560. Firestone Walker 14 Anniversary Ale

I’ll start by noting that there are a lot of adjectives we could use to describe this beer. A lot. It has a lot of layers. A lot. As in numerous. And, not surprisingly, all of them are delicious. As well, this is our third beer from Firestone Walker; previous indulgences—good, but not so nearly good as this—include Solace and Union Jack IPA. I’m just sayin’.

14 Anniversary Ale pours a rich brown sugar molasses with a thin, wispy tan head. While dark, it is crystal clear in the glass. The nose is rich, thick, and deep: molasses, caramel, and brown sugar dance in the nose, along with a slight tannic oak-scented vanilla creaminess. There is also cherry and tobacco; even with all of this, it is bright, clean, and open—nothing is muddled or indistinct. Flavors are rounded, chewy, and chocolate-y. The front is molasses, brown sugar, and cocoa before moving chocolate and dark fruit richness. As it moves into the finish, there is a richer chocolate and cocoa mixed with a slight roast tang. The mouthfeel is sweet, chewy, rich, and rounded; while clean, the sweetness and the slick smoothness coming from the stouts gives the beer a delicious aged presence on the palate that is soft and simultaneously delightful. While this beer is delightful across the board, the nose and mouthfeel really stand out. While the flavor profile is delightful and complex, the nose is seductively transcendent—it is an aromatic delight that is stunningly rich and rewarding. It is probably one of the most interesting noses I’ve found in a beer in the last several years. Yes, it is that good. Or, as might not be surprising, was that good. In other words, having finished the beer about 25 minutes ago, I’m still struggling with adequately describing the delightfully ephemeral olfactory sensations that are still dancing in my mind. Maybe I’ll find more of that when I crack the 15 in another year or so. I certainly hope so. Time will tell.

From the box: “Since founding our brewery in 1996, we have specialized in the rare art of fermenting beer in oak barrels. In the fall of 2006, we released a limited edition, oak-aged strong ale called ‘10’ to commemorate our 10th anniversary, thus beginning an annual autumn rite. This year, we present 14, our fifth release from our barrel aged program. 14 was crafted from separate lots produced over several months and years, then carefully blended into this truly unique and complex brew. Each of the contributing lots was aged in oak barrels, some previously used by American spirits producers, others used in our Firestone Union. Each barrel lent its own bit of soul to the flavor profile, including nuances of tobacco, chocolate, and molasses. Local Paso Robles area winemakers and our brewers collaborated to taste each individual lot and lend their expertise to the final blend. The resulting limited production brew offers immense depth and complexity with long, intense flavors that beg to be sipped and savored. 14 is a one-of-a-kind beer built to last and will reward careful aging for years to come.”

ABV: 12.5%

P.S. That bear is gonna kick the crap out of the lion. Trust me on this one.

(3/1/2013)

558. The Bruery 5 Golden Rings

And now onto the last beer of the evening: the Bruery’s 5 Golden Rings. Technically, we had a Timothy Taylor’s Landlord to close out the evening after this, but we’re not counting that. Previous excursions into the land of my personal beer fantasy world include Marrón Acidifié (a collabo with Cigar City), Autumn Maple, Humulus Session, 3 French Hens, Saison de Lente, Rugbrød, Hottenroth, Orchard White and Saison Rue.

5 Golden Rings pours an opaque golden orange with a thin white head—you can see the carbonation fighting through the body in slow, measured time. The nose is a tart, citric pineapple front and center; behind that, there is some chewy rounded Belgian malt and yeast character, but the pineapple is currently running the show. Flavors start with pineapple and malt sweetness, leading into a chewier rounded middle mixed with alcohol warmth. In the finish, there is a touch of bitterness before the alcohol heat comes into play—it is the warmth that points to the youth of this beer more than anything else. This beer is going to need some time to come together—the pineapple is too much the pineapple-juice-out-of-a-can-of-fruit right now, and the alcohol warmth is a too much. I will say that the beer is well-attenuated; I expected it to get stickier as it warmed, when it actually dried out more on the palate. But otherwise, this beer needs to sit in the cellar for two or three years to figure itself out. Because right now—and it does pain me to say this, loving on the Bruery as I do—this beer is not very drinkable. So if you’ve got it, age it for posterity. Come back to this one. Forget about it for now. You might not thank me later, but you’ll certainly thank me now. 

From the bottle: “The fifth verse of our ‘Twelve Beers of Christmas’ saga incorporates sweet, cake-like spice into a rich and robust golden ale. Happy Holidays! 5 Golden Rings is suitable for aging up to seven years (soon after release of ‘Twelve Drummers Drumming’) when cellared properly.”

ABV: 11.5%

(2/13/2013)

484. Epic Brainless on Cherries Belgian-Style Ale

Epic Brewing Company is a new brewery out of Salt Lake City, Utah; they’ve come up pretty hot and heavy as of late, especially here in Dayton—we’ve seen a couple of events featuring their beer, and quite a wide variety of beers as well. I actually had this beer on tap a couple of weeks ago at Lucky’s, and it is much better out of the bottle. Described as a “malt beverage brewed with cherries and aged on oak barrels” (and they do indicate that the barrels are French Oak), Brainless on Cherries is part of Epic’s Exponential Series. And as to why beers from Utah are blowing up in Dayton, Ohio—well, that’s another story, one most likely beyond even my abilities to bullshit.

Brainless on Cherries pours a pinkish grapefruit leavened with an orange-ish tan—it is not quite clear, although less than opaque, and brightly effervescent with a white head that constantly replenishes itself. It also has some pretty ruby-red highlights. The nose contains a good dose of cherry, but there is also plenty of Belgian yeast character—the cherry melds nicely with the perfume-y qualities and fruit esters of the aroma. This is further balanced by fruit pith, a touch of sweet toasty malt (pilsner, I would guess) and some simultaneous spritz-y and mineral notes. We’ll call it candy fruity Belgian goodness. Oak character emerges as the beer warms, but when first poured, it is pretty minimal—unless it is passing itself off as the pith aroma. Flavors start sweet and slightly creamy before plunging into the cherry flavor in the middle; there is slight tacky dryness in the middle that I’ll attribute to the oak as well that gives way to a touch of bright but gentle alcohol as the beer turns to the finish. It concludes with a touch of fruit tartness and some lingering alcohol warmth, although the beer is far lighter and brighter than I initially expected. The fruit flavor is light and balances well with the body of the beer—it is both delicate and subtle. As well, Brainless on Cherries sits lightly on the palate for a 10.7% beer; there is some alcohol flavor and warmth, but far less than anticipated. The bright carbonation contributes to rounding the beer on the tongue (as does the oak); there are a few harsh alcohol hints as the beer warms, but these are minimal. The oak is present but restrained; the emphasis in on the beer and subtle fruit, with the oak playing a supporting role that contributes most to the larger character of the beer. Overall, I’d call this beer a pleasant surprise—it is well-crafted and has more character, subtlety, and nuance that I would had originally given it credit for—and this is after I had it on draft. Elli even had nice things to say—she got nice and tipsy from her share of the bottle—and was pleased with the subtle flavors and smoothness of the beer. We may have to get ourselves a couple more bottles to try...

From the bottle: “You are holding something special—one of only 1,800 bottles released and numbered. Intrigued? Visit http://www.epicbrewing.com/ to explore this limited brew’s precise details.”

From the brewery: “Release 3 we decided to add another layer of flavor to this beer by combining both Sweet and Sour Cherries in the barrel fermentation and aging process but with a higher ratio of sour cherries. We took our double gold medal winning Brainless Belgian, added cherry puree and aged it in French Chardonnay casks for a secondary fermentation in the barrels and some additional aging. Pours a beautiful deep ruby color with a medium white head to pink head. A nice nose of sweet and sourcherries, Belgian malts, and barrel aging. The flavor is dominated by white wine dryness and malt and fruit driven sweetness.”

ABV: 10.7%
Release #3

(9/20/2011)

460. Great Divide Grand Cru

We’re hitting up Great Divide like Tonya Harding did Nancy Kerrigan. That’s right, I said it. In the long non-stop roller coaster ride that it is our relationship with Great Divide, I can only say this: I want more. We’ll add this to a list that includes 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. That’s 14, folks.

Grand Cru pours a clear reddish amber color—it has garnet highlights and a soft tan head that slowly reduces to a ring. The nose is toasted malt candy sweetness mixed with dark fruit esters, including cherry, fig, and a touch of raisin, and some general perfume-y juiciness. Flavors open with gentle toasted malt flavors and candy sweetness; these give way quickly to darker fruit flavors like raisin, cherry, and fig along with a touch of restrained spiciness. There is a slight taste of alcohol that balances the flavors in the middle, creating a sweet rum raisin effect that carries into the finish. Creamy and caramel malt sweetness closes out the beer, although it is rather clean—there are slight lingering astringent flavors and an alcohol warmth that emerges after the flavors have left the palate. The body is medium to heavy; Grand Cru is lightly chewy, but it hides the 11% ABV well—I expected a much younger and sharper alcohol character, when I got a smoother and rounder alcohol that helped balance the malt profile. The carbonation is a bit low; it is present in the mouthfeel, but in pretty minimal levels. This is a good but not exciting beer. While there are no obvious flaws, there is nothing to get that excited about either. I appreciate the overall balance in the beer, but nothing makes it stand out—it’s like Switzerland: neutral with sound mechanics. Potentially some age could draw out the character in this beer, but with this one I am not at all certain. Harrumph.

From the bottle: “Grand Cru is our very special Belgian-style dark ale. Imported malts give it a round malty richness, and the fruity complexity and slightly spicy character come from brewing with a proprietary Belgian yeast strain. Don’t let the name fool you: while it may be a special occasion beer, the medium-bodied, elegant incarnation is anything but snobbish.”

ABV: 11%
Bottled on: January 12, 2011

(2/28/2011)

440. Bell’s Batch 10,000

The last in a long line of delicious beers. Ah, Batch 10,000, I feel like I hardly know you and your previous siblings, and yet, you’re already part of the past. Before that tear of nostalgia blurs my eyes and makes me unable to type, I’ll note that we’ve previously tried a fair share of the beers from Bell’s: 25th Anniversary Ale, The Oracle, 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. Fifteen, all told. If I was paid by the review, I’d have some extra quarters and dimes in my pocket. Hell, if I was paid at all, that would be a start. Well, besides in guff and smarm. I’m looking at you, McElfresh...

Batch 10,000 pours a rich, clear walnut with rosy red highlights; the head is tan and rather creamy. While the head does reduce to a bare covering over the course of a couple of minutes, a quick swirl of the glass brings another layer that exhibits equal staying power. A smoked malt aromas is the most distinct smell in the nose, although I can’t quite decide if it has a peaty undertone to it (later: yep, that’s peaty). There is also a touch of dark fruit and some hoppiness, along with lower levels of brown sugar, caramel, creaminess, and tobacco, but that smoke character is all up in it. As it warms, a slight juiciness emerges, but it is still under the master hand of the peat smoke aroma. Flavors start surprisingly dry and biscuity with a light residual caramel and herbal trace accompanied by smoked peat. The bitterness begins part way through the front before taking over in the middle, along with a dry mineral smoky and herbal medicinal flavor—the hop character is slightly reminiscent of Tröegs Nugget Nectar for the herbal hop bitterness, although the smoke makes this harder to pick out. Batch 10,000 has a lightly chalky and dry finish mixed with smoke, although there is a certain latent creaminess. There is also a noticeable alcohol tang that competes with the peat smoke and dry tobacco flavors of the finish for the last taste in the mouth. The carbonation bite in the final third accentuates the smoke flavors; other than that, however, the carbonation doesn’t do much besides contribute to the creaminess and slight silkiness of the mouthfeel—which is there, but hidden underneath the flavor smorgasbord. The mouthfeel is dry, but slightly chewy in addition to the silky viscous feel on the palate, and there is a fair amount of alcohol warmth, especially as it warms. Quite a complex beer; it will be interesting to see how Batch 10,000 continues to develop over time as the flavors blend and meld across the profile. Flavor-wise, there is a fair amount of Scottish Ale present via the peat smoke, but the dryness of the body places it elsewhere—or at least the dryness as perceived through the current alcohol, bitterness, and smoked components of the beer. As those shift and change, so to could the body. While at times a bit uneven, I am glad I tried Batch 10,000 young so that I have a baseline to compare subsequent bottles to over the next several years. After all, by then Bell’s will be on Batch 76,000 or something, and we’ll have all kinds of other delightful treats concocted by that master of chicanery, Larry Bell. I can hardly wait.

That’s our Larry! (Stolen from here)

From the bottle: “The last of the ‘Batch’ series. Thanks for all the consumers that got us this far.”

From the Bell’s website: “The last in our Batch series is being packaged today and tomorrow. While we are excited to free up some brewing space for other creative projects, the end of the Batch series marks a major milestone for us, and is a little bittersweet being the end of an era. Batch 10,000 reflects our homebrewing roots and was inspired by the last homebrew of the season. Our owner Larry Bell remembers going through his brewing supplies and making the last homebrew out of whatever malts and hops were left from his brewing months. With this being the motivation behind our last commemorative batch series beer, we combed through the catalogs of many malt and hop suppliers to source 100 different malts, grains, and other fermentables. This is balanced by the addition of 60 different hop varietals between the kettle and dry hopping. The resulting beer presents a deep, chocolate brown hue and offers roasted and caramel notes from the malts mixed with an assertive hop character. Feel free to drink it fresh, or vintage age it as you please. We lift our glass in appreciation to Bell’s drinkers who have helped us reach this moment in our brewery’s history. Cheers to you!”

ABV: 9.2%
Bottled: November 16, 2010

And what the hell is that creepy creature on the Bell’s 21 or older sign in page? The Evil Sith Lord of Bell’s? And no, I’m not talking about the picture above. Larry, you trying to kill my buzz? Stop that, dammit!

(12/16/2010)

428. The Bruery 3 French Hens

The latest entrant into the Bruery’s timeless “Twelve Beers of Christmas” series. While not as long running (or as numerically savvy) as the Stone Vertical Epic series, the Belgian does speak more to, well, at least me. Elli is on the fence on this one. This beer also allows us (or at least me) to renew our love affair with the Bruery (after all, I’ve gone so far as to spike one of my own beers with their yeast): I’ve got an Autumn Maple and Coton waiting for me in the basement, but the rest of their beers are a wee bit more difficult to procure. We have, however, tried Saison de Lente, Rugbrød, Hottenroth, Orchard White and Saison Rue, so all is not lost. But I’d like this to be a much bigger listing of beers. Maybe in January when I’m in Los Angeles...

Described on the label as “75% Belgian-style dark ale & 25% Ale aged in French Oak barrels,” 3 French Hens pours a hazy burnt umber with a creamy tan head that reduces to a ring—albeit a healthy ring—after a couple of minutes. The nose is fruity and slightly vinous; the fruitiness bears a strong resemblance to Belgian yeast esters, while the vinous aroma carries rich dark malt. There is also a bit of oaky creaminess in the back behind the other aromas; when freshly swirled in the glass, a bit of creamy, candy juiciness comes out—another classic Belgian aroma—although it is covered over again rather quickly. The front is a mixture of dark malt sweetness and slight roastiness that is slightly discordant with the oakiness of the middle. I know, I know, this beer is designed to be aged for another nine years, which will give 3 French Hens plenty of time for such flavors to marry. But I’m just sayin’. The middle also has some brown sugar and molasses that helps smooth the path to the finish (these flavors creep a bit into the front as well as the beer warms), which is creamy, dry, and slightly spicy. There is no real perceptible alcohol flavor, but there is some warmth in the mouthfeel. 3 French Hens is medium bodied with a creamy, slightly chewy mouthfeel. The carbonation is subdued; it helps balance the beer, although there is a bit of a bright bite in the turn to the finish. There is also something slightly sharp about the beer that factors in as an intangible—it is not so much in the mouthfeel, rather it is apprehended holistically—sharp and not fully rounded. This, too, could be a product of the beer’s intended trajectory: it is not so much young (since it is certainly drinkable) as it is a bit inharmonious on the palate. And, being that this is the “third verse” of the saga, that term strikes us as particularly appropriate. We did buy a couple more to salt away; after all, harmony comes with practice and patience.

From the bottle: “The third verse of our ‘Twelve Beers of Christmas’ saga incorporates vinous and oaky notes into a bold and spicy dark ale. Happy Holidays! 3 French Hens is suitable for aging up to nine years (soon after the release of ‘Twelve Drummers Drumming’) when cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55° F (13° C) in a dark place. Ideal serving temperature is 50° F (10° C). Please pour carefully, leaving the yeast sediment behind in the bottle. Best served in a tulip or wine glass.”

From the Bruery website: “Three French Hens is the third in the 12 Days/Years of Christmas Series. We again drew some inspiration from the name and decided that at least a portion of this beer had to be aged in French oak barrels. What we came out with is a bold and spicy Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 25% aged in oak. This beer is designed to take the journey through time until 12 Drummers Drumming, but is a delightful holiday treat right off the shelf.”

ABV: 10%
IBU: 22.5

And for all you crazy homebrewing fools out there, chiggety-check out the Bruery’s Batch 300 Homebrew Contest. Ah, so so dreamy...

(11/17/2010)

425. Dogfish Head Raison d’Extra

Today’s drinking pleasure was made possible by the kindness of Casey McAdams and Dave Williamson—Casey brought the Dogfish Head, and Dave the Russian River. Since we’ve already had Blind Pig and Consecration as part of our previous shenanigans, a careful process of elimination reveals that Raison d’Extra gets the nod for beer o’ the day. Such a delicious dilemma... Today’s drinking was part of the 3rd Annual Tomtoberfest celebration, which is just about as egregious and self-referential as it sounds. I did brew the rest of the beer involved, so I feel perfectly fine with the level of hubris expressed in the day’s designation. Previously sampled beers from Dogfish Head include the Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Saison du Buff collabo, Immort Ale 2009, Chicory Stout, Theobroma, 120 Minute IPA, Festina Peche, Squall IPA, Burton Baton Oak Aged Imperial IPA, and Sah’tea—making ten all told.

Raison d’Extra pours a thick, rich walnut with a rich, dark fruit nose—those raisins are still doing good work, even all these years later. As well, the age on this bottle has allowed a wonderful marrying of flavors and components—I wouldn’t have guessed it was an 18% ABV beer from the smoothness and richness of fruit and malt dancing across my palate. I’d love to regale you with more detailed notes, but, well, I was consuming this in the middle of Tomtoberfest, which meant that note-taking really wasn’t an option. Rest assured that I did enjoy this beer with the appropriate level of care and concern.

Remains of the day...

From the Dogfish Head website: “A bigger, bolder version of our Raison d’Etre. This is a bulbous, brown ale brewed with a bunch of malt, brown sugar and raisins.”

ABV: 18.0%
IBU: 40
Bottled: 3/15/2007

(11/13/2010)

417. Bell’s 25th Anniversary Ale

Bell’s keeps bringing it. Just like the Wu Tang—again and again. We’ve had more Bell’s than you can shake a stick at—well, I guess we could still shake a stick at them, but it certainly wouldn’t intimidate them or scare them away. You can just add this to The Oracle, 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. Woot.

25th Anniversary pours a clear reddish orange burnished copper. There might be an almost purplish hue in the light coming through the glass, but that could be imaginary via the smells I am also picking up. The ivory head has a presence with some lacing, but does quickly become the scantest minimal layer across the top of the beer. My sniffer says that this beer has some of the same grape candy smell that was in the Christmas Ale, although more subdued; there is also some rich caramel malt sweetness and brown sugar, but grape is the dominant aroma. Flavors start fruity and malty, giving way to a drier biscuit malt and grape flavor in the middle, along with minimal amount of bitterness. The finish is sweet, and slightly sticky, with a touch of alcohol flavor that leaves a slight warming sensation on the palate. 25th Anniversary Ale has a chewy, bright but viscous mouthfeel until the finish, where it does become a slight bit sticky. The alcohol warmth is light but noticeable—I’m guessing that a bit of aging would lessen the brighter alcohol flavors and build the malt and fruit complexity, mellowing and marrying the elements across the profile. After all, it does taste a wee bit young. The carbonation is medium, bright enough to end the beer on a lighter note, but not enough to completely minimize the heavier malt feel on the palate at the end. Nonetheless, like all things Bell’s, a solid and enjoyable beer.

Picture “borrowed” from...

From the bottle: “We started in 1985 with a soup pot, a dream, and quite honestly a prayer. Thank God we made it! Please enjoy this special ale made with Michigan grown barley malt and celebrate with us.”

From the Bell’s website: “Celebrating 25 years of brewing, this strong amber ale carries on our tradition of flavorful, balanced beers. Brewed with 100% Michigan-grown barley, 25th Anniversary Ale starts with caramel & light toffee flavors. These are paired with generous kettle & dry-hop additions, yielding a crisp, assertive bitterness and hop flavors ranging from citrus, floral, and piney notes.”

ABV: 8.5%
OG: 1.084
Batch Number: 9871

Party at Larry’s house?

(10/5/2010)

403. Bell’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury Ale

We’ve been waiting for this beer ever since Jason at the Trolley Stop told us he was getting a keg of it in. After all, Hell Hath No Fury is yummy by itself, so dumping a batch in bourbon barrel should only lead to better things, right? This beer (and all of the other Bell’s beers on tap tonight at the Trolley) was part of the Dayton Beer Week festivities leading up to AleFest on Saturday. The highlight for the week thus far, however, still has to be Aaron setting the Trolley Stop’s pink elephant on fire. I mean, let’s be honest—that’s gonna be a hard one to top. Burn, baby, burn. Sorry, Fletcher.

Our previous encounter with Bell’s includes Batch 9000, Hopslam, Cherry Stout, Sparkling Ale, Winter White, Christmas Ale, Third Coast, Oberon, Octoberfest, and Two Hearted.

BB Hell Hath No Fury pours a dark rich chocolate brown that is extremely clear; the head is tan and begins by covering the beer, but quickly reduces to a ring. The nose has a nice mix of dark malt sweetness, vanilla, dark fruit, and oak—there’s hints of molasses, plum, and fig as well as dark candy and bit of bourbon. To be honest, there is much less bourbon aroma than I expected, which is nice—it is subtle, rather than overpowering. Flavors follow much of the nose; vanilla flavors are present across the profile, but in subtle and balanced ways. BB Hell Hath No Fury opens with molasses, brown sugar, and Belgian candy mixed with vanilla; the middle shifts into dark fruits, primarily plum, fig, raisin, and a general stone fruit flavor—something like black cherry. The shift into the finish has an oak tannic bite that allows the bourbon flavors to emerge out of the dark fruits. The closing flavors are a mix of bourbon, vanilla, and brown sugar mixed with oakiness that lingers on the top of mouth and the back of the throat. There is some warmth in the mouthfeel; the body is medium to heavy, but not cloying or sticky. Instead, it is clean, vinous, and slightly drying on the palate, specifically as the tannic oak flavors emerge in the final third. An alcohol bite comes out as the beer warms, as does an increased oak tannic bite. The carbonation is medium-low, which does allow the complex array of flavors to sit on the tongue for longer periods of time. I did like the oakiness coupled with a lighter beer style (well, lighter compared to most oak-aged beers, which are stouts), as it makes for easier drinking—the kind of drinking that tends to get me in trouble. BB Hell Hath No Fury is an excellent beer—I’m glad we got a chance to sample it. I only wish we could get our hands on this on something of a more regular basis. Nonetheless, thank you Larry Bell for another delicious, delicious beer. Oh, and this one is hands down a Top 10 Best Label contender. It still makes me giggle...

Photo from here.

From the (new) Bell’s website: “Originally conceived along the lines of a Belgian Dubbel, Hell Hath No Fury Ale morphed during development into something entirely different. Blending a pair of Belgian abbey-style yeasts into a recipe more akin to a roasty stout, Hell Hath No Fury Ale offers up warm, roasted notes of coffee & dark chocolate together with the fruity & clove-like aromas.”

I think there should also be a special entry from my dream journal here, but that might get a bit too creepy. My bad.

ABV: 8.4%

(8/26/2010)

363. The Lost Abbey Angel’s Share 2010

Already another from the Lost Abbey—see what a little trip to California can do four our drinking options? This makes el numero four from San Marcos, CA, including Serpent Stout 2009, Carnevale Ale and Avant Garde Ale. So so good.

Beer and World Cup? Hell yes!

Angel’s Share pours a luscious toffee with a very minimal ivory head—swirling the glass vigorously creates a covering over about half of the surface which then quickly reduces to an arabesque. As well, the swirling does leave some legs on the glass. The nose is a creamy caramel and toffee malt mixed with French oak and some sherry and fruitiness to round things out—the nose is quite luscious, complex, and balanced, and was enjoyable to pick apart. Angel’s Share starts with toffee and some creamy butteriness before moving into oak and vanilla flavors mixed with sherry and dark aged fruit alcohol flavors. The finish is tannic and sweet with a bit of an alcohol tang, creating a drying effect on the palate that brings the alcohol taste to the forefront. With a medium-heavy body and a rich, chewy mouthfeel that is slightly sticky, Angel’s Share also has a fair share of dryness in it from the oak tannins. The carbonation is pretty much a non-factor in this beer; both the oak and alcohol do more to shape and round the beer. An interesting beer, one that hints at a richness and complexity that it currently doesn’t have—it could use more aging to allow the oakiness to lessen and the malt flavors to deepen and develop. Currently, the nose is more impressive than the flavor profile both in complexity and nuance—picking the nose apart was more interesting than the body, although we enjoyed both. If you’ve got a bottle of this, sock it away for at least a year before you bust it out.

From the bottle: “Way down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers age their Whiskey for many years in oak barrels. Over time, some Whiskey is lost to evaporation. They refer to this loss as ‘The Angel’s Share.’ Each time a barrel is filed [sic], a measure of this liquid seeps into the oak, and is lost forever. Our Angel’s Share is a barrel aged burgundy colored ale infused with copious amounts of caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon barrels. Each batch spends no less than 9 months aging in the oak. As with all of our beers, this beer is brewed for sinners and saints alike. So be an angel and share it with a friend or two.”

From the Lost Abbey website: “The Angel’s Share Story: It’s warehouse #5 built in 1886 that gets the most attention. The other four weren’t built so well and succumbed over the years. On the outside, to most #5 is a rather unremarkable white washed building. That is until they pass through the weathered doors and are easily consumed. Here in the hallowed halls it just oozes history. Inside this three story building, they find row after row of whiskey slumbering away the days until the distiller calls their name and they are called into action. It’s a weathered building with a timeline of over one hundred and twenty years of continuous service. Looking around, there is a warm orange glow from all the wood inside. On both sides of the room for as far as your eyes can see, there are wood racks with carvings, nicks and dings. It smells sweet in here. Could that be the Whiskey breathing? Perhaps it’s the angels doing their work? Or is there just something sweet about 200 year old wood that intoxicates your sense of smell. Imagine the history that belongs to the wood in this ‘shed.’ It comes from seeds that were planted when the idea for the Revolutionary War was just fermenting. And it’s still here, every single day telling the story of this distillery. This warehouse has seen it all. It survived the harsh winter of 1913. There was the Tornado in 1956 and who can forget the flood of 1973? But, it’s still here. Still working, living and breathing whiskey as great grandpa designed it to do. Sure, there are more cobwebs and spiders than there used to be? It’s an old building after all. One of the family members proclaimed it to be a grand old warehouse of monumental importance, so now it’s on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Yet, the premise has always been the same. We need a place to age those spirits. And #5 has always been there. Ask the family members to describe #5 and they all tell you the same thing.‘The Angel’s get more than their fair share from #5 but we don’t care. To us, there is nothing finer than the whiskey that comes from old #5. We wish they drank less. But then again, we really don’t need an excuse to drink more?’”

ABV: 12.5%

(6/28/10)

349. Victory Yakima Twilight

This makes lucky number six from Victory, including Saison du Buff, the collabo with Stone and Dogfish Head, plus Prima Pils, Baltic Thunder, HopDevil, and WildDevil. We found this down at Jungle Jim’s—if you haven’t been, well then, my friend, you ain’t livin’.

Yakima Twilight emerges from the bottle a hazy burnt sienna—it is a nice mix of brown, red, and orange, and there are red highlights that end up on the table when the light hits it right. The head is tan and creamy, although after a couple of minutes it is reduced to a ring around the edge of the glass. With a creamy aroma couple with caramel, brown malt, hints of chocolate and lightly roasted tangs, Yakima Twilight utilizes darker malts to build the nose. Flavors begin sweet and fruity before moving into a rich darker biscuit malt flavor mixed with chocolate, malt roastiness, and darker fruits in the middle; the finish is characterized by a combined lingering bitterness and toffee flavor. Yakima Twilight has a medium to heavy body with a chewy, rich mouthfeel; the carbonation is medium and rather creamy, helping to build the chewy mouthfeel. This is an interesting beer, but we’re not quite sure what to make of the relationship between the name and the beer—it is good, but the Yakima hoppiness is lost is the big malt backbone of the beer. We’ve got two bottles of this left, so we’re going to sock them away in the basement and see what a bit of aging will do to them. The label, however, has an excellent design; we’re making Yakima Twilight a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the bottle: “The Yakima Valley of Washington is the heartland of American hops, having contributed uniquely flavorful varieties that have helped to redefine American brewing. Late summer harvest yields the bounty that builds this exciting ale. Vibrant and aromatic, this is their moment of glory as the vines have withered by the time you sip this. Dark malts warm the hops’ bright edge bringing harmony to the finish. Rest well hop roots! Spring will come and we’ll be thirsty again!”

Check out those red highlights!

From the Victory website: “The tenacious grip of big, juicy hop aroma and character slides smoothly into rich, dark malts. This heavyweight battle between fresh, Yakima Valley hops and dark, roasted malts is resolved harmoniously as the flavors merge to deliver complex satisfaction with a warming edge. Enjoy the twilight­ for the bright and brassy hops!”

ABV: 8.7%

(6/14/10)

347. Port Brewing Old Viscosity

“Not Your Dad’s 30 Weight”

Another Port beer—or, our port of call tonight is Port Brewing, and more specifically Port Old Viscosity. We’ve previously consumed with delight Port’s 3rd Anniversary Ale, 2nd Anniversary Ale, High Tide Fresh Hop, and Hop-15. Port port port.

Pouring a deep thick chocolate with red highlights, Old Viscosity has a thin tan head and a dry, creamy, and rich stone fruit nose—cherry, plum, prune, and what Elli likes to refer to as a “Twizzler” aroma, by which she means a candy sweet cherry. Old Viscosity has a rich fruit flavor at the start—there is rum raisin and plum, along with a bit of alcohol flavor (hence the rum of the rum raisin). These flavors continue on into the middle, moving into light chocolate and roasted flavors in the final third, finishing dry on the palate with some chalkiness on the back of the tongue. The mouthfeel is rich, thick, and chewy, but also dry and coupled with a little bit of creaminess. The mix of dryness and creamy chewiness is effective, and helps build the overall body and mouthfeel; we’re guessing that some of this comes from the oak aging. The carbonation is medium, and has a decent bite in the middle, smoothing out as it progresses towards the end. Old Viscosity is an interesting and nuanced beer; the alcohol flavor does pick up as the beer warms, which is one downside, but other than that, a very drinkable and enjoyable beer.

From the bottle: “Everyone always ask us, ‘What kind of beer is Old Viscosity?’ We have to pause for a minute here as there are restrictions about how you can and can’t describe beer on our labels. Since you’ve already asked, we’ve decided to tell you that it’s thick, as in my chest just grew a wool coat sort of way. It’s dark and sludgy like the old 50W oozing from the crank of that old truck. Beers like Old Viscosity are revered like old school pieces of equipment we know and love. The ones that cause people to say, ‘They don’t build them like this anymore.’ We know you’ll come to love and appreciate everything about Old Viscosity even if we never tell you exactly what kind of beer it is.”

What’s wrong with this glass? It’s empty...

From the Port website: “Not your Dad’s Wimpy 30 Weight is how our original label used to describe this massive chewy and thick beer. Code named by our brewers ‘The Big Black Nasty,’ this is monstrous dark ale is brewed to no particular style. Thick and sludgy like oil from the crankcase of a wheat threshing combine, Old Viscosity blurs the boundaries of Porter, Stout, Old Ale and Barleywines. A blended beer that mixes old and new brewing traditions into one finished beer, Old Viscosity starts out with 80% of the packaged beer produced from a stainless steel fermentation. It then joins another 20% Old Viscosity (from a previous batch) that has been aging in bourbon barrels. The blend of the two beers yields an incredibly rich and luscious ale that reveals chocolate and cocoa notes melded to silky body of burnt wood, vanilla and ash.”

ABV: 10.0%
OG: 1.092

FG: 1.014

Malts: 2-row, Wheat, Domestic and English Crystal, Carafa III, & Chocolate

Hops: German Magnum

(6/12/10)

313. 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood

Another canned beer from 21st Amendment; our last one was Brew Free or Die IPA. While the 21st Amendment is in San Francisco, CA, they do also have a brewery in Cold Springs, MN.

Monk’s Blood pours a hazy rich caramel and maple syrup color; the head is a light ivory, and dissipates to a ring rather rapidly. Aromas in the nose include Belgian candy, vanilla, and caramel malt, along with a creaminess that melds the aromas in a very pleasant manner. Starting with caramel and candy sweetness, Monk’s Blood moves into low levels of fruity sweetness in the middle, which could be either the dried figs or some yeast-derived esters, and a small amount of spiciness. There is also a bit of tannic oakiness in the middle, accompanied by a light vanilla flavor that continues into the final third of the beer. The end is characterized by a return of some of the sweetness mixed with a little alcohol flavor that helps clean up and conclude the beer. Monk’s Blood is medium bodied with low carbonation; there is low alcohol warmth as well, but nothing that we would considered distracting—in fact, for an 8.3% ABV beer, it is very smooth and clean on the palate. There is a slight tang of bitterness on the back of the mouth well after we’ve finished sipping; possibly a late emergence of hop bitterness or some of the low alcohol warmth. The low carbonation does leave the beer a bit sticky, but as mentioned in regards to the flavor profile, the alcohol at the end helps clean up the finish. Good beer, but not spectacular. The nose does set a rather high standard that the body has a hard time following—we enjoyed the beer, but expected more after we initially smelled it when first in the glass.

From the 21st Amendment website: “21st Amendment founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan traveled to Belgium to develop the recipe for this special beer, visiting small, traditional breweries in the hop fields of west Flanders, not far from the famous Trappist abbey of Westvletren. Monk’s Blood is designed to pair beautifully with rich winter stews, creamy cheeses, unctuous desserts or just by itself, in a Belgian tulip glass, with a good book by the fire.”

ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 34
Malts: Belgian Pilsner, 2-row Pale, Caramunich, Caravienne, Aromatic, Special B, Flaked Oats, Flaked Wheat
Bittering Hops: Magnum & Centennial
Flavor Hops: Amarillo
Specialty Ingredients: Dark Belgian Candy, Cinnamon, Vanilla Beans, Dried Black Mission Figs, Aged on Oak

(5/9/2010)

311. Schafly Grand Cru

My day started with a trip to Brewtensils to see Larry Bell (of Bell’s Brewery, dummy, and Elli had to work) speak, and also for some general chicanery, beer-nerd style. It’s just like when an author comes to town—all the kiddies come out in droves, except they come dragging beer paraphernalia, not old copies of books. Seriously. Mike Schwartz, owner of Brewtensils, interviewed him, and he entertained a couple of questions from the crowd (you can see the interview here). He told us about the trials and tribulations of starting a brewery before the craft beer explosion, and the joys of brewing beer in garbage cans. Awesome.

Our beer for the day was Schafly Grand Cru, another beer from Saint Louis Brewing Company and Schafly; this is the third beer we’ve had from them, including Biére de Garde and IPA.

Pure Beefcake...

Grand Cru pours a burnished gold with extremely pillow-y head; the nose carries with it Belgian yeast ester and some fruitiness—mainly, the pitted orange fruits, like peaches, apricots, and nectarines—along with some Belgian candy sweetness and a light touch of mustiness. Flavor starts with Belgian candy sweetness before moving into fruitiness in the middle, although not as much or as distinct as in the nose, although there is some apple juiciness. The finish has some drying feel to it, although there is still a good amount of sweetness. Grand Cru has a medium to heavy body; the carbonation is soft and creamy with a small bit of bite at the end, although it could use a bit more to help further dry the beer out. The mouthfeel is soft and creamy, although a bit sticky. A good beer, but they do need to dry the body out to better fit the Belgian/golden ale style—this one is still a bit much, although they do a nice job of hiding the alcohol—even when it got warm, the malt and candy sweetness were still to the front.

From the bottle: “Schafly Grand Cru continues our series of bottle-conditioned, Belgian-style ales. Three different traditional Belgian yeast strains contribute fruity and spicy aromas which give complexity to this deep golden ale. Medium body and effervescence create a light, dry impression, despite its gravity and smooth, sweet finish.”

From the Saint Louis Brewery website: “Fruity, spicy aromas and flavors contribute to the complexity of this golden-colored Belgian ale. Medium body and effervescence contribute to a light, dry impression, despite its strength and sweet, smooth finish.”

ABV: 9.0%

OG: 18.3° P

IBU: 20

And no, we didn’t coordinate a Bell's beer for the day of the Larry Bell interview. Color us lame. But I did give him a bottle of the Two-Hearted clone I made with yeast cultured out of his beer. So we’ll just hope it doesn’t offend or kill him—in that order.

(5/7/2010)

293. Fantôme Black Ghost

“That weird taste is getting stronger...”

More Fantôme means more good drinking for us. This is our fourth beer from Dany Prignon; we’ve already tried Brise-BonBons!, Saison D’Erezée Printemps, and Biére de Saison Pissenlit. Here’s to the Fantôme!

Black Ghost pours a murky caramel brown with an ivory head; the nose is herbal with hints of chocolate and cocoa and light sweetness running around the edges. Opening with bright herbal flavors accompanied by chocolate and some bright yeast esters and spiciness, Black Ghost turns to candy sweetness in the middle along with a continuation of the herbal and spicy flavors. It ends with herbal bitterness and cocoa dry chocolate and/or alkaline flavors, leaving something of a bright uptick in the mouth. Black Ghost has a medium body and medium carbonation, although it is a bit spritzy in the middle to final third. There is a good amount of dryness and an alkaline quality on the palate. While Black Ghost is interesting and good, it is not as good as the other Fantôme beers that we’ve had. The herbal characteristics do tend to dominate, especially as the beer warms.

From the Shelton Brothers website: “Once described as a Belgian Irish-style stout, Black Ghost has undergone lots of changes over the years. It now bears no resemblance whatsoever to a stout, and brewer Dany Prignon has begun adding spices to the beer. What they are is anybody’s guess . . . . the Fantôme confounds once again.”

ABV: 8.0%

(4/19/2010)