Pre New Years Eve Beer Review!...and New Years as well!

Sick as a dog today....wanted to head to DeCicco's (Brewster) for a release...the Jonas Broncks beer co was there along with a new brewery called Spider Bite. They were pouring a 10.2% RIS called Boris the Spider....hopefully I can get there tomorrow.

1) Saranac - White IPA - Pretty Tasty Beer 6.0%...this is very fresh....nice citrus hops paired with some Belgian yeast. Well done!

2) Sebago - Slick Nick - 6.2% - American Strong Ale - tasty beer - Caramel and Vanilla abound...to balance is a mild spiciness. 6.2% is sneaky!

3) Brasserie Cantillon - Rose de Gambrinus - 5.0% Ahh my first Cantillon.....very tasty, tart with new real malts or hops just raspberry goodness!....need to get into these Lambics a bit more!

4) Widmer Bros - BrrrBon - 9.2% - A bourbon barrel version of their Winter Warmer....hints of oak and vanilla, exceedingly close to a barleywine!

5) Ommegang - Seduction - Belgian Dark Ale flavored with Cheeries and Chocolate...Ice Cream Sundae!

6) Dogfish Head - Ta henket - 4.5% - American Wheat Ale - Brewed with some sort of egyptian fruit. I think it is kind of tasty. Should have been released in the summer!

7) Full Pint Brewing - TRI IPA - 9.0% - Murky orange and even murkier hop profile. Can't really tell how fresh this is. Always nice though to have tried something from a new brewery (for me)

East Hartford in the House!

Hit Olde Burnside in East Hartford and TullyCross and picked up the fine treats pictured below. Have been to TullyCross before....good news is that the head brewer is a protege of the folks at Nebco. TullyCross is going to go places. They are doing a collaboration with NebCo using the 668 yeast strains as well as hopping it with Citra. The release is 1/4/12 and Brian the head brewer gave me a sample before even the NebCo guys have had it. He also gave me a sample of an upcoming Imperial Stout release....still in the tank, no carbonation and delicious! CT Beer geeks rejoice. The IPA review below is because I think I didn't have it before.

1) TullyCross - Batch 6 IPA - I have had their IPA before....this is by a new brewer so I figure I'd count this as new. They are going to vary the recipes by batch number. This is a mild IPA...tasty!

Granby 2 days after!

Toof a little ride to Granby CT today to check out the Cambridge House... Had their IPA "growlered" which I brought back home....so Cambridge House IPA 6.8% - Serviceable IPA...a bit more bitter....towards the English Style!

Peekskill the day after!

Connecticut really had nothing going the day after Christmas so I decided to take a little ride. Poured into a Peekskill Brewery pint glass.

Old Wagon Ale

A) No real head....translucent brown.

S) Slight toffee, caramel and vanilla notes.

T) Again with the toffee, caramel and vanilla, slight on the hops...nice little boozy presence.

M) Just a bit thin.

O) I liked this and would definitely by again next year. This is a nice little brewery in a very scenic location.

The Birdsall House is a nearby bar (Peekskill). It is affiliated with the Blind Tiger and is highly recommended!

Christmas Beer Review!

1) Three Floyds - Baller Stout - 13.8% - Collaboration beer celebrating 3 Floyds 15th Anniversary beer. They took Dark Lord and blended in Surly Darkness, De Struise Black Albert and Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch....pretty outrageous....lot going on in this stout. Tastes are way too competitive....Glad to have tried.

Lost Abbey - Cuvee de Tomme - 11.0%

Result of my first ever trade...saved this for Christmas...poured into a Lost Abbey Tulip Glass...
a) Translucent brown...no head or carbonation.

s) Cheeries! We have a real sweet tart coming up!

t) I like this...boozy cherry quad....no carbonation which I know bothers a lot of folks but I kind of like it this way...as this warms get a bit of vanilla.

m) Smooth

o)Really liked this and would definitely seek out again

December 23rd Beer Review!

Will have some photos......

1) Weyerbacher - Rapture - Wild Ale 6.7% - Wild Ale - Not bad part of a Capone's haul...Wild ales are sneaky!

2) Goose Island - King Henry - 13.5% - Oh Great a bourbon barrel aged barley wine. This is way too hot and the other bottle will be banished to the cellar to calm down!

Christmas Week Beer Review!

So I am going to start off with a Hannukah beer!

1) Schmaltz - Genesis Ale - ok...drop off noted and extended!

Wow have to leave the one above for posterity!

2) New England Brewing - Fancy Pants - Flanders Oud Bruin - 6.0% (50th review from Beer Advocate) Like everyone else picked this up at the brewery over the last week....did sneak in a couple of samples though along the way! Poured into a brandy snifter. Appearance) Light amber, a swirl gives no lacing at all. Taste) Nice acidity, 2 years in a cabernet barrel will do that I guess...cheeries abound with a bit of vanilla...so sweetly sour! Overall) Really enjoyed this....my other bottle will not last long...

3) Troegs - Scratch Beer 52 2011 T2 Ale - 6.9% Jesus sounds like this was concocted at area 51 or whatever it is called. Actually it is just Troegs trying out their new brewing facility. As I will always do my part for beer science I am partaking. Tasty Amber beer...the real test is to whether they can handle Nugget Nectar in the new facility!

4) Shipyard - Applehead - 4.5% and American Pale Ale flavored with Apple and Cinnamon...leave this to Jolly Rancher!

5) Harpoon - Vermont Spruce Tip - 7.0% A herbed beer ---I'll take them at their word that there is spruce in this. This is very tasty and an excellent value!

6) Shmaltz - Messiah Bold - Brown Ale - Not a big brown ale fan but not bad.

Weekend Beer Review!

Already have a major score....I thought I might be able to sync 1k with Christmas but I was too quick. Premature beer as they say. Still might have an epic lineup that day none the less.

1) Kelso - Bierkraft - 10th Anniversary Imperial Stout - A hoppy stout - I think this is in the 7% range or so. Nice beer but the hoppiness makes it a bit weird.

2) Cavalry Brewing - X Limited (Nut Brown Ale) 4.6% - Nice Brown Ale - Kind of like a New castle only fresher.

3) Appalachian Brewing - Batch no. 666 - Winter Warmer - 7.7% - Translucent brown ale mild spiciness, get a little chocolate really no alcohol....nice beer glad to have tried.

4) Olde Burnside - Father Christmas Highland Ale - 9.2% - Christmas Fruitcake beer...nice!

5) Schmaltz - Hop Manna -6.8% - A Dogfish Head kind of an IPA - too malty.

6) Schmaltz - Jewbelation 10 - 10% - I am guessing an old ale...done!

Tuesday Beer review!

And so it goes for the week....

1) De Proef (Collaboration with Terrapin) - Monster Rouge - Imperial Flanders Red Ale - 8.5% - De Proef is a Belgian Brewery, Terrapin is from Athens, Georgia. The Beer is based on Terrapin's Big Hoppy Monster...not bad but I think this is old.

Weekend Beer Review!

I've recovered enough from 1,000. The way it looks in the fridge I could get to 1,100 in short order...back to the grind.

1) Weyerbacher - Tango - Belgian Style Dark Beer Brewed with Cherries! - 9.6% - A quad with addedd sweetness....not that that is a bad thing.

2) Victory - Dark Intrigue - 9.1% - Storm King Stout Meets Bourbon Barrels... Nice but a bit bitter on the chocolate malt. Definitely going to get one to age.

3)Shmaltz Brewing - Jewbelation 15th Anniversary - 15% - Done!

1,000

The Bruery - Black Tuesday - 18.20% - Great idea for a midweek beer review! Took this right off of my BA review...may no make it till the end of the snifter.

2011 Version poured into a Bruery Tulip Glass....

A) Black but a bit more opague then I would have thought...thin head no real lacing after a swirl.

S) Bourbon and Vanilla, a little dried fruit.

T) Absolutely amazing, bourbon and vanilla again, figs, plums and cherries the sweetness abounds!

M) Starts off smooth but you do get that alchohol burn!

O) Glad I have another bottle to age...this might be the beer for me that really has the best complimentary smell and taste. Outstanding!

999 ----

No not Herman Cain

Surly Darkness.....

2011 Version poured into a Brandy Snifter...

A) Pours a jet black, light is not getting through this. Thin head, medium lacing.

S) Chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and a bit of bourbon, very nice....

T) The semi-sweet chocolate in the dominant taste here, supplemented by the hint of bourbon and vanilla. What is intriguing is that the coffee notes are very muted. What makes this enjoyable is that it is not a sugar bomb like other highly rated RIS's....well balanced.

M) Lightly carbonated and smooth.

O) Well deserved of its rating this is deceptively drinkable!

998

Maine Beer Company - Mean Old Tom...6.5% Stout aged on natural vvanilla beans. I poured this in to a Portsmouth Brewery Flute glass. A little thin but this has great taste. The slight vanilla note is very complimentary. I have two monsters coming up for 999 and 1,000 should be interesting!