color, bit of a thin head.
Taste - Wow you get the floral hops up front and then a nice peppery taste followed by a bit of a boozy finish (ahh the tequila). Mouth feel - Sweet and bitter the hops and the tequila really balance out. Drinkability - Very easy...maybe too much so. Matt had mentioned that this was about 8%. Definitely a fun beer to try. Very tasty and out of the ordinary. Think I am going to age my other bottle for a bit.

4) Stone Brewing - Lucky Bastard - 9.2% - Strong Ale - And then some...A dry hopped version of Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard & Double Bastard...great just what I needed. Next they will age this in Bourbon barrels just to add insult to injury!

5) Sebago Brewing . Full throttle - DIPA - 8.something % - Nice IPA a little malty for me.

6) Flying fish - Grand Cru - Winter Reserve - 7.2% Nice Belgian Ale, I Think. Maybe a bit much though.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Beer Review!

Starting early, will be going all week. I play three times a day at the Copa!

1) Bells Brewery - Hell Hath no Fury - 7.5% - Nice belgian strong ale (almost a stout like in a way but then the yeast kicks in). Looking forward to some more from this brewery.

2) Bells Brewery Java Stout 7.5% - Kind of a weird beer - I get the coffee which is intense but am not sure about the tartness. Oh well such is the fate of a craft brew traveller!

3) Left Hand Brewing Snowbound Ale aka XXXmas Ale - 8.6% - Nice Winter Warmer to start thanksgiving day after a nice walk, clove cinnamon and coriander dominate - Growler via Whole Foods Bowery.

4) Cigar City Brewing - Cedar Aged Jai Alai IPA - 7.5% - Spicey IPA, kind of weird is that what Cedar tastes like? Interesting.

5) Green Flash - Le freak - 9.2% - Belgian Trippel and imerial Pale Ale - Man that is a combo. Pretty much works, get the hoppiness vs. the yeast. Nice.

6) Duvel - Tripel Hop - 9.5% - Kind of into these hoppy belgians today. A bit (much) pricey. Glad to have tried this though.

7)Sebago Brewing - Hell Awaits - Imperial Porter - Not sure of the ABV, but this is very tasty. Great malt & chocolate. Can get the alcohol hotness so who knows!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Weekend Beer review!

Gonna start with one from the epic Philly suburb beer haul!

1) Great Lakes Brewing Co - Commodore Perry - 7.5% - Enjoy by date 12.26.10 - This beer is very good. There are going to be some very interesting ones from this haul. But this is a good one to start off with. A nice marriage between an east and west coast IPA..well done!

Not from Philly....

2) Shmaltz Brewing - He' Brew - Origin - Pomegranate Ale - 8.0% Don't know what a Pomegranate tastes like but I like the tartness with a bit of a boozy end.

3) Cigar City - Sea Bass - Farmhouse Ale - No ABV - I'm starting I think to see the appeal of these Farmhouse Ale's. Nicely tart and sweet. Very easy drinking.

$) Ithaca Brute - Sour! As can be told by the numbering scheme this beer was had at an inopurtune time. If you like a sour taste...go for it!

5) Smuttynose - Farmhouse Ale - 9% - Juxtaposition between this and the Cigar City offering is telling. Not as tarty not as drinkable give the ABV. Enjoy the orangey, bready taste to this. Smuttynose rules.

6) Nebraska Brewing - Black Betty - 9.0 Brting on the whiskey! Guess which was the last beer of the weekend!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Midweek Beer Review!

Encompassing Tues, Wednes...oh well!

1) Sam Adams - White Ale...this might be the Sam Adams review...very light and lemony. You could dring this all day. Have a field trip to Boston planned in January...may make a pilgramage!

2) Some more Sam - Winter Lager - About 5% - Roasted maltiness, spicy...really like this (What I really like is buying a 12 pack that gives me 6 beers closer to 600). Anyway this was 555 assuming my spreadsheet is accurate. I have 28 not yet reviewed in house.

3) Even Some more Sam - Old Fezziwig - 5.9% - Might be may favorite SA brew, Spicey and malty with a little more of a cinnamon/lemon (hops I guess) kick at the end. What distinguishes it from the Winter Lager is the chocolate undertones. Very enjoyable!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Epic Beer Journey day

Hit the Philly suburbs today, Norristown & Media, PA. Hit Capones and Pinnochio's. Pennsylvania has some weird beer laws and these places are knows and bottle shops. Apparently you can sells by the bottle if you have some sort of food license otherwise you have to sell by the case. Sounds like some bureaucratic luncay to me. Anyway picked up some gems which will be reviewed in due course....will start with one now

1) Flying Fish - Exit 4 9.7% - I guess they have a series of beers named after the NJ Turnpike exits. This is supposed to be a trippel but it is way too hoppy for that. That said I like it! Very tasty even if I don't know what it is supposed to be. Bought in a very cool looking growler!

2) Sam Adams - Chocolate Bock -5.6%- From the Winter Sampler - Decent, might be a bit thin and a little sweet but a very drinkable beer.

3) Gonna stick with the Sam Adams for a bit more - Holiday Porter 5.8% - Very tasty...I hate to think that I held it against Sam Adams that they are from Boston!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Tuesday Beer Review

Countdown to an epic beer journey....

1) Bluepoint Toxic Sludge - Black IPA - Had this at a cask event in NYC was surprised to be able to find a bottle in CT! Appearance...Nice almost jet black color...medium head. This smells more than like a stout so what's next. Tastes..smokey, malty just with a slight hops bite. Is this really an IPA? Very happy with this beer. Could drink it all night. I do have to say this seems more like an extra hoppy stout to me but enjoyable none the less!

2) Sam Adams - Boston Lager - 4.75% - Bought one of those Winter variety packs so I can get a few more closer to 600. Very solid beer one of the grand daddy's. Woody maltiness. Can't wait to go through this 12 pack.

3) Sierra Nevada - 30th Anniversary Grand Cru - 9.2% - I don't think this has been added to Beer Advocate yet and I certanly don't have the chops to do it. This is a marriage of Oak aged Big Foot, Celebration and Pale Ale. This is very good. The malts of the Big Foot are really offset by the Celebration/Pale Ale hops. I think I get the concept of a Grand Cru now. Going to throw a few more in the cellar and will crack one when my niece or nephew is born (Feb 11)

4) 21'st Ammendment - Fireside Chat - Winter Warmer - 7.9% - Spicey and sour not sure what this is!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Weekend Beer Review!

1) Uinta - Cockeyed Cooper - Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine - 11.0% - Is a Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels necessary, Apparently so! Very tasty this one will knock you out!

We temporarily interrupt this beer review for the Brazen Head's Cask Ale Festival!


Back, hopefully MC is too. he took some great photos as always...look for them.

2) - Full Sail - Wreck the Halls - Hoppy Holiday Ale 6.5% - Ok a bit bitter for my taste....will tough it out though!

3) The Bruery - Autumn Maple - 10% - Belgian Strong Dark Ale - Man I think they put in everything plus the kitchen sink, molasses, spices & yams! The molasses taste dominates, very tasty, may get another bottle for Thanksgiving to have with mincemeat or pumpkin pie.

4) Pretty Things - Once upon a time - KK - 7.8% - I've had their beers before. What they are trying to do (according to them) is recreate beers from the past. I guess somone does some research and away they go. Link is directly to this beer. This is a very dark beer, the malt and chocolate are becked up by a nice dry bitter hops. Very interesting. Seems like this is a series. Looking forward to more!

5) Southern Tier pumking - 9.0% - a nutmeg bomb....very tasty.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Election Day Beer Review!

Hopefully Pelosi was successfully retired, we'll see about the Senate. I like a gridlocked government that way these retards can't do any damage!

1) Mendocino - Imperial Barleywine - 11.0% = I like this a lot...very boozy, sweet, caramel, apples etc. Go to remember where I bought this and buy a few more to age!