March 15, 2012
Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the samples of Innis & Gunn’s Irish Whiskey Cask (a barrel aged Scottish Stout weighing in at 7.4% ABV) when they first arrived a couple of days ago. Looking at the light brown liquid in the clear glass bottle certainly didn’t do much to instill any faith [...]
March 14, 2012
Blue Mountain Classic Lager
Afton, Virginia’s Blue Mountain Brewery may not get as much recognition as relatively close neighbor, Devil’s Backbone Brewing, but they make some fine drinking beer all the same and are GABF award winners in it’s own right. I’ve had products from both companies’ over the past copule of years — mostly on draft — and [...]
March 13, 2012
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
I’m a big fan of IPAs that utilize rye within their tasty, hoppy depths. There are few examples of the style that I don’t like. And seeing how I’m also a huge fan of Sierra Nevada, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I pick up a sixer of this new seasonal release. It’s full [...]
March 12, 2012
SweetWater Brewery Road Trip
When is a pilsner not a pilsner, but still a pilsner? Apparently, when the lager yeast you’re brewing with decides to call it a day and you’ve got to employ an ale yeast — at a warmer temperature than normal for most pilsners. Well, if the story on the label of this brew is true, [...]
March 9, 2012
Magic Hat +/-
Not only does Magic Hat’s +/- (pronouced “plus minus”) have one of the more unique names in the beery world, it was also my favorite of the bunch that the brewery was kind enough to send my way. Don’t get me wrong, both Vinyl and Demo were tasty in their own right, but there’s just [...]
March 8, 2012
Magic Hat Demo
The second sample I received from Magic Hat Brewing’s Spring seasonal mixed pack is Demo, a 6% ABV Black IPA. Comprised of five different malt types (Pale, Carafa, Caramel, Cara Vienna and Chocolate) and two hop varieties (Apollo and Goldings), the brew is a surprisingly well-balanced take on a relatively new style of beer. Dancing [...]
March 7, 2012
Magic Hat Vinyl
Vermont’s Magic Hat Brewing has been one of those company’s whose products tend to make the random appearance in the beer fridge throughout the year. In the Summer a sixer of Circus Boy has shown up in the past, while their flagship #9 has also settled in from time to time. Never really remaining in [...]
March 6, 2012
Narragansett Cream Ale
The folks behind Narragansett’s resurrection the past few years have decided to reintroduce one of their more popular products from the 1960s and 1970s — the Cream Ale. This newer, modern interpretation “… is a throwback to Pre-Prohibition cream ales,” but with a hoppier presence that should appeal to the current realm of craft beer [...]
March 5, 2012
Long Trail Hibernator
Ever since coming across a bottle of Long Trail Ales Imperial Porter back in January of last year, I pretty much grab a bottle of everything else I see from this Vermont company. I’ve been pleased with just about each product of theirs that I’ve tried. So, it was a no-brainer when I spied a [...]
March 2, 2012
Brasserie Dupont Monk’s Stout
There’s no denying my infatuation with all things stout. Coffee, Imperial, whatever the style or label thrown on that bottle of black gold, I’m probably going to like it. Well, for the most part. There’s one realm of the stout family that I’ve never really particularly been that fond of — Belgian Stouts. Now, I’m [...]
