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.    

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.

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.