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

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.

Appearance

WTF pours a deep copper in color with a good sized, light khaki cap.

Aroma

Lots of rich malts with a wonderful overlying citrus/pine hope presence dominate the nose on this one. It smells like there might be a touch of brown sugar in there adding to the malt sweetness. I only’t pick up a bit of an alcohol presence as the beer had some time to warm in the glass.

Taste

Wow. This is one of the more unique American Strong Ales I’ve had. It wasn’t nearly as sweet as I expected as the initial wave of roasted malt comes across the tongue with an earthy character. The hops don’t really make much of an appearance until late in the finish and even then it’s only a hint of astringent bitterness. The alcohol makes more of a presence as this medium to full bodied beer warms, but it’s far from hot.

Overall

Despite the 7+% ABV, WTF is deceptively drinkable. The robust nature of an Imperial Brown Ale delivers rich, earthy malts while a decent helping of citrusy hops help balance out a well crafted brew. The excellent mouthfeel is what really makes this beer a joy to drink. I will most certainly be trying to find more of it.

Rating: 3.5/5

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.

Appearance

Pouring a golden amber, the beer sits in the glass with a fairly sizable white cap of foam. There’s a decent amount of carbonation activity within the glass as well.

Aroma

The higher ABV becomes apparent almost immediately with a boozy trait to the nose. There’s a good amount of floral hops that bring a piny character to accompany the bready malt base. Hints of apple and pepper come and go in the aroma, as well.

Taste

There isn’t quite as much of a hop presence as the nose lead me to believe. The taste still carries a decent hop profile that provides a nice balance to the bready, caramel malts within the beer. This is a pretty full bodied beer that leaves a residual sweetness on the lips. While I wouldn’t call this beer hot, it certainly does carry with it a good amount of warming alcohol, especially in the lingering finish — with little affect on the drinkability of the beer.

Overall

I know I’m going to be super excited about each of the 30th Anniversary releases throughout the year. I loved the stout that served as the first in the series, but this Imperial Helles Bock allows you the opportunity to drink it at any time of the year. It’s a full flavored, versatile beer that should mellow out nicely with a little cellaring — which is why I’m saving my last two bottles.

Rating: 3.5/5

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.

Appearance

The bottle opened with a loud pop from the cork as the straw yellow liquid inside was poured into a Duvel chalice. The massive white head had great retention, fading ever so slowly.

Aroma

This IPA is light and fruity on the nose. There’s a good deal of lightly toasted malt to start things off with a slight sweetness. That is then followed up with floral, citrus hops with next to no bitterness on the nose. There is a light amount of hop spice in the mix. It’s definitely a more subdued aroma when compared to many of the IPAs in the U.S., but it’s fitting for the style.

Taste

Light biscuity malts come in up front as a late forming citrus hop character builds. The beer is light and refreshing with a great, balanced flavor. The malt is more pronounced than the nose alludes to, but not in a dominating fashion. Meantime know how to craft a refreshing, clean IPA, that’s for sure. There’s a nice bit of hop bitterness in the lingering finish.

Overall

It was nice for a change to get away from the hop punches I’m used to in American IPAs. This more traditional English IPA was light on the palate, crisp and clean — making for a drinkable and refreshing beer. I only wish I had bought more since I haven’t seen it in the stores since I originally purchased this bottle.

Rating: 4/5

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.

Appearance

Whistler pours a clear golden amber in color with a decent sized, off-white head that stuck around for a good while.

Aroma

This one has a pretty well balanced nose on it. Starting with sweet, biscuity malt then fading to a light, peppery hop character the beer smells just like a pilsner with a little more oomph. I didn’t pick up any of the higher alcohol content in the nose.

Taste

Toasted, biscuity malts greet you first then is quickly followed by fairly upfront spicy hop presence. The malt sweetness and moderate hop bitterness give the beer a nice balanced feel and fuller mouthfeel than most pilsners. The semi-dry finish has more of a biting hop presence, but even then it’s not too bitter or astringent.

Overall

I enjoyed this beer a good deal. As far as what little experience I’ve had with imperial pilsners, this one is quite balanced and full flavored. I think, however, if given the choice from the Coastal Reserve series, I would choose the Big Barrel Double IPA over this one. Whistler is a tasty brew, but not my favorite among the limited release run of products.

Rating: 3.5/5

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