Stone’s celebratory beer to commemorate their 14th year in business is one with a bit of a twist for the company. Sure it’s big. It’s hoppy. And tasty. But it’s also got all British ingredients. From the imported water to the hops to the yeast strain — all for the sake of paying tribute to the British brewing history.
While I’m a big fan of Stone’s take on the IPA, it’s always nice to see a brewer stretch outside of their comfort area to play with different ingredients and more. It’s even better when they consider the beer worthy enough to celebrate their anniversary.
Appearance
Emperial IPA pours a golden yellow in color with a one finger white head that faded slowly.
Aroma
The upfront sweet malts are met almost immediately with pungent hops (Target, East Kent Golding and Boadicea) that carry a piny and spicy character. There’s also a bit of light citrus as a result of the hop mixture. The nose does a nice job of hiding the 8.9% ABV, as well.
Taste
The mix of the hop varieties used make for a unique and pungent taste. The toasted malt presence is fleeting as the hops tend to dominate the palate from the start all the way through to the astringent, dry finish. There’s only the slightest hint of the higher alcohol level, but it does become more apparent as the beer warms in the glass. The mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth and creamy for the does of hop bitterness the beer holds.
Overall
This is a pretty hoppy beer, but not nearly as much of a kick in the teeth as the brewery’s flagship Arrogant Bastard. It’s got a more balanced hop presence. That said, it’s still got a nice pungent bite to it. I’ll be picking up more of this before the Summer is over.
Rating: 3.5/5
Redhook’s Limited series has produced some memorable and tasty brews the last couple of years. Of the two that I was able to experience, I thought the Tripel was tasty and I absolutely loved the Treblehook Barley Wine.
I was obviously excited when I spotted this latest release from the brewery on the shelves a couple of weeks ago. Billed as an oak aged Imperial Brown Ale, the beer is the culmination of 8 brewers working as teams who eventually developed a blend from their individual recipes. Sounds interesting, but after reading that description I was worried that this could be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.
After the first couple of sips, I can safely say my fears were quickly dispelled by this smooth drinking beer.
Appearance
Pouring a reddish copper, the glass held a short-lived off-white cap before it faded to patchy lacing.
Aroma
It certainly smells tasty. There’s a primary character of slightly sweet, toasted malt that’s followed by a subtle nuttiness. There are subtle oak and honey notes that come and go with each sniff. I’m surprised that the 9.5% ABV doesn’t present more of itself on the nose than it does — it’s there, but not nearly as much as I expected.
Taste
There’s a good deal more oakiness on the tongue than the aroma held. It’s immediately followed with nutty, caramel malts as the beer slowly transitions to a sweet finish. The honey is more evident in that lingering finish along with glowing warmth from the higher ABV. The feel of the beer is a little more full than most brown ales with a smooth overall feel.
Overall
Here’s another impressive effort for Redhook’s Limited series. There’s plenty of flavor and has a surprisingly sound balance considering all the input that the final recipe probably received from the various parties involved. I would love to find more of this for the cooler evenings of early to mid-Fall.
Rating: 3.5/5
I’m sure, like me, you get pretty excited when you first hear news from a brewery regarding a new line of products they plan to release. If, also like me, you’re a big fan of Avery Brewing out of Colorado, then you’ve been itching to find a bottle of their Brabant since it was first released back in February 2009.
This inaugural release from the Brewery’s then new barrel-aged line of beers was aged in Red Zinfandel barrels for eight months before it was let loose in public. It’s also a beer that wasn’t made with any one style in mind at the onset of the brewing process. Combining two strains of Brettanomyces (wild yeast for those of you more unfamiliar) this is definitely what one would call a wild ale.
Having only been brewed and released the one time (and probably never again), this is most likely the only time I’ll enjoy this beer. Sad, but still pretty damned cool.
Appearance
This bottle of Brabant (nearly a year and a half old) poured a dark, dark brown with a dark red edge around the sides of the glass. The smallish, light tan head faded fairly slowly to a thin ring of bubbles.
Aroma
There is a good amount of Zinfendel grapes up front that are followed by oak and that tell-tale Brett funkiness. It’s got a great nose, but not as funky as I would have expected. Perhaps it’s mellowed a bit over time. There’s a small touch of tartness and spices in there, as well.
Taste
The flavors of the brew follow the nose for the most part. It starts off semi-sweet with vinous grapes, then is followed by a light oak woodiness and a nice round of grassy funkiness. The finish is on the dry side with a good bit of tartness. Again, it’s not as sour as some of the wild ales I’ve had recently (Victory Hop Wild for example), but it’s got a slight touch of a sour character to it. The rather smooth mouthfeel, complexity and 8.65% ABV make this a beer to relax to and enjoy slowly.
Overall
Brabant isn’t the most aggressive beer that uses wild yeast. Perhaps that was the aim of Avery when they brewed it or perhaps it’s due to the extended period in the bottle. It is one of the more smoothly drinking wild ales I’ve enjoyed and wasn’t as sour or funky as I was expecting. That said, it may still be a bit too much for some palates.
Rating: 3.5/5
Well, that’s just not right.
It’s been 14 reviews since my last stout. That’s gotta be some sort of personal record. Sure there was a lone porter in the mix, but that doesn’t really count, no matter how tasty it was.
At any rate, this Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout was one of several beers that I purchased at Kybecca in Fredericksburg last month. I’ve only ever had one other product from this Norwegian brewer and I loved it, so expectations for this Russian Imperial Stout were high.
Appearance
This Imperial Stout pours black as night with a one finger, rich brown head.
Aroma
The nose is filled with heaps of chocolate and roasted coffee with light vanilla and licorice notes. There isn’t much of a hint of the 9% ABV this beer carries. Smells smooth.
Taste
Ooooh. This is tasty. Nøgne Ø have themselves a rich, full flavored stout with a thick and viscous mouthfeel that finishes dry and chewy. The earthy, roasted malt delivers more coffee character than it does chocolate. There’s a nice bit of roasted malt bitterness in the dry finish. Still not much of an alcohol presence in a beer this big.
Overall
I love the roast and chocolate nature to this brew. It’s got a great balance and smoothness that makes it dangerously drinkable. This is definitely what I needed after all the IPAs and Pale Ales I’ve been drinking this Summer. I’ll need to set up another run to the store to get more for the colder months later this year.
Rating: 4/5
In only the way they can, the brewers at Brewdog have ended history. The story behind this record setting beer is explained in the delightfully insane video below:
As for the beer itself, the 55% ABV Belgian ale is “…infused with nettles from the Scottish Highlands and Fresh juniper berries.” The packaging of the 11 — yes, 11 — bottle limited release are “…presented in a stuffed stoat or grey squirrel. The striking packaging was created by a very talented taxidermist and all the animals used were road kill.” Wow.
With a price starting at £500.00 (roughly $760) per bottle, this will truly be a one of a kind beer.
Update: And like that, all the bottles have been sold.
I’m a bit behind on some of my reviews, but a work buddy of mine recommended this latest seasonal from Lagunitas Brewing a little while back. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I was able to find a bottle of this cross between an American Strong Ale and Imperial Brown Ale. These notes may be weeks old, but the beer is still fresh in my mind.
Described as a “A Malty, Robust, Jobless Recovery Ale,” Wilco Tango Foxtrot (WTF, if you will) is just that — malty, robust and with a good hit of hops. Weighing in at 7.83% ABV, it’s not quite as strong as some American Strong Ales out there, but it will treat you right.
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Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Bock is the second release in Sierra Nevada’s 30th Anniversary series that will span all of 2010 celebrating the occasion with four beers brewed in collaboration with several pioneers in America’s craft beer history. This 8.3% ABV Imperial Helles Bock is brewed with input from Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhart — beer advocates and authors that pushed the home-brewing and craft movements to where they are now.
There isn’t much detail regarding this beer available, but I can tell you that it’s a big one. There’s a more pronounced hop presence that most helles bocks and the higher alcohol makes its presence known throughout the drinking experience.
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It’s still pretty early in the Summer and I’ve already had a handful of excellent IPAs. In the running for most impressive this season so far is Meantime’s India Pale Ale. Brewed with two pounds of Fuggles and Goldings hops per barrel, this is your prototypical English IPA. It’s well balanced with plenty of biscuity malt and floral, citrus hops — making for a well rounded, tasty beer.
It’s a beer that’s not necessarily out to compete with the hoppier behemoths of the U.S. west coast, but what it does bring to the table is something more traditional, yet well crafted. My only disappointment with this one, is that I didn’t buy more of it.
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For Immediate Release
ORTLAND, MAINE – (July 15, 2010) – Shipyard Brewing Company has released a limited quantity of cellar aged Smashed Pumpkin. This special beer is part of the Pugsley’s Signature Series and is available exclusively in 22 oz. bottles at the Shipyard Brewing Company Gift Shop at 86 Newbury St. in Portland, Maine while supplies last.
This brew was first released in October 2009 and a limited quantity has been aging from that brew.
“As this beer has aged, the depth of flavor has become richer and more complex,” noted master brewer Alan Pugsley. “This is a very smooth beer.”
The 22 oz. cellar aged Smashed Pumpkin bottles are stamped with a gold “Cellar Aged” sticker. This is a big-bodied beer with a light coppery orange color and pleasing aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg.
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I had first heard about this beer sometime last year and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival to my area.
Originally brewed with a limited release for Rogue Gallery in Portland, ME, Squall IPA is essentially an unfiltered, bottle-conditioned version of the brewery’s highly touted 90 Minute IPA . This year, however, the beer is seeing a much larger release which is why I was able to finally grab a couple of bottles.
Ideally, it would have been smart of me to have purchased a bottle of the standard 90 Minute IPA as well for a little side-by-side tasting. But, as you can see, I ain’t too bright. At any rate, I’m relying on memory and past notes to add comparisons between the two when I can.
Appearance
Squall pours pretty clear for an unfiltered beer. It’s copperish amber in color with a small white head that left some lacing on the glass.
Aroma
The dry hopping on the 90 Minute and Squall give both beers a big hop nose with plenty of pine and resin that mixes nicely with a slightly sweet malt presence. The Squally, however, has the added touch of a little yeast character to the aroma.
Taste
The biggest difference between the two beers can be found in the taste. It’s not a dramatic difference mind you. The Squall is much smoother on the palate with a bit more sweetness. The beer starts off sweet and malty with a light fruitiness before giving way to a more bitter and biting hop character. This medium bodied brew finishes with a slightly warming alcohol presence along with lingering hop bitterness.
Overall
I’m not entirely sure if I could pick a favorite between the two beers. The 90 Minute is definitely the more assertive of the two, but I do enjoy the yeast notes found in the Squall. Either way, you’re in for a treat if you’re into hoppier beer. I’ve got one remaining bottle that I’m hoping to set aside for some time — I’m hoping the bottle conditioning will allow this IPA to age gracefully. Only time will tell.
Rating: 3.5/5
Note: this is a review of a promotional sample I received from the brewery.
The latest in Karl Strauss’ Coastal Reserve Series is this imperial pilsner. Whistler Imperial Pils is a 7.5% ABV pilsner is brewed with imported Moravian malts and Bohemian Saaz hops — keeping an authentic flavor that’s been amped up a bit with more of everything.
My only other experience with an imperial pilsner is the Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner. While Karl Strauss’ version of the brew isn’t quite as hoppy as the one from Boston Beer, it’s probably a little more balanced and traditional.
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Yards Brewing is one of the relatively younger craft breweries that I’ve been able to find more and more product from in recent months. From their clean pale ales this porter (based on Washington’s own recipe), the company has never let me down.
Dark, roasty and smooth this tavern porter is quite tasty and may be potent enough (7.5 % ABV) for you to cap your skull with a powdered wig and start your own little revolution.
Appearance
This Yards porter pours a dark grown with a mahogany edge. The large, light tan head faded slowly.
Aroma
A nice roasted malt base greets you along with subtle chocolates, molasses, a touch of vanilla and cigar tobacco. There’s a smoky char that envelops the beer, yet it’s still got a nice sweetness.
Taste
This is a smooth and tasty brew. The roasted malt (and light smoke) are the primary flavor, but it’s tempered nicely with the sweeter molasses (that shows more in the finish) and light chocolate presence. The beer is medium bodied with a smooth, slightly sweet finish. There’s not much of an alcohol presence behind the flavors that make up this beer — it’s hidden quite well.
Overall
This is a darn good porter. I enjoyed the smoky roast that it’s built off of, but it’s not nearly as sweet as some porters that I enjoy. I found that to be a nice change of pace and refreshing. The beer is easy (perhaps too easy) to drink despite the smokiness on the roast and the elevated ABV. I’ll definitely be looking for more of this in the Fall months later this year.
Rating: 3.5/5
Well, my stint with session brews was rather short-lived, wasn’t it.
It didn’t jump ship because I wanted something bigger (not that there’s anything wrong with that), it’s just that I ran out of sessionable beers and had to resort to something that would quench my thirst and desire for something truly hoppy on a hot, humid Summer day. Great Divide’s Hercules Double IPA was just such a beer.
Appearance
Hercules pours a clear amber with a one finger white head that clung to the glass nicely.
Aroma
Oh yeah. That’s just what I need. There is a good amount of piny hops in this beer with tinges of citrus and orange peel. There’s also a surprising bit of malt sweetness as the beer’s 10% ABV sits quietly in the background of the nose.
Taste
Super tasty beer. The hops are big and bitter with a very up front presence that starts off with some orange peel before transitioning to a more resinous pine characteristic. This a medium bodied beer with a slightly syrupy feel on the tongue as it makes its way to a biting, piny finish. The alcohol is hidden nicely in the beer, making for a deceptively drinkable beer.
Overall
My need for hops was quickly fulfilled with this big brew from Great Divide. The piny, citrus hops mixed perfectly with the more subtle sweet malts. Be careful with this one, the higher ABV will sneak up on you if you’re not prepared.
Rating: 4/5
