Saturday, March 30, 2013

Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Bruce Williams
Company: Williams Bros. Brewing Company
Location: New Alloa Brewery Kelliebank, Alloa FK10 1NU
Website: http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/

The Beer:
Style: Scottish Ale/Gruit Ale
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 18
Brewed with: Marris Otter, Oats, Roasted Barley, Wheat Malt, Chocolate Malt, First Gold hops, Bogmyrtle and Elderberries
Served:  Bottle purchased at Halftime of Poughkeepsie

The Drink:
Drank out of a 13oz. brandy snifter

Beer poured dark brown/black with thin, tan head that dissipated quickly.  Left absolutely no lace.

Heavy aromas of malt and subtle wine-esque aromas of sweet berries and fruit (elderberry).

Starts with moderate carbonation, a thick mouthfeel and some sweet malt tones.  Middle of berry/fruit notes and some dryness with a hefty malt body and accompanying caramel malty flavor.  Finish is dry with an interesting spicy berry character.  Very similar in character to red wine.  Finish is long with a slight bitterness, probably from roasted grain, and an enduring fruity spiced flavor.

Overall:
Ebulum black ale is based on a druid gruit ale recipe from the 16th century, which in and of itself is awesome.  Gruit was a mix of spices (including bogmyrtle) that was used in ancient ales to impart bitterness, spice flavor and antibacterial properties before hops were widely used.  Once hopped beer became popular, thanks to Holland and the Hanseatic League, gruit fell into disuse, and is now the stuff of legends.  Obviously some brewers have worked ancient recipes back into modern beers, and this is an example of the result.  A very interesting, and unarguably unique ale, this beer is mandatory for any beer enthusiast.  Very drinkable, interestingly complex, this is a beer that gets beer drinkers back to the very roots of beer itself.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Trade Route Mango Weizen

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Joe Valvo
Company: Trade Route Brewing Company
Location: 1091 Valentine Ave SE Pacific, Washington

The Beer:
Style: Weizen
ABV: 5%
Brewed with: Mango
Served:  Bomber purchased at Halftime of Poughkeepsie

The Drink:
20 oz. Newcastle footed Pilsner (I think)

Beer pours bright, crystal clear amber with a thin head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lace.  

Aroma of mangos/fruit and mild acidity; very champagne-like.  

Beer starts with a high carbonation buzz and tartness.  Middle is thin and fruity with a strong sour flavor.  Finish is quick, sour and fruity, and there is a moderate build in mango sweetness.  

Overall:
Not much to say about this beer, it's exactly as the label describes: mango weizen.  Sour and fruity with a good carbonation, this is an extremely simple and refreshing beer.  Another one that's perfect for a hot summer's day.  Though the website for the brewery is no longer active, I haven't been able to find out if they've closed or not.  If they are gone, pick this up where you can find it and enjoy it while it lasts.      

Monday, March 25, 2013

Traquair House Ale

The Brewers:
Company: Traquair House Brewery
Location: Traquair House, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire EH44 6PW, Scotland
Website: http://www.traquair.co.uk/

The Beer:
Style: Scottish ale
ABV: 7.2%
Brewed with:  Still fermented in the original oak barrels of the Traquair House
Served:  500mL bottle purchased at Halftime of Poughkeepsie

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. British pub glass

Beer pours deep brown/copper with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly.  Leaves no lace.

Aromas of heavy caramel and maltiness with subtle oak notes.  Very much a "rum-raisin" type nose.    

Beer starts with moderate carbonation and full malty-sweet body.  As flavors develop, a sturdy caramel presence with a subtle oak flavor comes to the forefront of the palate.  The caramel hangs around for a little while before fading away into a characteristically oaky finish with a slight hop "bite."  The finish is remarkably long, though not dry the whole way through, as a mild caramel sweetness returns, accompanied by a subtle woody, almost smoky flavor.  After getting about halfway through this beer I'm beginning to notice a subtle fruity hue to the flavor, though I'm not sure what to call it.  This is probably dependent more on the individual drinker.  

Overall:
I usually steer clear of Scottish style ales because these beers are all about malty sweetness, but this beer was excellent.  Expertly balanced with enough malt backbone to give the good beer a hefty ABV and a good mouthfeel, and with the right amount of oak, fruit and hop presence to make this a very enjoyable beer.  The label was definitely spot on though: this is a winter warmer in every way.  Boiled in a copper kettle from 1738 and fermented in oak vessels, this beer hails from an estate that has been around since 1107, and it certainly tastes as rich and complex as the history of the brewery that made it.  If you get a chance, definitely pick this one up: you'd be hard pressed to find a better Scotch ale.  

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Gasthaus-Brauerei Braustelle Freigeist Abraxas

Photo Credit: J.C. Edwards
The Brewers:
Company: Gasthaus-Brauerei Braustelle
Location: Christianstraße 2 50825 Cologne, Germany
Website: www.braustelle.com/

The Beer:
Style: Berliner Weissbier-Rauchbier hybrid
ABV: 3.8%
Served: On tap at Tria's of Philadelphia (http://www.triacafe.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 10oz. pokal glass

Beer pours light brown, with a decent haze and a thick white head.  Head hangs around for a while and laces well.  

Aroma of subtle, smooth peat smoke, complemented by a tangy-fruity character.  As far as fruit aroma goes, I got some apricot, banana and orange, but definitely don't take that as gospel, I could be making stuff up.

Beer starts with a decent buzz, and a strong peated smoke flavor.  Middle is sour, with a creamy/full body. Smoke builds again into the finish, and articulates excellently with the sourness.  Smoke and acidity are also complimented by the traditional "husky" wheat character.  Sour and peaty character contribute to a lasting, refreshing finish.  

Overall:
Probably one of the more interesting beers I've had, and the fact that it comes from Germany is extremely surprising, given the strangle-hold the Reinheitsgebot has over there.  This beer has a foot in two style territories: one in Berliner-weiss and one in Rauchbier.  The traditional wheaty-tartness and fruit flavor of a Weiss-bier and the smokey backbone of a rauchbier are coupled together in this beer to make a fantastic hybrid.  Not exactly for the faint-of-heart or for someone without a flare for the unusual, this beer is definitely interesting, and definitely well-crafted.  Not an easy-drinking beer, and don't expect to want more than one at a time.    

Russian River Damnation

Photo credit: J.C. Edwards
The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Vinnie Cilurzo
Company: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: 725 4th Street Santa Rosa, California
Website:  http://www.russianriverbrewing.com

The Beer:
Style: Golden Ale (Belgian)
ABV: 7%
Served: 375mL bottle at Tria's of Philadelphia (http://www.triacafe.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 10oz. Belgian tulip

Pours bright golden/yellow, with moderate haze.  Head dissipates quickly, leaving little lace.

Strong clove, citrus and banana on the nose, with subtle spiciness.  

Beer starts with healthy carbonation and an upfront citrus fruity-sweet presence.  Body is full and malty sweet, and lends a refreshing, robust and fruity middle.  Finish is cool, dry and peppery spice builds into a moderately long presence.  At the end of the beer I swirled the sediment in, which added an additional layer of toasty, bready flavor to the beer as well as increasing the body a bit.

Overall:
Yet again, a standard setting beer from Russian River.  Inspired by traditional Belgian golden ales, this beer fills the shoes of the likes of the Duvel-family easily.  Though expensive and near-impossible to find on the east coast, Russian River never disappoints.  Despite being more basic than some of their more unique beers, you can't go wrong with Damnation.  The carbonation and fruitiness make this beer extremely refreshing, and the spicy/dry finish make this a remarkably complex beer, given how "simple" a Belgian golden ale is.  Perfect for the change of season or for a midsummer's afternoon, Damnation is worth the work, but do your best to make it last.  Oh, and I kept the bottle.    


Friday, March 15, 2013

Brooklyn Brewery Mary's Maple Porter

Photo Credit: J. C. Edwards
The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Garret Oliver 
Company: Brooklyn Brewery
Location: #1 Brewers Row 79 N. 11th Street Brooklyn, NY
Website: http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/verify

The Beer:
Style: (Robust) Porter
ABV: 6.9%
Brewed with: East Kent Goldings and Willamette Hops and Upstate New York Grade A maple syrup (http://www.cedarvalemaple.com/)
Served: On tap at Greenwood's Grille (Again, a visit is mandatory:  http://www.greenwoodsgrill.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 12 oz. Pokel glass

Pours pitch black; a color it retains even when held to light.  Forms a thin, tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lace.  

Aromas of molasses, coffee, caramel malts, and some subtle yeast esters, lending a somewhat fruity finish on the nose.  I didn't pick up on the maple right off the bat, but about halfway through this beer, when you have room for some swirling action, you can pick it up.  

Beer starts with a high carbonation, especially for a porter, and some toffee-like flavor.  Body is moderate, and really is more of a robust porter, rather than a traditional porter.  Middle is malty and roasty, with notes of coffee, sweet malt and a typical maple "woodiness."  Maple syrup flavor and dryness expand into a lingering finish.   

Overall:
Maple syrup can get tricky in a beer, but it really does work well here.  The dry, woody flavors complement the roasted malt well, creating an interesting roasty sweet brew.  Perhaps the most redeeming quality of this beer is its simplicity.  Often times I find beers with very interesting ingredients, but there are so many I can't parse them out of the beer.  This is a straight porter with maple syrup, and I know what a porter tastes like, so I can get a pretty good sense of what maple syrup does in a beer.  Benchmarks like these are pretty important in developing you're palate, and it's a pretty good beer, so try it if you can.  

Widmer Brothers Admiral Nelson Imperial IPA

Photo Credit: J.C. Edwards
The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Joe Casey
Company: Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Location: 929 North Russell Street Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.widmerbrothers.com/

The Beer:
Style: Imperial IPA 
ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 70
Brewed with: 2-row, Carapils and Lovibond 10 Crystal malts, and Alchemy, Nelson Sauvin, Cascade and Willamette Hops
Served:  On tap at Greenwood's Grill in Bethel, CT (a pilgrimage to this place is absolutely mandatory: http://www.greenwoodsgrill.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 12 oz. Pokel

Pours pale amber/yellow with a thick head that dissipates quickly.  Beer laces well.  

Aromas of citrus and tropical fruit (pineapple, papaya etc.).  Almost no detectable malt on the nose.

Beer starts with strong carbonation and an upfront fruity, sweet flavor.  Little in the way of hop bitterness at first, but the middle to finish yields a center-palate dryness and a continuation of the powerful fruit aromas.  Finish is long, dry and some hop bitterness comes through, but not nearly what I was expecting for an Imperial IPA.  The malt was present but barely noticeable compared to the hops, and contributed some sweetness and a decent amount of body.  

Overall:
This is one of those beers that leaves the realm of Beer and crosses over into the realm of Soda.  The hop aromas are so powerful, fruity, and sweet you almost forget you're drinking an 8.6% beer.  Just like most IPAs, the focus of this beer is hops, though with a strong leaning towards hop-aroma over hop-bitter.  The body is also light, though noticeable, and compliments the fruity, almost punch-like, nature of this beer.   Though not necessarily what I reach for when I want an IPA, the hops in this beer are very intriguing, and I doubt anyone would have a problem drinking one or two of these during one of those dog days of August.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Ayinger Celebrator

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Hans-Jürgen Iwan
Company: Ayinger
Location: Münchener Straße 21 Aying, Germany
Website: http://en.ayinger-bier.de/?pid=263

The Beer:
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 6.7%
Brewed with: German malts and Hallertau hops
Served: 12 oz. bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of an 8 oz. Pilsner flute

Pours dark brown with a decent beige head.  Beer appears deep crimson when held to light.  Head dissipates quickly, but a trace hangs around and laces weakly.

Aroma is all malt, and traditional German malt at that.  Hefty roasted malt, with a typical German malty-sweetness and very mild smoke flavor with honey and molasses, some wheat maybe?

Beer starts with a decent carbonation level and an upfront, roasted malty-sweet tone, and has a flavor that is very reminiscent of dark molasses.  Middle is full-bodied and sweet, with continuing dominance of the German malt, and some roasted malt at the forefront.  From middle to finish, there is an increase in the malty-sweetness (caramel and toffee perhaps?) as well as a bready and nutty flavor.  Finish is moderate in length and full-bodied; no astringency or dryness is to be found with this beer, but a lingering flavor of molasses and bread/honey abounds.

Overall:
German beers, thanks to the Reinheitsgebot (Google please), almost always feel lacking to me, but this beer never disappoints.  Brewed like a lager, but with the flavor and body of an ale, this beer is what all those "lite" beers wish they could be.  The malts predominate in a beer like this, and neither hops nor yeast play a pivotal role in the flavor profile.  A full malt bill and a good ABV grant this beer a full body, but it is not as filling as some of its American or British counterparts.  A beer like this would go best with a full meal in any season, and is bound to please any beer drinker.  Ayinger Doppelbock is probably the best example of a German bock that exists in the world, and you'd be missing out if you overlooked this one.  

Anchorage Love Buzz Saison

The Brewers:
Company: Anchorage Brewing Company
Location: 717 West 3rd Ave., Anchorage, Alaska
Website: http://www.anchorage brewingcompany.com

The Beer:
Style: Saison (with some real Farmhouse influence)
ABV: 8%
IBU: 40
Brewed with (get ready): rose hips, peppercorns, fresh orange peels, Citra hops, Brettanomyces yeast, all aged in French Pinot Noir barrels
Served: 750mL corked bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 12 oz. Belgian tulip glass

Pours a foggy, deep golden/orange color with a thick, white head.  As is typical for the style, the head hung around forever, and left some nice lace patterns.  

Aroma of citra hops, roses and some typical Brett "barnyard."  Some sort of sour fruit character comes through, most likely the contribution from the pinot noir barrels.  

Starts with the expected saison buzz from the high carbonation.  The Brett presence is immediately obvious through the funky, moderate sourness on the back of the palate.  Citra hops are present in the middle and finish by the sweet citrus aroma, also amplified by the orange peels (duh, right?).  Finish is very dry, the standard for saisons, and the aroma of the rose hips really comes through.  Funkiness of the Brett carries through to the finish, and is complimented excellently by the rose hips.  Body is low, but some wheat is detectable.  I'm sure the Pinot Noir barrels contribute to the tart nature of this beer, and the oak of the barrels is likely to contribute to the dry character of the beer, but I really wasn't able to put my finger on anything specific.  

Overall:
This.  Beer.  Is.  Fantastic.  Definitely made it to the top ten.  On the first try.  The sour/funky flavor of this beer is the perfect intensity, and the rose hips and Citra hops lend the perfect amount of sweet aroma to balance the rest of the beer.  I can't say I pick up the Pinot barrels specifically, which is a problem I find with beers that are very complex, but I won't say the barrels detract from the beer.  I usually scoff at people who talk about "summer beers" (beers appropriate for warm weather), but this beer really does belong in July/August, and is by far one of the most intriguing and refreshing beers I've had in ages.  If you're a fan of traditional Belgian Farmhouse ales, and even lambics/geuzes/sours this beer belongs in your hand.  I'm picking up a few bottles tomorrow and keeping them off to the side until the weather gets nicer.  

The Bruery Rugbrød

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Tyler King
Company: The Bruery
Location: 715 Dunn Way Placentia, California
Website: http://www.thebruery.com/

The Beer:
Style: Julebryg 
ABV: 8%
IBU: 30
SRM: 18
Brewed with: 3 different rye malts
Served: 750 mL bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 14 oz. Belgian pokel

Pours a deep copper-brown color with a frothy, beige head.  Head forms thick but dissipates quickly, leaving no lace.  

Aroma is boozy and bready.  A sweet maltiness dominates, with a sturdy spiced bread character, very reminiscent of a Belgian-style tripel or quad.  Going by aroma alone, this gives the impression of a full-bodied brew.  

Beer starts with upfront malted sweet and a moderate-low carbonation.  Full-body is apparent from start to finish.  The sweet character fades toward the middle, yielding to a bready and subtle nutty flavor, with just a hint of alcohol.  Middle to finish is very dry, and the spicey/earthy aroma of the rye malt comes forth.  The dry, spiced flavor of the rye carries well, lending this beer a long finish.  This beer definitely has some mass behind it; I'm barely finished with the first glass and I can feel myself becoming full, which rarely happens to me.

Overall:
As the only example of a Julebryg-style ale I've ever had, this beer inspires me to look for more.  Based on traditional Danish ales, this beer is named after a traditional Danish rye-bread.  When I drank this beer, I imagined it would be something a band of Danish Vikings would have had after battle, which makes it all the more compelling (in my mind at least).  This beer is also a good bench-mark to train yourself on the contribution of rye malt to a finished product.  This beer is sweet, bready and spicey, with a full body: perfect for a cold winter's night.  Given the flavor profile and character, this won't be a beer the regulars reach for, but if you're looking for something that's "out of the box" you can't possibly do better than this.  




Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA

Photo Credit: P. Giametteo 
The Brewers:
Brewmaster: David Chichura
Company: Oskar Blues Brewery
Location: 1800 Pike Road, Unit B Longmont, Colorado
Website: http://www.oskarblues.com/

The Beer:
Style: American India Pale Ale (American IPA)
ABV: 8%
IBU: 85
Brewed with: Columbus Hops
Served: On tap at Widow Brown's of Danbury (http://www.widowbrowns.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. American pint glass

Pours a brilliant copper color with a thick, cream-colored head.  Good head retention and spectacular lacing.

Strong American hop citrus and pine aromas with subtle spicy/peppery notes.  Sweet, caramel malt also apparent on the nose.

Beer starts with an upfront, piney hop character, with subtle peppery and spicy tones.  Carbonation is moderately low for an IPA, but this helps to accentuate the malt backbone of this beer.  The middle of the beer rides out the center of the palate with a good dry and caramel malt flavor, and a full mouthfeel.  The finish is very long, and also very dry, and the peppery and spicy notes of the hops really come through in this stage.  Expect the citrus and pine to come back through towards the end, as the hop aroma really hangs around with this beer.

Overall:
This is a good example of a malty IPA.  Though hop aroma is still center stage, the heavy caramel and body malts help to balance out some of the bitter from the hops, lending this beer an almost sweet taste (this is relative of course).  The hop aromas are the typical citrus and pine of domestic American hops (Oskar Blues uses Columbus), and this beer is designed around those aromas.  As far as IPAs go, this beer is more or less the opposite of the Stone Ruination IPA, which is brewed with an emphasis on hop aroma and big hop bitterness.  If you're looking for a well-balanced, big-body, malty-sweet IPA with a hefty dose of aroma hops I would look no further than Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's.      

Stone Ruination IPA

Photo Credit: J.C. Edwards
The Brewers:
Brewmaster:  Steve Wagner
Company:  Stone Brewing Company
Location:  1999 Citracado Parkway Escondido, California
Website:  http://www.stonebrew.com/home.asp

The Beer:
Style:  India Pale Ale (IPA)
ABV:  7.7%
IBUs: 100+
Brewed with:  Columbus & Centennial Hops
Served:  On tap at Stanziato's Pizzeria (definitely worth a visit if you're in the Danbury area:  http://stanziatos.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of some kind of weird, long-stem tulip glass (the restaurant's, not mine).  I would do this one out of a brandy-snifter or a regular tulip.

Pours a copper orange color, with a thinner head that hung around.  Laces very well (as an IPA usually does).  

Aroma of floral and earthy hops, with subtle citrus tones.  No real detectable aroma of special malts or adjuncts etc.  

Beer starts and ends the same way:  bitter.  Hops are upfront and and in your face, though complemented well by a full-body with a subdued flavor.  Carbonation is moderate and compliments the highly hoppy flavor.  Middle is full and dry as the citrus character of the hops builds.  Finishes bitter and fades slowly, underscoring the earthy and spicy characteristics of the hops.  This beer has a very long, dry finish.  

Overall:
This beer really is all about the hops.  Start, middle and finish are bitter and aromatic through and through, and I actually puckered a bit for the first few sips.  Malt is really only used in a supporting role to balance the hops and, as far as I could tell, contributed little to detectable flavor.  This is an excellently balanced beer; it is very difficult to brew a beer that's this "hop-centric" without creating an undrinkable monster.  Beware though, this beer really does have a "ruinous effect on your palate," as everything else I ate/drank at this meal seemed cloyingly sweet.  To me, this beer is something of a right-of-passage:  if you drink this and enjoy it, I think you can officially call yourself a hop-head.  If you aren't all that into hops, definitely steer clear, but keep this brew in the back of your mind, because when you do turn yourself over to the dark and hoppy side (which will happen), you're going to want to pick up a few of these.    

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Miller-Lite Write-In

From:  Dave G.


The Brewers:
Company: Miller Brewing Company
Location: 4000 West State Street, Milwaukee Wisconsin

The Beer:
Style: Pale Lager (American Adjunct Lager)
ABV: 4.2%
Served: 12 oz. punch top can

The Drink:
I opted not to pour the beer into a glass in order to utilize the punch top can and unlock the smooth pour of great pilsner taste.

Has an aroma of grain, corn, and grass with perhaps a taint of sweet fruit, plausibly from the aluminum can.

The taste was as hoppy as a pale lager can get.  It was a bit one-note for me, mostly of corn and water with the occasional soft sweetness of a peach.  Very light body, with an incredibly smooth finish (most likely the punch top can).  The after taste leaves a feeling of a light film covering the inside of your mouth, which makes it a great beer to enjoy with food.

Overall:
Any time is Miller time, so or someone that who enjoys triple the hops and a light beer, this is the one for you.  The light film that covers the mouth after each sip, only leads to another sip; which is ideal if you want to drink multiple beers.  This beer is wonderfully refreshing and best enjoyed on a warm day.  It has great taste and is actually less filling than I would have imagined.  I recommend this beer out of the punch top can or the vortex bottle for maximum smoothness. This isn’t the type of beer that will fill you up, so grab a few and enjoy. Cheers.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Weyerbacher Old Heathen

The Brewers:
Brewmaster:  Chris Wilson
Company:  Weyerbacher Brewing Company
Location:  905-G Line Street, Easton Pennsylvania

The Beer:
Style:  Russian Imperial Stout (RIS)
ABV:  8.0% 
Served:  12 oz. bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. traditional English pub glass

Pours a gorgeous pitch black with a thick tan head.  Laces very well.  Color is still black when held up to light, pretty spot on for an imperial stout.  

Aroma of roasted malt and coffee, with hints of sweet fruit.  Cherries or raspberries perhaps?  I think that one is palate dependent.  Surprisingly there is no detectable alcohol, which is usually typical of imperial stouts (or anything with a hefty ABV).

Beer starts with a decent amount of roasted malt and a moderate level of carbonation, accompanied by a full, almost chewy, mouthfeel.  Lower carbonation is something I personally prefer with this style, but there always exists beers that make me think twice.  The middle reveals the thick, robust body of this brew, most likely stemming from wheat malt or the use of rolled/roasted barley.  Some of the fruit character comes through, but the finish truly highlights this character. The finish is very complex, and it's almost impossible to pin down any one thing to focus on.  There is a good deal of fruit flavor, and a pleasant roasted bitterness that builds with time.  The finish on this beer is remarkably long, and the fruit/chocolate/coffee flavors hang out for quite a while. 

Overall:
Although this beer doesn't rank in my top ten, I can't think of a single reason that it wouldn't.  Complex, full-bodied and well-balanced; a home-run beer.  This beer is one that I want to sit down and eat with a fork (yeah, it has that kind of body).  The fruit character really sets this beer apart from other Russian Imperial Stouts (RIS) and is the reason I've come back to it as many times as I have.  Though not a real "drinking" beer by most people's standards, this thing belongs in a warm hand on a cold night in front of an open fire (a bear skin rug might be appropriate).  I would recommend this to any RIS fan, though maybe not appropriate for someone who wouldn't appreciate a healthy dose of black malt and a full body.  If you drink a bottle of this, it may feel more like you've eaten something, which is always a plus in my book.

Lefthand Brewing Milk Stout

The Brewers:
Company:  Lefthand Brewing Company
Location:  1265 Boston Ave., Longmont, Colorado
Website: http://www.lefthandbrewing.com

The Beer:
Style:  Milk Stout (could it get any better?)
ABV:  6.0%
IBU:  25
SRM:  47
Brewed with:  Magnum and US Goldings hops, Crystal, Munich, Roasted Barley, and Chocolate malts, Flaked oats and Flaked barley (and lactose)
Served:  12 oz. bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. traditional English pub glass

Beer pours a delicious pitch-black with a tan, creamy head.  Head dissipated relatively quickly and left little to no lace.  Appears a deep ruby color when back-lit.   

Aromas of coffee, roasted malts and chocolate.  Some faint sharp oat aroma, my feeling is that this only stands out because of the poor aging quality of rolled oats.  

Beer starts with typical coffee and chocolate flavors and a moderate carbonation level typical of the style.  Body is pleasent and light, more like a dry Irish stout (think Guiness) but still with a healthy presence from rolled grains.  Middle to finish exhibits the smooth, sweet properties indicative of brewing with lactose.  Roasted coffee and chocolate flavors carry through into a dry finish, which is accompanied by a subtle and interesting earthy/spicy flavor, probably from the rolled oats.  

Overall:
Again, one of my absolute favorite beers.  The roasted malt backbone of this beer is complimented perfectly by the smooth and sweet traits of the lactose and rolled grains.  Bear in mind that rolled grains and lactose contribute a great deal of unfermentable sugars to the beer, and so they have a profound impact on the flavor profile and mouthfeel of the final product.  This beer is sure to please any drinker; its dark roasted character will charm any black beer aficionado, while its smooth milk-sugar sweetness will suit the tastes of any light-beer drinker.  If you're looking to get into the dark arts of black ales or looking to try something on the lighter side, this is definitely the beer for you.

Note:
This beer is also available in "Nitro."  A nitro beer utilizes compressed nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide for the "bubbly" effect.  A nitro beer has better head retention, a smoother/creamier mouthfeel and can maintain carbonation longer, once opened, than a beer that is pressurized with carbon dioxide.  If you have the opportunity, get the nitro: it's fantastic.  If you have a second opportunity, get both:  compare, contrast and drink two beers instead of one.    

Allagash Interlude and Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout Write-In

From:  Deb & Ang Y. and Bogdan L.:

Today I tried Allagash Interlude, courtesy of Ang and Bogdan. It was fermented using two different types of yeast, was aged in red wine barrels, and is described as containing pear, apricot, and graham cracker flavors. I did not notice any graham cracker, but could detect the fruit.  Honestly I mostly tasted the wine- definitely could pick up the dry red Sirah and Merlot that are described. The color was reddish, and it was not super-foamy. It paired deliciously with the shepherd's pie I had for dinner. It went especially well with the beef/tomato flavor. I would recommend it with food.  At 9.5%, one glass'll do ya if you're like me. My hands are tingly and my head feels like I'm in a sauna. I also polled my drinking partners. Here is what they had to say:

Ang: Fucking great. pears and brettan-shit. sweet&sour. Smell: sweet yet tart. 
Bogdan: Fucking awesome. Lot of brett-funk balanced with red wine.

After Allagash Interlude, I tried Duck Rabbit Milk Stout. This beer is exceptionally dark. It is creamy at the end, with some coffee and chocolate flavors. I like that it isn't very bitter, and is mostly smooth. A little acidic and tangy at the finish. I enjoyed it. It's good on its own. Probably not my favorite milk stout ever, but definitely decent.

Ang: It's all right. Tastes like a campfire-very roasty. Mild carbonation and minimal lacing which is not traditional of a milk stout.
Bogdan: Too much roast character for a milk stout, without the lactose character to balance it out. 

Sam Adams Cinder Bock

The Brewers:
Company:  Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)
Location:  30 Germania Street Boston, Massachusetts

The Beer:
Style:  "Rauch Bock" (A Racuhbier/Doppelbock hybrid)
ABV:  9.4%
IBU: 25
SRM: 25
Brewed with: Mittlefrueh and Hallertau hops, Harrington, Metcalf, Copeland Pale, Caramel 60 and Smoked Malts
Served: 22 oz. Bomber

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. Czech lager stein

Beer poured a deep crimson/brown color, forming an off white head that hung around the entire time.  Formed more lace than expected, especially for a bock-style.  Beer has excellent clarity, but is somewhat masked by its bold color.

Aromas of caramel and toffee (maybe?), robust aromatic and smoked malts.  Some subtle boozy notes come through, but hardly noticeable and compliment the smoke well.   

This beer starts off with a strong smoke flavor complimented by a rich malt flavor.  Carbonation is typical of a lager-style, but the body and flavor is more like a tripel/quad.  The smoke flavor fades toward the middle, as the caramel and aromatic flavors take center stage.  The finish is the reverse, as the malt fades the smoke comes back in to play just a bit more, leading to a rich, medium-length finish.  

Overall:
This beer has to be one of my all-time favorites.  Released as part of Sam Adams' Small Batch Series, this beer is proof-positive that large-scale commercial breweries didn't lose their touch when they stepped up to mass-production.  The smoked malts give this beer the perfect amount of smoke flavor, which is complemented excellently by the robust aromatic malt.  All-in-all, this is like a 4th of July campfire in a bottle, and is one of my favorite examples of a traditional lager-style beer brewed with an emphasis on the malt ingredients.  This beer is sure to please almost any beer drinker:  smoky, malty, sweet and at 9.4% ABV this thing can be a real conversation starter.    

Friday, March 8, 2013

Meantime India Pale Ale

The Brewers:
Brewmaster:  Alastair Hook
Company:  Meantime Brewing Company
Location:  Lawrence Trading Estate, Blackwall Lane, London, England
Website: www.meantimebrewing.com 

The Beer:
Style:  IPA (English)
ABV:  7.4%
IBU: [About] 70

The Drink:
Drank out of a 13 oz. brandy snifter

Pours a combination of orange/brown/gold, with a thin head that didn't really hang around.  Laces pretty well, but not fantastically.  Beer is very hazy, and is either hardly filtered or has a good deal of protein hanging around.


Aroma has pleseant, subtle citrus tones with a strong floral presence, characteristic of "Near" Noble British hops (Fuggles, Gouldings etc).  Some caramel/malt presence too, but mostly overpowered by the hop aroma.  


Beer starts off with a good deal of body and moderate carbonation.  Caramel malt and crystal flavors carry through and are accompanied by the floral and citrus character of the hops.  As malt flavor and hop aromas fade, hop bitterness grows, and finishes very dry and bitter.  Finish is very long, and fades into a fruity "tang."  The farther you get into this beer, the more pronounced the citrus flavors become.    


Overall:
This beer definitely drinks like an IPA, but the full-bodied flavor and citrus aromas combine well and set this apart from many other beers of this style.  It reminds me of an IPA brewed with typical American citrus hops, Cascade and Citra mainly (think Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' or Maximus) but with the malt character of a traditional British ale (Fuller's ESB comes to mind at the moment).  The bitterness in this beer is not as pronounced as your typical IPA, and I would recommend this beer to any beer drinker, even those who don't claim to be "hop-heads."  A long finish, robust malt backbone and strong hop presence make this beer an excellent slow drinker, but at 7.4% ABV, this beer does wonders at a faster pace.