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.

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.      

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.  

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.    

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.