Brewer : Founders Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Imperial Stout
ABV : 8.3%
Well today started off incredibly wrong. I got up to head to the gym and got caught for making an illegal left hand turn. There is something incredibly humbling about getting caught for something that made you think "I know this is illegal, but I'm gonna do it anyway". We can never beat the system, no matter how hard we try it always catches up with us in the end. That being said, this beer makes me happy beyond belief.
I had this bad boy from Founders about a year or so ago, before I got into blogging, but I just recently acquired this one as an extra in a trade. This could be one of my favorite dark beers to date (as of now that title is held by the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter by the guys at The Funky Buddha).
The pour is extremely dark with a big big fluffy head. The aroma is full of coffee beans, chocolate, and malts, needless to say, it's very inviting. The flavors mixed together are just a match made in heaven. Beside the coffee and chocolate flavors I got a little bit of milky lactose and possibly a little bit of vanilla. The ABV is masked incredibly well, but I probably wouldn't want to drink more then 2 of these. It will fill you up to the brim, so enjoy it after dinner.
Grade A+
Song of the Day : Bright Eyes -- Bowl of Oranges
Brewer : Troegs Brewing Co. (Pennsylvania)
Style : Sweet Stout
ABV : 6.7%
Friday is finally here people. What a glorious day to kick back and enjoy a good craft beer, after all the hard work is done and the clock strikes 5pm of course. This Friday, for me, feels like I have the day off, for one reason. I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn at 5:45am to hit the gym before class, which lasts for close to 4 hours. What was I thinking signing up for an oceanography class that early in the morning. But any who, I'm rested and ready to tackle the day.
This beer from Troegs was one that I didn't know anything about. I did a little bit of research on Beer Advocate and found out that it was a sweet stout, so I figured it would be right up my alley.
The pour was extremely black and thick. It had a tiny little brown head to it, with a just a wee bit of carbonation. The aroma was pretty sweet with hints of chocolate and brown sugar. The flavor was on the sweet side as well, definitely an after dinner drink. Sort of a milky lactose taste to it, but with a nice malt backing. Sort of reminded me a little bit of milk chocolate I use to make as a kid.
Overall the taste was great, but I've had plenty of sweet stouts in my time with plenty more to offer in the character department. Not to trash this one at all, but it didn't really wow me out of my seat. But it's definitely worth a try if you get a chance to try it.
Grade B
Brewer : Short's Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Fruit Beer
ABV : 9%
Gotta love Short's from Michigan. Everything that I've tasted from them, with the exception of maybe one beer, has pretty much blown me away. So how does this one match up?
Well this one was pretty much brewed for the ladies, but as a craft beer drinker, and a lover a everything Short's, I fall into the demographic and can proudly consume every drop of this beer.
This would be a great beer for any female who is curious about trying craft beer but is still enjoys sipping her wine.
This beer has a good amount of fruitiness to it. I can't pin point one exact type of fruit, but if I had to name a few I'd go out on a limb here and say a mix between orange,cherry, and apple. I couldn't believe the ABV was clocked in at 9% because this son of a gun drank like nothing. It went down very easy and had a dry finish, very much like a wine. The color, which was a little reddish, even looked like a fruit wine. Just pour this into a glass and don't tell her what it is, I'm sure she'll love it.
Grade B
Song of the Day : MetallicA --- Orion Live in Korea
Brewer : Goose Island (Chicago)
Style : Imperial Stout
ABV : 13%
I had the pleasure of having two great beers over the weekend. One was Funky Buddha's Last Snow, which will be reviewed by my good buddy The Ferm , and the other was this beauty of a beer from Goose Island called Bourbon County Coffee Stout, which came curtsy of The Ferm.
Not only was this beer amazing but it happened to be my #900 rated beer. Yet again another feather in my proverbial drinking cap. I have a feeling though that reaching #1000 will be pretty easy within the next few weeks because Cigar City's Hunaphu release, which is happening on March 12, and from what I've been told it is a straight up shit show. I'll be sure to have a full report on that after me and my liver recover.
This baby has a dark dark pour, engine oil dark, if you know what I mean. It had a little brown head to it, which always makes me happy, because I know there is still some carbonation happening in this beer. The aroma was straight up coffee and booze. A good amount of bourbon boozieness going on here. Lucky for me I had the help of my brother and buddy Pat to share the bottle with. The aromas carried over a lot into the flavors, boozy and coffee, with hints of dark bitter chocolate and malts. I could have sipped on this baby all night, if only my liver were made of cast iron. A man can dream though.
Thanks again to the Ferm for being so generous and supplying me with this bottle. Hunaphu should be killer my friend. One for the books.
Grade A+
Song of the Day : Avenged Sevenfold -- Dear God
Brewer : Cisco Brewers (Nantucket)
Style : Sour/Wild
ABV : 6.7%
Let's keep this sour ball rolling shall we. This sour obsession is turning out to be what my imperial stout hook looked like a few months ago, but the Mikkeller thing is never going away, the guy just keeps coming up with more and more things every day.
This one was a little bit different then the Oude Gueuze I had consumed earlier that day.
This wasn't as pungent in the aroma, but definitely had some great qualities to it.
Reading up on this beer I found out that it was aged for 10 months on sour cherries and after tasting it I can definitely see that. It was as if I bit into a cherry. My cheeks puckered and the finish left my mouth a little dry, as most sours tend to do. The color was more on the red side, slightly cloudy and hazy with no foam to speak of. The carbonation seemed a little low but that didn't hold back on the flavor attack.
It was another extremely great sour and I can't wait to crack open another sour from Cisco.
Grade A
I was playing cards and drinking at the same time, not always the best decision when your trying to make money.
Song of the Day: MetallicA -- Suicide and Redemption
Brewer : Hanssens (Belgium)
Style : Gueuze/Lambic
ABV : 6%
For those of you who stumble across this silly little beer blog and have no idea what I'm talking about when I use the word "gueuze" let me take a minute to explain.
Gueuze is a blend of young and old lambic. The yeasts are rejuvenated and carbonation ensues. The old lambic is more refined in character and helps take some of the edge off of the young lambic. The hops used are old, and act only as a preservative, so hop character is not a part of the style. The wild yeasts not only ferment and sour the beer, but they bring the funky, unpredictable flavours that characterize all lambic beers. A quality gueuze will be blended to eliminate some of the less desirable flavours. Above all else, a gueuze should be sour and very complex. The best examples are the most complex beers in the world, and put most champagnes to shame as well. The finish should be bone dry.
This definition was taken from the Ratebeer site, not straight from my head. I'm no beer geek by any means.
I can't say that I've gone to a beer store with the intentions of buying one of these tasty drinks, but I was on a mission to pick up a bunch of sour beers this Saturday and I wanted to throw a little something different into the mix. I'm glad that I did.
This was a pretty intense, sour, funky beer (if you can even call it that). It has a lot of fruity qualities and a lot of sour qualities as well. The funky sour taste was intense, making my cheeks pucker with each sip, and the tangy fruit flavors had me coming back for more. I wasn't sharing this one with anybody, plus no one I was with could probably stomach it. I'll be touching this style of gueuze again for sure.
Grade A
Song of the Day : Brad Paisley---Cliffs of Rock City
Brewer : Stone Brewing Co. (California)
Style : Imperial Stout
ABV : 9.2%
I do some pretty dumb things sometimes, I mean come on, we all do. Looking back on my decisions this past weekend, which is when I consume all my beer for the following weeks reviews, I made some great decisions and some pretty dumb ones to add to it.
Starting off with the good. Getting this bottle in a trade for some Cigar City stuff, which ones I can't really recall, was a great find and I deserve a pat on the back for it. But the decision to consume the whole bomber by myself, with the exception of the taster sip from my girlfriend and her sister, was pretty stupid in retrospect.
I mean this beer is delicious, probably too good, but it's a meal within itself. Now I'm use to drinking my meals once or twice a day, I normally eat on the run and like to keep my slim girlish figure, but this was just redonkulous (proper spelling?) The bitter chocolate flavor was just all over the place, not to mention the oatmeal as well. In the flavor, the aroma, everywhere, you can't escape it. It poured really thick, like oil, deep black jet oil. I instantly knew I should have saved this for a proper tasting event of some sort, but I dove in head first and made the most of it.
If I had done my homework I would have skipped dinner, which was a combo of hamburgers, ribs, and other meaty products, and went straight for dessert, this beer being it. After consuming all that meat and then drinking this beer...ah, it was the final nail in my coffin. I was out like a light.
But I really loved it, and would probably do it again.
Grade A+
Song of the Day: Blue Oyster Cult---Burning For You
Brewer : Cigar City (Tampa)
Style : Sour Ale
ABV : 10%
Well, I had the grand chance to escape the clutter and confusion of South Florida for the weekend, so what better way to escape then to travel up to Daytona where my "other" family resides. It's actually Kim's family, but I consider them family. I always count on two things happening when I travel up that way. 1. Consuming alcohol and food in gross amounts and 2. making a beer haul from Knightly Spirits in Orlando.
I was especially excited about this trip because before leaving I got word that they received a shipment of Vuja De, Cigar City's collaboration beer with Saint Somewhere. I didn't make it up to the Jupiter Craft Beer fest this year and I heard that Cigar City was pouring this beer, among other delicious brews which I will have to sniff out in the coming months, so I was pretty jazzed about getting this one.
This being a sour beer I was more then excited, but also a little hesitant drinking the whole bomber by myself, which I knew I was gonna have to do. No one in the Daytona extended family seems to like the sours, as of yet, but I'm working on it. The pour was dark and brownish. Slightly hazy and cloudy with a thick bubbly head. It had a good amount of lacing left around the rim of the glass, spotty and a tad bit oily. The aroma was quite pungent and strong to say the least. I was expecting a good amount of that sour funk that I'm use to from sours, which I got, but it almost seemed a little acidic as well. I could tell this would be no daunting task. The flavor was a tad boozy with hints of cherries, lemon zest with an acidic kick to it.
I was a little wrecked at this point in the night, but I decided to man up and finish the whole bomber. Probably not a great decision because I woke up with a headache the next morning (first time in a long time). Did I enjoy the beer?
Yes and no. The sour experience was great, but I should have waited to open it for two reasons.
1. To let it mellow out a bit. It delivers quite a punch
2. I didn't have anyone to share the bottle with, hence the headache the next morning.
Oh well, you live and learn, but this was a great beer and I'm glad I snagged two bottles of it.
Grade A
Song of the Day: John 5 -- Welcome To The Jungle
Brewer : Dark Horse Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Sweet Stout
ABV : 7%
I just can't seem to get away from these beers from Michigan, they're all just so good. Some day I'm gonna have to make a trip up that way and do a little exploring for myself.
I pulled this one out of the cellar for a certain, and not just because I was craving a stout. This stout in particular has blueberries in it. Why is that so special? Well earlier on that day I was having an early dinner with my girlfriend Kim, her sister Kiki (answers to Christie, but I only know her by that name), and my buddy Pat. We were eating some BBQ at Texas Hold Em BBQ, which has a pretty good craft beer selection, and Kiki wanted a "fruity" beer. I suggested a Magic Hat #9, but she didn't seem to like that. Long story short she opted for a Heini Light, but I was determined to find her a good fruity beer. I know that she loves Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat, but that has since been removed from the South Florida market for reasons unbenounced to me. We met back at my place for a few more drinks and I decided to pick up a six pack of Blue Paw for her to try. She described the beer as tasting like blueberry pancakes. I then let her taste some of my Dark Horse Tres, to which she replied. "This is like blueberry pancakes, but with syrup on top".
I guess her short description of Dark Horse Tres pretty much summed up this beer in one sentence. It is extremely dark and syrupy. Sweet aroma of chocolate and malts with a good amount of blueberry backing. The flavor is sweet as well, just like pancakes with syrup. I probably couldn't see myself drinking more then one of these though as the sweetness could probably beat my palate into submission.
Needless to say though I really enjoyed this tasty, after dinner beverage. Most definitely a desert beer.
Grade A
Song of the Day : John Denver : Thank God I'm a Country Boy (RIP John)
Brewer : Arbor Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Wild/Sour Ale
ABV : ?
My first big kick into craft beer was DIPA, then it was imperial stouts, now I'm on a sour/wild kick. Since I'm a brand new sour head I just reach for about any sour/wild I can find. That goes without saying that some will be good some will be bad. Most of the sours that I've tried so for, Seabass, Cable Car, have been great but I just came across my first bad sour. Well not bad, but I probably wouldn't get it again, given a sour option.
I made a trade for a few beers, including this one. This one was a sour red ale, so I was expecting a reddish tint to it, and that's what I got. The appearance was sort of hazy and cloudy, no real lacing to speak of though. The aroma had a tad bit of a sour funk to it, but it was pretty bland. The flavor was a little better then the aroma. Had hints of cherries and a slight tartness to it. That being said, I can't really say too much more then that. It was a good experience to try something new, as always.
Grade C
Song of the Day : Children of Bodom--Bodom Beach Terror
Brewer : Short's Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Belgian Strong Ale
ABV : 7%
After my long hard move on Saturday I was totally beat and needed to unwind with a beer. I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for but my experiences with Short's as always been great. Knowing that I had a few new ones in my fridge I grabbed the first one I saw.
This one seemed like a promising, delicious brew. The commercial description says that it's brewed with honey and apple cider. That seems like a winning combo to me. Sounds like something I might have drank when I was a toddler, however.....
The color is dark goldish brown, slightly hazy and cloudy. The aroma does have the honey, apple zest to it, but the combo didn't really impress me all that much. It just seemed somewhat unbalanced and strange. The flavor had that sweet honey touch to it, but that was about it. The body was pretty light, even though this clocked in at 7% ABV.
I just wasn't super impressed by this one, but then again I have 5 more Short's in my fridge to change my mind, or refresh my palate in the future. This beer was a Good Samaritan, but definitely not the best.
Grade C+
Song of the Day: Nonpoint---Double Stakked
Alright people I know that I've really been slacking on the updates and reviews but I have good reason. I just moved into a new place, as of a yesterday, and I just got my internet working. So sometime this week, hopefully Monday I'll be back with my reviews and get the ball rolling again.
Cheers,
Casey
Brewer : Short's Brewing Co. (Michigan)
Style : Barley Wine
ABV : 11%
Time for another quick review before I have to run out the door.
Short's, from Bellaire, MI, makes some incredible beers. If you follow, or track down their beers, you've probably heard of their famous Key Lime Pie beer. I mean come on, how could someone not want to try that? Beer lover or not that just sounds tasty. I love beer and love desert (as a kid, not so much anymore, because I want to keep my slim girlish figure) so it would only be nature to want to combine the two. But unfortunately I haven't been able to try this one yet, but rest assured that I will hunt this one down and beat it to the ground.
OK, I've lost my train of thought. On with this beer, The Wizard.
The commercial description about this beer says that it's brewed with raisins and boiled for 6 hours and 66 minutes. I'm no math wizard here, no pun intended, but wouldn't that make it a boil of 7 hours and 6 minutes. But I see where they are going with this. Keep the evil factor involved and the people will eat it up. I don't worship the dark lord, even though I have a bottle of one, but like gimmicks like this keep me interested in beer and it's good for a laugh or two.
The beer itself is loaded with barley flavor. Mostly malts and barley prevail but you do get those raisins as well. The ABV was a tad high, not that I'm a wimp or nothing, but it made for quite a boozy drink. I found myself taking smaller sips then normal and cleaning my palate in between with a cracker here and there. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but I'm not the biggest fan of barely wines. I suppose I just haven't been totally knocked off my feet by one yet.
Grade B
Song of the Day : MetallicA --Mercyful Fate Medley (Evil, just like this beer)
Brewer : White Birch Brewing (New Hampshire)
Style : Imperial Stout
ABV : 11.6%
OK, another busy day, but I've got a few minutes, so let's knock out another review.
I've heard some piss poor things about White Birch and have actually tasted one of their beers before. I believe it was their Oak Aged Tripel that I had at The Funky Buddha for a tasting, and that thing was just an utter disgrace. So needless to say I was a little bit hesitant to try another beer from them, but I went with my better judgment and decided to make a trade for a bottle of the Natasha imperial stout.
This was a super dark imperial stout. Big foamy head with an off brown color to it. So far, it looks good. The aroma had a good bit of smokey qualities, sort of woody with malts and dark chocolate. Again, so far so good. The flavor was also smokey and chocolaty. The flavor was a tad bit heavy but lucky for me I had my brother here to help me finish the bomber.
Was it good? Yeah it was a pretty solid imperial stout,
but I wasn't expecting all that smoke in the aroma and flavor, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Maybe their beers aren't that bad, but it will take more then just 2 to make a good proper judgment.
Grade A
Song of the Day : Chet Atkins -- The Entertainer (check out that shirt)
