529. Great Divide 15th-18th Anniversary Wood Aged DIPA

Obviously, we’ve been sitting on these for a while—just a touch over three years, to be precise. But it is small verticals of beers like these that make cellaring an enjoyable and fruitful endeavor. As those of you who are avid readers know, we’re partial to Great Divide, although that partiality may have waned a bit. Nonetheless, this collection of beers was an excellent addition to the Great Divide beers we’ve experienced in the past: Grand Cru, Yeti ’08-’10, Smoked Baltic Porter, 16th Anniversary Wood Aged DIPA, Hercules DIPA, Wild Raspberry Ale, Hibernation, Samurai Rice, Hoss, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Fresh Hop, Double Wit, 15th Anniversary DIPA, and Denver Pale Ale. Dag. We’re getting up there.

Described on all four of the bottles as “quintessential” and “commemorative,” 15th-18th Anniversary Wood Aged DIPAs all pour a similar shade of tan and caramel—except for the bottle of 16th, which was notably lighter colored. Clarity also varied; all were pretty good, but 18th was stunningly clear, while the rest had different levels of slight hazing. All were squarely in the Great Divide family of beers, with a depth of malt flavor and body that supported the other components of the beer. I’m pretty certain I’ve said this in the past, but it bears repeating: the malt character of these strikes me as more British than American. And since we’ve tried some of these before (a while ago, admittedly), I’m going to focus mainly on the differences in flavor and mouthfeel—the color run down above pretty much sums it up.

15th Anniversary, bottled on June 29, 2009: Surprisingly, this one still had a fair amount of hop character to it—we could taste the pine and evergreen, although the bitterness was more hidden by the body. There was also a fair amount of oak still present, albeit it balanced by the chewy malt character—one of my notes calls it “chewy wood.” Some slight oxidized sherry and paper flavors were present as the beer warmed, but in a complementary manner. The vanilla flavors balanced well with the body, and the mouthfeel was creamy, rounded, and smooth. There was some lingering tannic bite still in the finish, along with a touch of warmth, although it was at this point low and very even and smooth. Age had served this beer well; the hop flavor, though, was something of a surprise here.

16th Anniversary, bottled on June 25, 2010: The lighter color corresponded with a different malt character—there was more butterscotch and caramel, although the beer had a chewy mouthfeel like the rest of them. There was less alcohol warmth than the rest—this one was by far the smoothest and cleanest of the group. The tannic oak character and bite was there in the finish, but it also dried the tongue and palate. There were less oxidized sherry notes, and less oak as a whole, apart from the tannic presence in the finish. I’d call this beer better and more approachable than the 15th—it is more even, cleaner, and has more depth and subtlety.

17th Anniversary, bottled on March 29, 2011: The oak flavor tasted younger, sharper, and more aggressive in this beer—the tannic bite was still a bit much. There was not much in the way of vanilla from the oak, which was somewhat surprising. You could also smell the creamy bitterness in the nose, and taste it more clearly in the body of the beer. As well, the alcohol heat was more pronounced than the last two, which is not surprising, given the age, but the contrast between this and 16th, which had less alcohol presence than 15th, made the effect more pronounced. With warmth, the evergreen hop flavors emerged more explicitly, pushing the previously noted bitter flavors. Besides the chewy malt, the creamy, rounded mouthfeel stood out in this beer in relation to the other components. With warmth, there was better balance achieved between malt chewiness and alcohol flavor—this one came on at the end.

18th Anniversary, bottled on March 21, 2012: The chewy malt character of this version featured rich caramel flavors. As well, the oak tasted even younger and greener than in 17th; there was a touch of vanilla—which was missing in 17th—and tannic bite and tang. The alcohol was hotter and younger tasting, and there was more warmth on the tongue than any of the previous beers. As the beer warmed, pine and evergreen hop flavors became much more apparent, the last portion of the bottle, which had some yeast dregs, further accentuated the hop flavors.

Several of the distinctions drawn above were mainly apparent from trying the beers next to one another—I’m certain the oak character of 17th and 18th wouldn’t have seemed as aggressive if they weren’t being directly compared to the smoothness (or absence) of the other two. And the same goes for alcohol warmth and flavor—the smoothness of 15th and the even smoother 16th made the distinctions that much more evident in comparison. As well, the malt flavor and character in all four continued to round and get chewier as the beers warmed, although not always with the exact same results, and evergreen and pine hop flavor also emerged with warmth. I’m still not sure which of the four I liked the best, although I do know that 18th needs more time. The cleanness and smoothness of 16th was its strength, but I liked the slightly bolder oak and hop flavors of 15th, and as noted above, once 17th warmed up, it became a completely different—and much better—beer. I’m not sure it completely turned the corner in comparison, but choosing between 15th and 16th would require favoring one distinct set of characteristics over another—they are, I think it safe to say, that different of beers at this point. I’m pretty sure the vast majority of those sampling would give the nod to 16th—I know Elli does—but I’m going to take the higher (and by that I mean lamer) road and abstain from choosing.

From the bottle: “Based on our award-winning beer, Denver Pale Ale, this copper-hued treat is a celebration of everything Great Divide does best. Plenty of malty sweetness provides a backdrop for earthy, floral English and American hops, while French and American oak round off the edges and provide a touch of vanilla. Thanks to everyone who’s supported us for the last 15-18 years—here’s to 15-18 more!"

ABV: 10.0%

P.S. Oh, and Jeffrey, when it comes to beer, I’m hard pour.

(8/9/2012)

433. Alaskan Double Black IPA

Another non-porter beer from Alaskan Brewing Company; this one is part of their Pilot Series, which is their Limited Edition Specialty Series—the same one that their Baltic Porter is from. Previously, we’ve tried Amber, Baltic Porter and Smoked Porter, making this our fourth beer from ABC.

Double Black IPA pours a deep rich chocolate; in the glass it looks black, but when tilted you can see that it is really more of a dark chocolate. The head is a burnt cream that is initially creamy, but quickly reduces to a ring with an island left in the middle—we’ll call it the Island of Burnt Cream, which is like the Island of Dr. Moreau, only with the animals turned into desserts and tasty alcoholic beverages. Ah, to find that island. Aromas revolve around roasted malt, chocolate, and spicy hop bitterness—the roasted malt and chocolate cancel out most of the hop aromas (we’re assuming that there are hops, since we can taste the bitterness), leaving just the spicy component. All three components blend nicely in the nose, but it smells more like a stout than an IPA. Flavors open with caramel sweetness and roasted malt; the middle dries out and is bitter with chocolate. There is a light return of caramel sweetness and roastiness in the finish coupled with a bit of creaminess and dryness, ending with a light touch of chalkiness. With a medium body and a medium carbonation, Double Black IPA is smooth and even; the roastiness and bitterness mix well together. While we’re sticking with the “it’s not so much an IPA,” it is still a delicious and tasty beer that gets better as it warms—the chocolate and roastiness merge better with the bitterness than at the beginning, and the body opens up on the palate. I just wish we could find some more of that Baltic Porter...

From the Alaskan website: “Alaskan Double Black IPA is a combination of traditional beer styles, with a flavor profile most similar to an Imperial IPA and the dark black color, rich flavor and light chocolate head usually found in heartier stouts and porters. The aroma of Alaskan Double Black IPA consists of fresh, citrus notes from Northwest hops and the heavy, dry bouquet of roasted grains. Brewed with an array of dark malts, Alaskan Double Black IPA features the distinctive flavors of coffee and bitter chocolate with a subtle toasted sweetness. Large hop additions late in the boil, and dry-hopping after fermentation, lighten and refresh the overall perception and flavor of the beer. It finishes with a dry palate and lingering warmth and bitterness. The Black IPA, also called ‘Cascadian Dark Ale’ or ‘American-style India Black Ale,’ is a relative newcomer to the craft beer world. We may not know what to call it yet, but we do know it’s dark and it’s hoppy and we can't get enough of it.”

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: 70

OG: 1.087

(11/24/2010)

420. Brooklyn Detonation Double IPA

I scored this at the Party Source in Newport, KY; we swung by there after Oktoberbest yesterday and I couldn’t say no—Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Series on tap? Hello, that’s why growlers were invented! Previously, we’ve tried Brooklyn Katz, Summer Ale, Sorachi Ace, Black Ops 2010, East India Pale Ale and Pennant Ale ’55. That makes Detonation lucky number 7. True that.

Pouring a hazy rich and bright copper, Detonation has a thin ivory head that hangs around—it rings the glass, but still has a light cover even half way through the glass. The nose is spicy and piney with some citrus underneath; there is a fair amount of sweet maltiness to balance the hop presence, and a gentle soft creamy aroma that rounds things out. Once it is in the mouth, soft biscuit sweetness covers the tongue followed quickly by an evergreen and citrus hop tang that envelopes the mouth. As the hop flavors recede, a pleasant bitterness emerges, balancing well with the creamy biscuit malt flavors and the mineral tang that rises with the carbonation bite as the beer turns to the finish. Resin, pine, and spicy hop flavor makes up the finish, although there is a touch of citrus—lemon, orange, and grapefruit—adding their zing to the beer. There is a long, lingering bitterness as the flavors recede, and just a touch of alcohol warmth. With a medium to heavy body and a medium carbonation, Detonation has chewy mouthfeel made lighter by both the hop bitterness and carbonation. There is a bit of hop grassiness and sharpness that develops in the beer as it warms; while there are some of the hallmarks of a bigger beer—heavier mouthfeel, large hop presence, and the alcohol warmth at the end—Detonation goes down smooth and easy. If I was out and found this on tap, I could easily see me getting myself in trouble. But my behavior (or lack thereof) is not the point here—it is, rather, the beer. And Detonation is just about perfect for that lazy Sunday afternoon, out on the back porch enjoying one of the last waning days of summer, the bite of fall already creeping into the early evening. Detonation takes the chill off, or, to put it into a metaphoric construction more in keeping with the name, Detonation is droppin’ bombs on your moms.

From the Brooklyn website: “For about eight years now, we’ve brewed a Brooklyn-style hop monster called BLAST! It’s a robust IPA using both British and Pacific Northwest hops. We haven’t had enough space to brew much of it, but we hear that people really enjoy BLAST! when it shows up. And it’s one of our favorite beers here at the brewery. Well, now we’d like more of you to see our hoppier side. Meet BLAST!’s big brother, Brooklyn Detonation Ale. It’s a copper-colored pale ale with British malt character, American hop ebullience, Brooklyn attitude and disturbing drinkability. British caramel malts lend richness and depth, while a blend of American hops give the beer a minerally backbone and explosive aromatics (with a special guest appearance by our pal East Kent Golding as ‘The English Aristocrat’). Brooklyn Detonation Ale is mighty tasty. It probably even gives you fresher breath and whiter teeth, but we can’t prove that part. Nor can we support the claim that it concentrates the mind on life’s better aspects. However, we can guarantee that it’s terrific with pork tacos, Thai food, Indian dishes, burgers, and sharp cheeses. So have yourself some Brooklyn Detonation Ale–after all, isn’t it about time you blew up?”

Malts: British floor malted Maris Otter, German pilsner malt, British crystal malt

Other sugars: First pressing Demerara sugar, Mauritius

Hops: Willamette, Amarillo, Palisade, Sorachi Ace, Simcoe, Cascade & East Kent Golding

O.G.: 21.5° P

ABV: 10.2%

You check out that crazy fool the English Aristocrat? Yo, that’s who’s dropping those bombs on your moms...

(10/17/2010)

410. Bell’s The Oracle DIPA

Another oddity and rarity from Bell’s; this was one of Belmont Party Supply’s special releases for Dayton Beer Week (I believe it was Friday). So I sat on it for a week or two. So sue me. This is also the beer that makes it a full baker’s dozen from Bell’s: we’ve tried Oarsman, Bourbon Barrel Hell Hath No Fury Ale, Batch 9000, Hopslam, Cherry Stout, Sparkling Ale, Winter White, Christmas Ale, Third Coast, Oberon, Octoberfest, and Two Hearted. I told you it wouldn’t take us long...

The Oracle pours a clear caramel copper with a light ivory head that leaves more lacing on the glass than one would initially suspect. The nose is very hoppy, with spicy, resin, pine, and evergreen dominating, and there is also some fruitiness buried in the back—primarily apple and pear—and some caramel malt. The apple and pear in the nose disappears rather quickly, leaving the hoppiness to run rampant. The Oracle opens with a dry caramel sweetness that is quickly overtaken by hop flavor, even in the front—spicy and resin hop flavors quickly come in on the caramel, and run into the bitterness of the middle. There is a fair amount of pine and evergreen hop flavor that comes out in the middle along with the bitterness, with both the spicy and resin flavors carrying over from the front and running on into the finish. The finish has a small amount of malt sweetness that re-emerges in the finish—more candy than caramel—that works well with the spicy bitterness that lingers on the palate. There is a bit of grassiness, but it works well overall with the beer—nothing distracting. The medium to heavy body easily hides the higher alcohol content—there is only a slight touch of warmth at the end, and even that could still be from the hops—while the carbonation is medium. Along with the hops, the carbonation helps dry out the beer and get it to finish smooth on the palate. The Oracle has a different hop profile than most Bell’s beers—spicier and with more resin and pine than either Hop Slam or Two Hearted. Nonetheless, an excellent and well-balanced beer that makes for smooth and easy drinking. Probably too easy, which is another way of saying this beer will bite you in the ass if you’re not careful. But damn good drinking.

From the bottle: “A double IPA that is sure to make you as all-knowing as Pythia. It’s just a matter of interpretation.”

From the Bell’s website: “Our take on the West Coast-style Double India Pale Ale, The Oracle places hop intensity first & foremost, making only the slightest concession to malt & balance. The fireworks start with the floral aromatic punch of two separate dry-hop sessions with Amarillo and NZ Pacific Jade. Resinous, citrusy hop flavors mixed with aggressive bitterness from a massive kettle addition deliver on that aromatic promise.”

ABV: 10.0%
OG: 1.088

Batch Number: 9901

(9/7/2010)

381. Great Divide 16th Anniversary Wood Aged DIPA

And just like that, we’re rolling through the latest versions of anniversary beers we drank last year. Thank you, time, for continuing to march on and make me feel old. Having made a rather solid run at Great Divide last year (we ran through ten different beers last year, including Hercules DIPA, Wild Raspberry Ale, Hibernation, Samurai Rice, Hoss, Oak Aged Yeti, Fresh Hop, Double Wit, 15th Anniversary DIPA, and Denver Pale Ale, making this beer number eleven), we’re been reduced to the likes of anniversary beers. I guess we could plumb the depths of all of the various Yetis, but we haven’t been quite reduced to that yet. Big yet.

16th Anniversary DIPA is a soft, orange caramel that is clear but lightly hazy; the nose is caramel, toffee, & butter—this has all of the opening hallmarks of a British-style beer. Flavors pick up where the nose left off—the front is caramel and toffee sweetness coupled with dry biscuit malt and a healthy helping of buttery-ness. The middle is creamy with a slight bitterness—and I do mean super slight—that does increase with warmth, but is still very mild on the palate, and there are no readily discernable hop flavors to be found. The finish is rather dry, which is helped out by the oak and acorn flavors that emerge to close out the beer. 16th Anniversary DIPA has a soft, chewy, creamy, buttery mouthfeel, although there is some dryness via the oak—cut the doughy-ness out of a mouthful of bread dough made with acorns, and there you go—with a medium to heavy body. There is no boozy or alcohol flavors, but it could use more hop flavor and bitterness to better fit the IPA part of the DIPA. While this beer is very English, the lack of a hop presence leaves this beer bordering on being an English barley wine. The big toffee and creamy butter across the profile is a bit off-putting; it is good, but not stellar. And it certainly ain’t no 15th Anniversary Wood Aged DIPA. Maybe it will get better with age, but as it currently stands, color me disappointed.

From the Great Divide website: “This copper-hued treat is a celebration of everything Great Divide does best. Plenty of malty sweetness provides a backdrop for earthy, floral English and American hops, while French and American oak round off the edges and provide a touch of vanilla. Thanks to everyone who’s supported us for the last 16 years - here’s to 16 more!”

ABV: 10.0%

(7/16/2010)

369. Two Brothers Hop Juice DIPA

“We squeeze to please.”
Calm down, you perverted Mr. Whipple...

Happy Birthday, America, you beautiful contentious bastard.

Our eighth beer from Two Brothers. The list includes Long Haul Session Ale, Resistance IPA, Domaine DuPage, Bitter End, Heavier-Handed, Moaten, and Cane & Ebel. And of course, we can now add Hop Juice to that list. And, as normal, Two Brothers delivers, although this beer might not quite be the “hop blast” the label declares. Oh well. Still delicious and excellent. Get down with your bad self, Two Brothers.

Hop Juice pours bright and fizzy with a refreshing hop nose emerging as soon as we cracked the bottle. With an orangish copper color and an ivory tan head, Hop Juice starts out strong in our book, and the nose keeps it going: bright hop aroma with a sticky resin and pine dominating, and a biscuit and caramel malt backbone that has a touch of creaminess to round things out. Our mouths like it too; beginning with a sweet but subdued caramel and a bit of spiciness, Hop Juice moves into a bitter middle that maintains some of the drier malt flavors while also showcasing some of the resin and pine hop flavors found in the nose, along with a good dose of hop spiciness that spikes right with the bite of the carbonation. The finish is rather clean for the size of the beer—the bitterness from the middle carries through to the end, and some of it does linger (rather softly and pleasantly, might we add), but a return of some of the biscuit and caramel rounds the finish a bit. Hop Juice has a medium body with a creamy, light, but also chewy mouthfeel—the chewiness is lighter, though—think lighter scone, not hearty sourdough. The carbonation is medium with some bite, and some drying that is mirrored (well, and overcome, most likely) by the hops. There is a good hop tang and bite on the tongue, and a limited amount of grassiness, which is nice. As it warms, we do detect a touch of alcohol bite and flavor at the end, but the hop bitterness does cover it over quite well. Hop Juice is a delicious beer overall; there is enough malt to balance out the hops, but not enough to make it cloying or sticky on the palate, and a good range of flavors. Or, in other words, damn fine drinking.

From the bottle: “Hop Juice is one of a series of special limited-run beers in styles that are more extreme or unusual. This one is a real hop blast, dripping with the resiny soul of fresh Northwest hops. Don’t come crying to us if it’s too much for you; this one’s for hopheads only! And get it now, ’cause when it’s gone, it’s gone. Boo hoo.”

From the Two Brothers website: “Hop Juice is a powerful Imperial IPA. It is brewed to 9.9% ABV, 100.1 IBU's, and dry hopped with a pound of hops per barrel. Hop Juice has a very strong aroma of pine and citrus. This hefty beer is balanced at the start with some nice caramel and brown sugar notes. Then it has a massive hop flavor and bitterness with some complex fruity characters.”

From the website of a random dude I found: “Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this bottle of Hop Juice. I preface that way because I’m about to be somewhat unfair. If there’s a ‘hop blast’ with this beer, it lasts no longer than the first fleeting sip. It boasts a 100.1 IBU rating that seems more a product of theoretical math than actual analysis (when adding hops to beer, 2 + 2 can equal far less than 4). But even if we take that rating at face value, the sweet caramel malt is so strong that it effectively negates the strength or pervasiveness of hop flavor. ‘Hopheads only?’ Not at all — in fact, junior apprentice hop heads are strongly encouraged to apply! BUT THAT’S OKAY! This is a good beer! I really enjoy the flavor; in particular, I love the way its piney hops mingle with and lend a spicy accent to the sweet, vanilla malt. In fact, caramel malt is the real shining star here! I’ve experienced plenty of crystal/caramel malt during my one-a-day challenge, but none of those beers had a vanilla aroma or taste that entranced me quite like Hop Juice. Hop Juice filled the bulb of a tulip glass with a deep amber beer topped by a band of off-white, not-quite-tan foam. The sweet vanilla and brown sugar aroma that wafted from the glass was decadent and delicious — even my hop-hating wife agreed to its allure. I was quite surprised that the aroma contained only the slightest hint of spicy hops. (Now that I mention my wife, I realize why I may like this aroma so much: it reminds me of a scented moisturizer she used when we first began dating, called ‘Warm Vanilla Sugar.’) After such a sweet aroma, the hops do take you by suprise with the first sip. They are oily, piney, and cut through with citrus — but the sweet crystal malt subdues them quickly and dominates the remainder of the experience. The hops become a supporting player, adding depth and spice to the strong, dessert-like quality of the malt. Combined with the luscious and silky mouthfeel, Hop Juice’s spicy vanilla and brown sugar flavors create a thoroughly satisfying experience.”

I like that he connects Hop Juice to his wife’s scented moisturizer. Damn, that’s some dedication to beer.

ABV: 9.9%
IBU: 100.1 (we’re not sure what that extra 1/10 of one percent does, but we’re impressed)

(7/4/2010)

337. Russian River Pliny the Elder

Two in a row from Russian River—I call that a good couple of days. Nothing says enjoyable drinking like doubling up on the beer equivalent of Norm from Cheers. Yes, Russian River, sometimes we want to go where everybody knows our name...

Pliny the Elder pours a lightly hazy gold with a crisp white head that slowly rings the glass. Nice hoppy nose—there is mainly spicy pine at the beginning, mixed with earthy aromas, and bready and/or biscuit malt rounding things out. Flavor-wise, Pliny has a fresh bready and biscuit opening that moves into a spicy and piney middle and a fair amount of bitterness along with fresh citrus hop flavors. In the late middle there is a slight tobacco and toffee taste that gives Pliny a chewier flavor that runs into the finish. The end is pretty clean and very bright to accompany the lingering bitterness—we’re thinking this is from the freshness of the beer, as the hops really pop on the palate. Pliny the Elder has a medium body with medium carbonation that has a bit of bite at the end; there is only a slight amount of alcohol tang—it is hidden by the hop puckering on the tongue as the beer closes, but there is a small bit of prickling on the back of the throat from the alcohol. Clean and crisp, and ever so delicious, Pliny the Elder is a tasty tasty treat, and the fact that it is super-fresh makes it even better—we’re guessing this is why IPAs and their ilk are always better fresh because those hops are still young and delicious in the bottle. Pliny is certainly the most drinkable DIPA we’ve come across this year; we’ll close by noting that we’re making this one a Top 10 Best Contender.

From the bottle: “Pliny the Elder, born in 23 A.D., was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Pliny, and his contemporaries, created the original botanical name for hops, ‘Lupus Salictarius,’ meaning ‘wolf among scrubs.’ Hops vines at that time grew wild among willows, likened to wolves roaming wild in the forest. Pliny the Elder died in 79 A.D. while saving people during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle’s legacy by documenting much of what his uncle experienced during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This beer is an homage to the man who discovered hops and perished while being a humanitarian.”

ABV: 8.0%
OG: 1.071
Bottled: 5/12/10

(6/2/10)

310. Avery Anniversary Ale Ten (2003)

Tonight was a humdinger of a sampling night; we rolled through a whole buncha fun stuff, so I’m gonna stick to the highlights, since rambling on about the bottle-hopped Two Hearted clone and the couple of other Hefeweizen homebrews we tried would take away space from our two big champions of the evening, Avery Anniversary Ale Ten (2003) and St. Feuillien Brune Belgian Abbey Ale. Elli and I were joined by our friends Jeff Fortney and Jeffery McElfresh for the evening—it was a redux of our night playing Brewmaster, although we didn’t bust that out this evening. For all of the obvious reasons, we've going with the Avery as our beer of the day, since I don’t think another will be coming our way soon.

Avery Anniversary Ale Ten is from Avery Brewing; we’ve previously run through Brabant Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, Ellie’s Brown Ale, 16th Anniversary Ale and duganA IPA, making this our fifth beer from Avery.

Chug it! Chug it!

Bottled in 2003, Avery Anniversary Ale Ten was originally a DIPA, but has since mellowed into something more like a barley wine. Pouring a hazy golden yellow copper with a minimal white head, Avery Anniversary has a minimal white head, but is still decently carbonated. The nose is intriguing and complex; we got creamy and fruit aromas, including yellow raisin, apricot, and orange preserve, a light spicy aroma, which could be the remaining hops, and a soft tobacco aroma. The body, while medium to heavy, is still smooth and has mellowed very nicely with age—there is very little perceptible alcohol flavor or warmth, although a small amount did emerge once the beer warmed to room temperature. The carbonation is medium to low, but still most certainly present in the beer. Avery Anniversary starts with a dry flat maltiness mixed with a bit of sweetness before moving into some spicy hop characteristics in the middle; the finish is dry and clean, although slightly chalky. A very good beer that has aged well, and still has some further life in it, making me wish I had more than just this bottle. Our only real critique would be that there is a slightly disjointed feel between the nose, the flavor profile, and the finish. While it is still very good, the chalky ending is not as exciting a finish as the nose initially indicates. The nose is certainly one of the highlights of this beer—I smelled mine for a long time before I even bothered trying it, and spent a good portion of my time slowly enjoying the subtle aromas this beer presented.

And it’s probably no surprise that there is no description of this beer on the Avery website. Here’s what Beer Advocate has to say, though.

ABV: 10.0%

Here’s another hand full of trouble.

The second victim of our evening was St. Feuillien Brune, which is a Belgian Abbey Ale dubbel from Brasserie St. Feuillien in Le Roeulx, Belgium. Not surprisingly, this is our first beer from St. Feuillien.

Brune sits a caramelly dark copper with red and orange hints in the glass; it has a creamy tan head and a dark fruit nose consisting mostly of raisin and prune with a fair share of accompanying caramel sweetness. The front is mostly a rich sweet caramel flavor, moving into a darker fruit middle with a fig flavor emerging to compliment the raisin and prune of the nose. Brune ends with a lingering rich Belgian candy sweetness; it has a rich chewy mouthfeel with medium carbonation that has some brightness at the end that helps clean up the finish. A very good and drinkable dubbel, although very rich—the proliferation of this term in the review slightly shocked me in the re-reading, but Brune was still certainly enjoyable, and never excessive in its richness. We’ll be checking out St. Feuillien again.

From the St. Feuillien website: “This brown ale has a marked ruby brown colour with a generous and lasting head. It has a distinctive aroma reflecting the wide range of ingredients used in its production. The fruitiness resulting from its fermentation blends harmoniously with a dominant liquorice and caramel flavour.The body is decidedly malty. The bitterness is the result of a complex alchemy between the fine hops and special malts used. These give St-Feuillien Brune a typical dark chocolate appearance. This beer creates an endless variety of sensations with a lingering taste and powerful aroma.”

ABV: 7.5%

(5/6/2010)

287. Nøgne Ø Dobbel India Pale Ale

This beer is a collabo (and yes, I still love that word) between brewmasters Kjetil Jikrun of Nøgne Ø in Grimstad, Norway and Toshio Ishi from YoHo Brewing in Nagano-ken Kitasaga-gun, Japan; it was brewed and bottled at Nøgne Ø.

The color is a cross between amber and copper; the deep rich reddish-hued fluid has an aggressive rocky ivory head that hangs around and paints down the side of the glass. Starting with a lot of caramel malt flavor, a bit of spiciness, and light darker fruit flavors, Dobbel IPA moves into bitterness in the middle before ending with a lighter candy sweetness and some lingering spicy bitterness. There is not much is the way of hop flavor besides the spiciness, and the malt flavor does have some amber ale characteristics to it—deep, thick, and rich with a malt complexity that, while lighter that of the DIPAs we’ve previously had, does have some darker fruit characteristics to it. Dobbel has a medium body with medium carbonation, although there is a decent carbonation bite. There is also some puckering on the tongue and a light astringency from the hops. Enjoyable and interesting, but we did expect a bit more excitement and hop punch; the balance is more towards the malt in this beer, even with the 100 IBUs. It is slightly reminiscent of Rogue’s Cap’n Sig’s Northwestern Ale, which is described as an India Red Ale. We’d be interested to know more of what the brewers’ intentions with this beer were, but since most of the descriptions are in Norwegian or Japanese, we’re not doing so well translating them. We’ll see what their respective websites has to say.

OK, their websites weren’t really helpful either. We’ll let you check out the label and do your own deciphering (you know the game—click on the label to get a larger version). Good luck!

ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 100
OG: 19° P
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, & Crystal
Hops: Millenium, Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo, & Brewers Gold

(4/13/2010)

270. Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree

Another beer from Dark Horse, although this one isn’t a Stout—shocking, I know. Our Dark Horse list thus far includes Plead the 5th, Fore Smoked Stout, Too Cream Stout, One Oatmeal Stout and Crooked Tree IPA. We had this on tap @ the Trolley Stop; they tapped this last night, along with a 1/6th barrel of Burton Baton (I love you, Jason!). That, my friends, was also good drinking. So Elli and I rolled on down to the Trolley for our beer of the day after a tasty dinner at Taqueria Mixteca, which if you don’t know about, then you better learn quick—it’s the best Mexican in Dayton. I had pozole, which is a shredded pork and hominy soup, and Elli had a vegetarian burrito. That plus two horchatas (and of course the complimentary chips and salsa) clocked in at under $15. Delicious, and a bargain. But we’re here to talk about beer...

We got served Double Crooked Tree in a 10 oz. glass; the nose is caramel and malt with low levels of alcohol, accompanied by some piney and spicey hop aromas. As it warms, vanilla and oak begins to emerge, as well as some tannic hints from either the hops or the wood. Pouring a hazy rich copper, Double Crooked Tree has a thin white head that rigns the glass quickly. The beer begins with a rich, sweet caramel malt. There is light vanilla and oak mixed in along the way, created a nuanced, complex beginning. The middle is characterized by hop bitterness and spiciness; as it warms, the bitterness becomes much more pronounced. There is also some alcohol in the middle that runs on into the end, finishing with dry and biscuit malt flavors and lingering spicy bitterness. Double Crooked Tree has a creamy, rich malty mouthfeel; the carbonation is low, but is bright on the palate. There is a good amount of warmth from the alcohol in the middle and the end. A very drinkable beer overall; Double Crooked Tree has a nice balance between malt and hops, and the alcohol is well hidden, especially in a beer so young.

From the Dark Horse website: “Have you read the description for the regular Crooked Tree yet? Well this beer is almost the same just double the flavor and alcohol. We actually took the Crooked Tree recipe and doubled all of the ingredients except the water, just the way a DOUBLE should be made. Big hops balanced with tons of malt give this beer a huge body. Although this beer is as cool as ‘The Fonz’ when first purchased, it gets really mellow and smooth with some age. After a year or two stored in a cool dark place you’ll notice the heavy caramel and malt flavors are trying to sneak past the hops. This beer is hugely delicious so it will need your undivided attention (the chores can wait....trust us).”

ABV: 12.0%

(3/27/2010)

210. Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Another day, another Great Divide. This puts the official tally at 10 for Great Divide, including Wild Raspberry Ale, Hibernation, Samurai Rice, Hoss, Oak Aged Yeti, Fresh Hop, Double Wit, 15th Anniversary DIPA, and Denver Pale Ale.

Hercules has a bready and biscuity malt nose with some faint grassy notes in the background. The color is a dusky copper with a creamy ivory head that laces well down the glass. The malt front is big and pronounced, with caramel and bready sweetness that gives way to hop bitterness and some fruitiness—mostly grape and maybe some raisin. There is also some slight metallic hop flavor in the middle bitterness, along with some grassiness and resiny; while that doesn’t quite perfectly describe it, that is as close as we can come in terms of descriptors. Hercules ends with lingering bitterness and caramel flavor; while it is dry, it is not dry enough to cancel out the sweetness. The body is medium to heavy and a little sticky, with a moderate amount of carbonation and bite. There is some astringency from the volume of hops in the beer, which could also be the source of the metallic-like taste in the middle. While the maltiness balances out the hoppiness, there could be a better fit between the two—the two are not integrated together. Hercules has many of the same profile characteristics as the other members of the Great Divide pale ale family (DPA, Titan, and Fresh Hop), but is not as smooth as its relatives—it is the unruly uncle who breaks shit and storms off during holiday gatherings.

From the bottle: “Hercules Double IPA is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for the gods. Hercules delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile.”

ABV: 10.0%
IBU: 85

(1/26/2010)

198. Hair of Dog Blue Dot Double India Pale Ale

Our second beer from Hair of the Dog—our last was one was Ruth during Thanksgiving with my family. This beer reminds me of why I love the Northwest.

Blue Dot Double India Pale Ale is a tawny gold with a light white head that laces the glass moderately. The nose starts bready with some hop notes—specifically some spicy and grassy aromas. Bitter from the get-go, Blue Dot begins with some dry biscuit malt and quickly moves into a big hoppy middle from both a generous amount of bitterness and from the resin, citrus/grapefruit, and, we think, some pine flavors—there is a big hop presence that makes it difficult to pick everything out. It finishes cleaner than expected—there is an even amount of dry maltiness and bitterness in the end, with some slight grassiness in the bitterness. Medium-bodied with a medium carbonation bite, Blue Dot very drinkable—we wouldn’t have taken this for a DIPA because it goes down so well. The spiciness in the front and the complexity in the middle is also probably due to the rye, although it feels gone by the end. It is also very fresh tasting—the sweetness and the alcohol are held well in abeyance, allowing the large hop profile to shine—it is well balanced without being heavy or cloying. The rye may contribute to the fresh taste, covering over any of the lingering sweetness. All in all, a delicious and very enjoyable beer—we’d love to try this on tap to see how it compares to the bottle, although I’m not sure Hair of the Dog kegs any of their beers. We’re making this a Top 10 Best contender, and hoping to come across it again soon.

From the bottle: “Blue Dot is named after our planet: we are only a pale blue dot in this universe. Made with organic Pilsner malt, Rye malt and a combination of intense hop varieties. Pour slowly to allow the sediment to remain in the bottle. Make every day Earth day. Do something nice for your mother.”

Here’s where to find Hair of the Dog

We’d tell you what the website had to say, but it is woefully out of date. Blue Dot is not even listed, and the updates disappear about 2001. But then again, keeping the focus on good beer matters more, and word of mouth will do perfectly fine for yours truly...

ABV: 7%

(1/14/2010)

168. Avery duganA IPA

This is our second beer from Avery Brewing Company, which is in Boulder, CO. Our last beer was their 16th Anniversary Ale, which was delicious.

duganA has a hoppy piney malty caramelly nose; it does develop some grassy aromas as it warms. Colorwise, duganA is a clear copper with a white head that laces the glass a bit. The bready malt and caramel front gives way to a big hop bitterness in the middle, with spicy & resin hops flavors leading the way into a sweet and bitter finish, both of which linger on the palate. duganA has a medium to heavy body; there is some warmth and stickiness in the mouthfeel, as well as a little tongue curling from the heavy hop load. The warmth seems to be a combination of hops and alcohol—there is a warming astringent characteristic in the beer, as well as a good dose of heat felt in the chest after swallowing the beer. A good beer, but nothing particularly stands out. For Elli, there is way too much malt going on. As she observes, “I understand the hoppy impulse, but why ruin it? The big sugary malt load makes me not want to drink it.” I’m less cynical about the lack of balance—my criticism would be that this is too much of a DIPA and not enough of an IPA. The bigger sweetness to carry the increased hop load also reciprocally limits the effectiveness and potential subtlety of the larger hop load.

From the bottle: “Lupulin Rapture Incarnate! As fervent devotees of hops, we found ourselves on a quest to create a transcendental IPA capable of quenching our voracious lupulin desires. Our mantra became ‘unity of bitterness, hop flavor, and aroma.’ Enlightened, duganA IPA was born. A brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience.”

From the Avery website: “Limited release. Inaugural batch was released in early October '09. Brewed whenever we have a little extra tank space and a desire for dank hops!”

ABV: 8.5%
OG: 1.076
IBU: 93
Hops: Chinook, Centennial & Columbus
Malts: 2-row, Dark aromatic, & Caramel

(12/15/2009)

137. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Our second beer from Weyerbacher; our last one was their Harvest Ale. We had this on tap @ South Park Tavern.

Starting with a rich pine and resin hop nose, Double Simcoe IPA pours a deep copper orange with a light white head. The dry malt front moves almost immediately into the bitterness of the middle, with floral, citrus, pine, and resin flavors and some caramel malt sweetness drawing things together, and ending dry with a pleasant lingering bitterness. Double Simcoe has a soft creamy medium bodied mouthfeel; the carbonation is light, but sparkly in the middle, and helps set up the big bitter finish. There is some slight puckering and dryness on the palate from the large hop load, especially at the end. Overall, a very enjoyable beer, although not for everyday drinkin’—this beer showcases Simcoe’s strengths and complexities quite effectively. And also very American.

From the Weyerbacher website: “Double Simcoe IPA, 9.0% abv, is our incredible reward for Hopheads seeking the intense hop flavor in a Double IPA, without the harshness. It is brewed untilizing only the Simcoe hop variety. This hybrid hop, developed and trademarked by Select Botanicals Group, LLC in the year 2000, was created for its high alpha acid content, maximum aromatic oils, and low cohumulone (harshness) levels so that brewers can really put a lot of ’em in a beer and not create an overly harsh taste.

Double Simcoe IPA is a full-flavored ale with hints of pineapple and citrus upfront, a good malt backbone in the middle, and a clean finish that doesn’t linger too long. Check it out, and you’ll soon see why everyone’s talking about it. Double Simcoe is available year-round.”

ABV: 9.0%

Today’s BJCP class focused on the brewing process. Having discussed the ingredients (I missed yeast last week) and some of the component parts of brewing, we looked at how to put all of it together. Adding to our examination of mashing, we discused lautering, specifically recirculation (vorlauf) and sparging, and further discussed the multiple functions of boiling, including isomerizing alpha acids from the hops, coagulating and precipitating wort proteins and tannins, and evaporating undesirable aromatics. We rounded this out be examining the different ways of chilling hot wort quickly and efficiently, and finished by talking about packaging, maturing, and carbonating beer. Our sampling was also a bit more eclectic; because some of our classes got condensed, we mixed and matched with the tasting:

10B. American Amber: North Coast Red Seal Ale
10C. American Brown: Bell’s Best Brown
11C. Northern English Brown: Hobgoblin
16C. Saison: Dupont Saison
16D. Biere de Garde: At. Amands French Country Ale
19A. Ole Ale: Fuller’s 1845
19B. English Barleywine: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
19C. American Barleywine: Bigfoot Sierra Nevada

(11/14/2009)

106. Long Trail Double IPA

Long Trail Brewing Company is in Bridgewater Corners, VT; this beer is part of their Brewmaster Series, which includes an Imperial Porter, and most recently an Imperial Coffee Stout. This series is also re-releasing (finally!) Pollenator, their spring seasonal from 1997-2003. When in grad school in Buffalo, road trips to Vermont were planned every year to score Pollenator and some Blackbeary Wheat.

Long Trail’s DIPA is a cloudy light tan color with a creamy ivory head. The malty hoppy nose brings with it both bready malt aromas and citrus and floral hops notes. Opening soft and creamy with bready malt sweetness and some alcohol flavor, Long Trail DIPA moves into a middle characterized mainly by hop bitterness, and finishes dry and clean with a bit of lingering bitterness and some slight chalkiness. There is a rich and creamy mouthfeel with a substantial body that does carry some light alcohol warmth. The carbonation is clean and brisk, and there is some dryness in the mouth from both the bitterness and the chalkiness. Overall, a nice balance in the body between malt & hops; it is not overly cloying or sweet like some DIPAs. The sweetness is about right, but some more hop flavor would be enjoyable—besides the hop aroma, the hop profile seems more English than American. This is, however, one of the more drinkable DIPAs we’ve come across, and we hope to run into some more soon.

From the Long Trail website: “Long Trail Double IPA offers true reward to those seeking intensely sensual hop flavor. Double IPA is a full-flavored ale featuring a good malt backbone combined with an aroma brimming with tantalizing citrus and pine notes. In search of inspiration within, the recipe is sourced from one of Long Trail’s own hop-enthusiast home brewers!”

ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 100+

Malts: Two-row, Crystal, and Wheat

Hops: Chinook and Cascade

(10/14/2009)