Saturday, April 30, 2011

Weekend Beer Review!

Starting a little late on this but have some tasty treats!

1) Tullycross Tavern - IPA - My guess on the ABV - 7% - Used to be part of the John Harvard's chain but for whatever reason they went off on their own. This is a very tasty IPA, almost bordering on a DIPA. Only drawback is that they will only fill their own growler, but having another growler is always a good thing. I wish these folks well!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Mid Week Beer Review!

Had to stay home today. Early this morning on Facebook I saw that DeCicco's was having a Kuhnhenn event. Picked up some excellent offerings and some rarities!

1) Kuhnhenn - Vintage Ale 17% - A lemony tasty barleywine! Apparently they stopped brewing this a couple of years ago and must have had a vintage keg hanging around. As I look at beermenus.com Kuhnhenn was at Rattle n' Hum last night so I would guess I am right. I love vintage kegs!

2) Wachusett - Green Monsta Ale - 6.0% Kind of a nice pale ale....Apparently they made this into an American IPA. Drinkable.

3) Kuhnhenn - American IPA - 6.0% - Nice mild hoppy flavor. Think I am recovering from the Vintage Ale.

4) Kuhnhenn - Imperial Creme Brulee Stout 8% - A nice little vanilla nose but the taste is over the top coffee (a good thing). This would be a great breakfast beer!

5) Sam Adams - Rustic Saison - About 5% or so. I think this is tasty. I think I am in the minority. I hate defending things from Boston.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Beer Review!

Bought a nice little (I mean BIG) beer for when I pass Hank. Converted MC into a DeCicco's disciple (I think).

1) Sixpoint - Sweet Action - 5.2% - Thought I had reviewed this but apparently not. Nice little session beer, a little peach taste and silky smooth, hence the name Cream I guess!

2) Greenport Harbor Brewing - Harbor Ale - 5.3% - What's with all these session ales! Anyway nice little pale ale. I need to make a Long Island trip to see the boys at Bellport shortly, as I am the original beero!

3) Lakefront Brewery - Bridge Burner - American Strong Ale - 8% - I thought this was a barleywine, but am not sure what an American Strong Ale v. a Barleywine is. Anyway very tasty, nice beer to get into the strong portion of tonight's entertainment!

Shenanigan's!

4) Ruckus Brewing - Hoptimus Prime - 9.0 % - DIPA - I guess these guys took over from Legacy. I've reviewed this before (from Legacy) so that's why I call Shenanigan's. By the way tasty beer!

5) Unibroue - Terrible - 10.5% - Belgian Strong Ale - Ouch! Outstanding!

6) Sebago Brewing - Bourbon Barrel Aged Lake Trout Stout - 6% - Surprised at the low ABV on this but it is a nice tasty offering. About $6 to $7 for a bomber. Well priced!

7) Pretty Things - Jack D'Or - 6.4% - Nice American take on the Saison style maybe a little hoppy for the style. Certainly one of the better things to come out of Massachusetts!

8) Urthel - Samaranth - 11.0% - Nice Quad. I needed that after going out walking in the monsoon!

9) Weyerbacher - Merry Monks - 9.3% Belgian Style Golden Ale - Very tasty, signing out!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mid Week Beer Review!

Getting ready for the epic Horseradish adventure! Update no fingers lost!

1) The Duck Rabbit - Brown Ale - 5.6% - This is a little brewery in North Carolina. I've had their Barleywine which was excellent, as is this. Opaque brown, with some coffee smell. You then get the coffee taste and a nice dry hop finish. Shame I have to go to the Philly area to pick this up!

Uh Oh tactical error time!

2) Voodoo Brewing Company - Black Magick - 15.5% - Ouch didn't pay attention to what I was opening. This beer was brewed in 2009 and aged in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels for a year and recently released. This is one boozy beer! I could have had some fun comparing this to a GI BCS or a KBS but maybe that ship sailing is a good thing!

3) Middle Ages Brewing Co - Beast Bitter - 5.3% - The BA guys gave this an A+ - didn't know that when I bought it. This is not so much my style, but what gets this going is the upfront peach taste with a hoppy bitterness at the end. Very tasty!

4) Weyerbacher 14 - 11.8% - Wheat Whine - 11.8% - This has aged a bit as I reviewed 15 before 14. Bubble gum and peach taste. Kind of like an insane wine cooler. Would hope to come across another botttle to age for a year or two.

5) McNeill's -Dead Horse IPA - 5.7% - English IPA - I guess good for the style but I like American IPA's better.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

On to Hank!

1) Captain Lawrence - St Vincents Dubbel - 8% I guess...this needs to be reconfigured. It's awful. I feel bad about this as CL is a great Brewer. If you are going to do a Dubbel do a Dubbel. If you are going to do sour at least do a good one!

715 - I pass the Babe!

Babe this is for you. Goose Island - Big John - Imperial Stout with Cacao Nibs added - 11.5%

Scored a bomber of this in Westchester, NY. Poured into a snifter. Bottled on date 3/25/11....a youngster!

Appearance) Jet black, no real head to notice, minor lacing.

Smell) Chocolate of course get some dried fruit as well.

Taste) My first thought is where's the Bourbon as I am kind of used to that from GI. The semi-sweet chocolate taste is really dominant (expected). If you like chocolate this is for you. What I like is that the sweetness is not overpowering.

Mouthfeel) Very smooth, no alcohol burn at all.

Overall) What surprised me here is the overall drinkability of this which I thought was pretty easy given the ABV. Not sure what aging would do to this (but hopefully I'll find out!). Really enjoyed this....this would have been a great holiday release!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Weekend Beer Review!

Going to close the hatches as this looks like its is going to be a nasty storm later. Going to do something special coming up. I have two beers aside to celebrate when I pass the Babe and Hammerin' Hank! There are no other home run records to consider.

1) Blue Hills Brewery - Red IPA - 9.0% - Tasty beer, kind of a weird style. I think the hops have faded a bit and what I basically have is a light barleywine. Too easily drinkable though.

2) Hill Farmstead - Phenomology - 7% - Black Saison - Get the banana, fruit and spices...very interesting beer.

3) Bar Harbor - Cadillac Mountain Stout - 6.7% Yet another in a long line of Stouts that prove that Americans are better at this than the English or Irish. Jet black and has some nice burnt dried fruit flavor...little bit of cocoa going on a well.

4) White Birch - Barrel Aged Tripel - 10.5% - Tripel Aged in Pinot Noir Barrels - Very tasty, interesting concept with the aging in the white wine barrels. This got killed on BA. I could drink this for a while!

5) The Peoples Pint - Our Oatmeal Stout - 5.1% - Wow this is one huge chocolate bomb!. The contrast with the Bar Harbor stout noted above is stunning. Really enjoyed this one. By the way, just tied the Babe!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Kind of mid week beer review!

Had a couple of beers with a (semi) reasonable octane level so I figured what the hey. Also after reading about the budget chicanery going on as reported by the AP....Didn't heroes of the people like Obama and Biden decry this at one point? "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!"

1)Maine Beer Company - Peeper Ale - 5.5% - This ain't even a micro brewery, it's a nano-brewery! Nice beasutiful orange unique hoppy taste. Got this from Table and Vine. Glad I tried it. Hopefully can find this in the summer!

2) Clown Shoes - Tramp Stamp 7.0% - Very Tasty Belgian IPA. Not that boozy but could sip this for a while. Well done!

3) Clown Shoes - Brown Angel - 7.0% - Brown Ale - Not my style really but a bit better than most. Nice hoppiness and is still reasonably fresh (bottled 2/11). I like Clown Shoes, wish they would brew some more stuff! Also would wish they would produce a pint glass with their logo!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Government Shut down beer Review

Because about 30 billion in cuts of a how many trillion dollar budget is Draconian! Draconian I tell you! Actually I think the empty suit went on vacation again. Good.

1) Brooklyn Brewery - Main Engine Start - Belgian Pale Ale 6.2% - Tasty but really don't get that yeast taste. The hops and malts over power it a bit. Still am enjoying it though.

2) Brasserie Duyck - Printemps - 5.4% - Frogs stick to wine

3) Bear Republic - Apex - Imperial IPA - 7.5% - A bit syrupy and sweet but the hops are true and true. Wish there was a bit more citrus flavor though. Very nice!

4) Defiant - Three Fingers IPA - Apparently their Single Finger IPA clocked it at 7%. Might have a Charlie Sheen moment later on! Filled from the tank at the brewery. Pretty tasty!

5) Sierra Nevada - Ovila - Dubbel 7.5% - Brewed in collaboration with the Abbey of New Clairvaux. Nice beer but the taste is a bit thin. Don't really get the yeast taste. They are supposed to be releasing a quad in the fall. Looking forward to that.

6) The Peoples Pint - Pied pIPA - 5.7% - Pretty solid beer. The website is fun to visit to. All that left wing Masshole bs nonsense not withstanding.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

700!

Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout - 13%! Again lifted from the BA review. Whew, I'm tired! By the way did the Red Sox win today?

Got lucky and picked up a bottle of this in NYC at a beer distributorship on the Lower East Side when they had a GI event. Bottled 3/26/10...this should be fun!

A) As with all of the barrel aged stout offerings from GI, jet black, little carbonation and medium lacing.

S) Coffee and Vanilla, surprisingly light on the bourbon though.

T) Coffee and Vanilla with a bit of a chocolate finish. Again, what surprises me is how muted the bourbon is as my 2008 regular versions are a bourbon bomb!

M) Smooth, what really drives this rating is the absolute lack of alcohol bite, yet (after some time) you still know that it is there.

O) Without a doubt one of the better beers I've had. I think the one year on this worked very well. But still I wonder what this was like fresh!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

699

I think I am on track to do number 700 (tomorrow) which I think is the date they repealed prohibition. Pretty cosmic!

Firestone Walker - Abacus (Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine) 13% - My review lifted from Beer Advocate!

Poured from a bottle into a brandy snifter. Have had this bottle for about a month.

Appearance) Ruddy brown color, little to no head, mild lacing.

Smell) Caramel and vanilla, a faint trace of bourbon.

Taste) Now for the fun, the caramel and vanilla are backed up by a bit of chocolate, this is sweet (of course) but there is a nice balance towards the end with some slight hoppy bitterness and a little "oaky" smokiness!

Mouthfeel) Smooth with just a bit of an alcohol burn. This will age very nicely.

Overall) Another great beer from Firestone Walker and yet another reason to do my beer shopping other than in Connecticut!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

698

My first world class rating. Goose Island Brand Vanilla Stout (13%). Copying the BA review I did!

Got this bottle from a beer event from New Beer Distributors on Chyrystie Street. Had this on tap at the Tiger. Nice to have one from the bottle so I can think about this one.

A) Jet black very little head.

S) Now to the fun part, vanilla all the way, just a hint of bourbon (given their other stouts).

T) Again, Vanilla, a bit of Bourbon and a little bit of chocolate. Hold on is there some coconut there?

M) This is where this beer wins it for me. The bottle date is 11/5/10. I've had the 2008 and 2009 regular barrel aged beers (and the Rare). While those are great beers this is so smooth.

I like the strong bourbon beers but this is so balanced it is such a treat. Well done!

697

Took the day off to recover/recuperate....that said, tactical error time!

Goose Island - Rare - 13.0% - Bottle 1,779 Bottled - 11/19/2010 - Served in a Brooklyn Brewery Snifter. Appearance - Jet black, little to no head or lacing. Smell - Wow bring on the bourbon. The sweetness of the smell is very strong (and I have a cold today). Definitely get some hints of vanilla in the smell as well. Taste - Again with the bourbon (obviously) do pick up the vanilla again (a little bit of coffe as well) and the earthiness of the Oak. Mouthfeel - No real carbonation noted, what brings this down a bit is the sting of the alcohol. Overall - Really enjoyed this. Obviously a sipper. Actually had the good fortune to have a neat serving of Pappy Van Winkle. This beer does push the envelope.

Monday, April 4, 2011

696

Russian River - Sanctification 6.75% 100% Brett, very lemony. Tasty, but not quite worth the Russian River hype. Liked the Temptation better!

Go Huskies!

695

Russian River - Temptation - 7.5% Probably one of their easier sours to drink, meaning that this is not so over powering. Outstandingly tasty! It is a blonde ale that is aged in French Chardonnay barrels. There is some nice malt to balance the sourness. All in all, great beer!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

We interrupt this beer review for a vertical!

OK I've had a bottle of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout sitting in the cellar from November, just picked up a fresh bottle this weekend. The five month old wins hands down. Not as good though as a GI Bourbon County Stout!

694

Russian River - Redemption - 5.15% - Their take on a Trappist single. Never knew such a thing existed. Session beers from Russian River have to be hard to come by. All taste, very little alcohol!

693

Ah well it's almost noon!

Goose Island - Madame Rose - 6.5% - Belgian Style ale "brewed with Michigan cherries, aged in French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and heavily inoculated with Brettanomyces" Thatnks beer advocate for the description. Enjoying this in a nice Duvel tulip glass. Very tart, really get the cherry taste. I actually bought this and a couple other GI delicasies at the New Beer Distributors on Chrystie Street when they had a Goose Island event. Good way to start the count down! (Maybe doing some more Brett later on!)