Beer Review: Stone Imperial Russian Stout: Espresso

Posted on May 22, 2013 by

 

 

Appearance 5/5

You know what it looks like. It looks like an imperial stout. Black, opaque, dark thick head.

 

Aroma 5/5

It smells very strongly of espresso but it doesn’t seem out of place. Espresso fits so well with this style that I wouldn’t have thought twice about it if it wasn’t on the label. The coffee also has a very sweet caramel quality to it. I’m digging this.

 

Palate 5/5

I try to avoid the word “smooth” as much as possible because everyone uses it so much that it is meaningless. So instead I’ll say soft, fluffy, thick, with no alcohol bite. Very VERY slight warming sensation on the way down. Which is surprising considering how much alcohol this has.

 

Flavor  5/5

It starts out like an excellent but normal Imperial Russian Stout. Nice and sweet and malty. But the espresso lends just the right amount of extra bitterness that this style needs. It’s a great balance.

 

Overall  20/20

Honestly, what did you expect? It’s excellent. Lately stones regular beers have been getting boring to me. Not sure if they’re changing or if I am. But I still look forward to their annual releases. And their odd-year specials are even better. I love them…..so much.

 

Sip slowly and enjoy with good company.

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Beer Review: Mikkeller – Black Hole

Posted on March 7, 2013 by

Like I said in my last review, I always grab every Mikkeller brew I see whenever I go to the store. This was the other new beer I saw. It’s a coffee imperial stout with 13.1% alcohol, and it has earned a score of 100 on RateBeer.

Appearance  5/5

As black as can be from the very beginning of the pour. The head was a nice coffee color with good persistent thickness and a very clingy lacing.

Aroma  5/5

Dark, sweet, red fruit. Strong aroma hops. Malt. Honey. Coffee. Caramel. Perfect.

Palate  5/5

It has that thick velvet softness that you expect from an excellent imperial stout but it’s also heavy and has a bite that grows the longer you hold it in your mouth, due to the high alcohol content. It was an interesting contrast. Usually with this style, I want to hold it in my mouth for a long time to see how fluffy it will get. But the alcohol tingle made me want to swallow it before it became painful. After it was down, my palate cleared up very quickly and I couldn’t wait to take another sip.

Flavor  5/5

Even before the beer touches your lips, your tongue is ready to accept coffee malt sweetness because of the aroma. But I was surprised to find that those tones don’t show up until the end. The first thing I tasted was fruit. Well, probably a chocolate covered fruit. Chocolate covered black cherries. Dark, unsweetened, baker’s chocolate covered black cherries. After that the caramel, coffee, malt, and hops that you’d expect from a great imperial stout reared their heads. But that initial fruit quality is what really puts this over the top for me.

Overall  20/20

If this wasn’t so expensive, I’d buy a whole case of it. Mikkeller – Black Hole has just skipped in line to top of my list of personal favorites. Usually, I finish these reviews before I’m even half done with the beer. But this time, my glass is nearly empty. I couldn’t put it down.

MUSIC PAIRING:  This beer promised to be the epitome of a dark, heavy, brooding, slow-sipping imperial stout. So I decided to throw on the darkest, heaviest, most depressing record I own. And I own a lot of doom metal so that’s saying a lot. But when looking through my record collection, I couldn’t find anything heavier, nor anything that made me feel more “black” inside, than the Chelsea Wolfe/King Dude 7″ Split. Specifically the song “Fight Like Gods” on Chelsea Wolfe’s side of the album. If you’re a sad drunk, I don’t recommend listening to this song when inebriated. If you’re a happy drunk, it’ll make you a sad drunk. It was perfect.

Sip slowly and enjoy in good company.

P.S. I just noticed that there is a shit ton of yeast settled in the bottom of my glass so if you don’t like that, be sure to decant it off. Personally, I’m planning to drink it.

P.P.S. Fight like Gods by Chelsea Wolfe might be the darkest and most heavy record I own at the moment but that’s because I only just ordered “Sex Tape/Snuff Film” by Bongripper and it hasn’t arrived yet. I wonder if my music pairing would have gone differently……..

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Beer Review: Mikkeller – Funky E (star)

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

I always have to snatch up anything from Mikkeller whenever I see it at my local craft beer places. This one is a belgian wild/sour ale with an ABV of 9.39%. I’m not very familiar with this style at all so I’m excited to see what it’s like.

Appearance 5/5

Dark orange with bright golden highlights.  It’s fairly clear with notable carbonation, and a big fluffy cream colored head.

Aroma 4/5

It definitely has that sour funk to it that the style is known for. But since I’m unfamiliar with it, I’m having trouble describing it. There’s no better way for one to say “It smells like dirty socks, but in a good way” than to just say it. It also has a nice orange peel and sour green apple aroma but it’s very subdued, which I was thankful for.

Palate 4/5

Thin and bright but very tingly. The bitterness, which I’ll talk about in the taste section, also adds considerable “bite” on the tongue.

Taste 4/5

Once again, “funky” is the best word for this. As in it has a certain funk about it. It’s bitter but not in the hoppy kind of way. It’s more like a grapefruit juice bitterness with less of the fruit flavor. It finishes on green apples and lemon rind but even that quickly fades away. The level of sourness and bitterness is over the top, but thankfully the overall flavor isn’t strong. The only thing I can compare it to is cranking the distortion on your guitar all the way, but keeping the volume low. The usual malty bready flavor is there too of course because it is still a beer.

Overall 17/20

I definitely like this better than the cheap lambics I’ve tried which tasted like cranberry juice mixed with malt liquor. It’s good and interesting but I don’t know how often I will buy this. More research is needed. I need a larger sample size before I decide if this will be a regular for me.

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Beer Review: Birra Etrusca Bronze

Posted on January 26, 2013 by

Being married to an anthropologist/archaeologist, this beer is very exciting for me (us) to try. It was brewed by Dogfishhead and Birreria Brothers with the help of molecular archaeologist,  Dr. Patrick McGovern. Using archaeological evidence, they reconstructed a 2,800 year old Etruscan ale recipe (and I assume, added their own flair.) It’s an “ancient ale” with 8.5% ABV. Special ingredients include: honey, hazelnut flour, heirloom wheat, myrrh, gentian root, raisins,  and pomegranates. Let’s do this!

Appearance  5/5

A beautiful dark orange brown with bright golden highlights. A fairly substantial but short-lived head. There was also a constant stream of bubbles rising to the top.

Aroma  5/5

Yeasty like a Belgian ale with a sweet/sour apple finish right at the end.

Palate  4/5

Rather thin and light with a slight tingle from the carbonation. The sourness “gets me in the gills” and there is a warming sensation from the alcohol on the way down.

Flavor  5/5

I wonder if they used Belgian Ale yeast for this. It really makes me think of that. The malt has that same quality too but that’s where the similarities end. It has a sour fruity flavor at the end which I assume comes from the pomegranate, but it tastes more like apple to me.

Overall 9/10

All I have to say is that I really, REALLY like this. I think I’ll drink the whole bomber myself. My wife only wanted a sip anyway.

Sip slowly and enjoy in good company.

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Beer Review: Sierra Nevada Narwhal 2012

Posted on December 21, 2012 by

Narwhal is a seasonal Imperial Stout from Sierra Nevada brewing. It has an ABV of 10.2%

 

Appearance 4/5

Very very black with caramel and cola highlights. Thin, short-lived head but very dark. Tiny bubbles cling to the glass forever.

 

Aroma 5/5

Chocolate honey caramel malt. Maybe a little bit of raisins in there too. I don’t detect any hops, which is normal for the style, but strangely I don’t detect any alcohol on the nose either. Surprising considering the high alcohol content.

 

Palate 5/5

Thick and velvety but it finishes with a tingle on the tip of the tongue and in the nose. Very full bodied and pleasing.

 

Flavor 5/5

Perfect! It ALMOST tastes like it was bourbon barrel-aged. I get that hint of honey and raisins at the very beginning but right when I realize what it is, it’s gone. I’m left with a malty chocolate flavor that finishes on a bitter note that is somewhere between hops and coffee. Again I’m surprised that I don’t notice any alcohol. That makes it perhaps a little TOO drinkable considering the 10.2% ABV.

 

Overall 19/20

I love this beer. It wasn’t as earth shattering as the hype led me to believe but it is a solid SOLID imperial stout. I’m so glad I picked up a 4-pack because I want more. I originally intended to share it but I don’t know if I will now. Oh well, I didn’t tell anyone I bought it yet and they can’t miss it if they don’t know.

 

Sip slowly and enjoy in good company.

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BEER REVIEW: Port Brewing – Santa’s Little Helper 2012, Oak barrel aged

Posted on November 16, 2012 by

Santa’s Little Helper has been one of my regular seasonal favorites during the holidays. It is usually on tap at my favorite watering hole around this time of year, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried the oak barrel aged version of this beer. It was more than twice the price of the regular version, let’s see if it’s more than twice as delicious! It’s an Imperial Stout, aged in oak barrels, and it has an ABV of around 12%. I’m drinking a whole bomber of it from a tulip glass. It was nice knowing all of you….

Appearance 4/5

Blacker than the void of space The only highlights visible are while pouring and they’re the color of cola. The thin head was short lived but it was dark like a creamy chocolate. Big bubbles, very little lacing

Aroma 5/5

The aroma that dominates is the sweet honeyed smell of bourbon. A little bit of coffee and chocolate comes through the wall of alcohol, but not a lot. I’m enjoying this.

Palate 4/5

Not as thick and velvety as I was expecting. It does have quite a bite and the alcohol warms on the way down and tickles the nose a bit.

Flavor 5/5

The the raisins, honey, are right out in front in a big way thanks to the high alcohol content and the oak barrels it was aged in. As it’s going down it tastes of liquor and the after taste is that of coffee or dark chocolate.

Overall 18/20

This isn’t my favorite beer in this specific style, but it is definitely in my top 3, maybe even top 2. And it definitely cements the fact that Imperial Stouts, specifically those aged in oak barrels, are my favorite style along with IPAs. This is another one of those beers where I really recommend taking my usual benediction to heart:

SIP SLOWLY! And enjoy in good company.

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BEER REVIEW: Mikkeller – Koppi. A coffee IPA?!

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

Here’s a beer from my favorite gypsy brewer, Mikkeller. Every time I see one of their beers at the market, I have to grab it. Not only is every one of their beers that I’ve tried excellent, but they’re always unique. Plus it brings back memories of visiting the Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen Denmark. Those were good times……

 

Anyway, this is an IPA, brewed with coffee apparently, and it has an ABV of 6.9%

 

Appearance 5/5

Golden orange-red like the color of honey. ANd hazy, very hazy. Almost opaque. The cream colored head poured about two fingers thick and I was surprised to see that it didn’t go away at all until I was done with the beer.

Aroma 5/5

A great contrast between the citrus and the coffee aromas. It’s almost like the two smells cannot be registered at the same time so your brain jumps back and forth between the two as it tries to figure out what you’re currently holding up to your face. The change is subtle though. Certain notes that I was sure were related to the citrus hops changed into coffee without my noticing…or was that coffee all along? I could sniff this all day but at some point I’m going to have to taste it.

Palate 5/5

Again, it changes as you sip. It starts off very “round” and full and soft. But you’ll quickly notice that familiar IPA tingle start to form on your tongue and the roof of your mouth. It finishes dry after swallowing but just enough to make me want more.

Flavor 4/5

It’s a solid IPA, even without the coffee thing. And actually it shows up more on the nose than it does here. The flavor isn’t noticeably that of coffee like the aroma is, but it changes the bitter characteristics just enough that you know you’re not drinking a normal IPA.

Overall 19/20

I used the word “subtle” a lot in this review. That’s the most apt word for each of the categories that I could come up with. It’s very unique but very downplayed. I’m glad I got a big bomber of this because I want to sit and study this brew for a while. If you like IPA’s, and even if you don’t like the usual coffee flavored beers, get your hands on this if you can. It’s pretty excellent.

Sip slowly and enjoy in good company.

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BEER REVIEW: Evil Twin/Stillwater/Stone Collaboration – The Perfect Crime

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

Today’s review is another stone collaboration. I think these beers are the best thing that stone has been doing lately. I’ve always loved that the spirits of collaboration and friendship always win out over the spirits of competition and rivalry in the craft brewing world. This latest beer is a collaboration between Stone and two “gypsy brewers”, Stillwater Artisan Ales, and Evil Twin. Gypsy brewers don’t have their own brewing facilities. Instead they work with other established breweries on a temporary basis to create their beers. Often their beers are special, seasonal, or one-off beers.  Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø from Evil Twin is the brother of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who is one of the founders of my favorite gypsy brewing outfit, Mikkeller. Got all that? I know it’s confusing but I guess all you need to know is this beer, “The Perfect Crime”, is a Black Smoked Saison with 6.8% alcohol, and it was brewed by a bunch of cool dudes. I’m not very familiar with the saison style so I’m excited to give this a try.

Appearance 5\5

Opaque black with beautiful highlights the color of maple syrup. The light colored head is thin but dense with great lacing.

Aroma 3/5

I’m not really sure what to make of this. There is definitely a smoked food quality to it but I’m not really sure what kind of food it reminds me of. There’s also a sweetness that I can’t quite identify. I guess I’m just not very familiar with black saisons. It’s hard to say whether the aroma is what is to be expected from the style, but I can say I find it a little weird. Not bad necessarily, just unfamiliar to me. It reminded me of non-edible things like old books. Not really sure how to score it.

Palate 3/5

It seems rather thin and has a dry finish that stays around for a long time, causing me to want to keep sipping to cure the minor cottonmouth it leaves me with. It’s not unpleasant though.

Flavor 4\5

The first sip was just sourness followed by smokiness, but not the sourness of any particular food. It didn’t taste like sour fruit, it was just the pure sensation of sour without any other qualities. I’m not saying it was very strong either, it’s just that there was nothing else. Same with the smokiness. It didn’t taste like any smoked meat I’ve had, it was just the bitter smokiness in complete isolation with out any other qualities you would associate with smokiness.  But again, it was very downplayed. Nothing was too strong. Needless to say, my palate isn’t used to this style, let alone a unique adaptation of the style, so I had to take a few more sips before forming my opinion. As I sipped, I started to pick up more hints of other things. If it’s possible to experience sour coffee and caramel, that’s a little what it was like. There are fascinating tones of sweetness, malt, and herbs which all change underneath that ever present sour/bitter smoky sweetness that lightly zaps the taste buds though out the whole experience.

Overall 15/20

If anything, this is a beer of contradictions and contrast for me. Visually it looks like a thick, heavy stout, but the mouth feel is surprisingly thin and dry. It’s strange and impossible flavors intrigued me and made me wish I had another bottle just so I could keep trying to figure it out. It had bitter-sweetness, sour maltiness, and smokiness with a hint of caramel. Obviously I’m new to this style and don’t really know what to make of it yet, but I liked it and I hope to come across other black saisons, if only to expand the sample size so that I can form a better opinion.

Sip slowly and enjoy in good company.

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Gay Marriage and Weed

Posted on November 7, 2012 by

Colorado and Washington have legalized Marijuana for recreational use.

Maryland, Maine, and maybe Washington have voted to legalize gay marriage and Minnesota has voted down an amendment that would have banned it.

 

It was a pretty good day.

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Election season is over! I’m Back!

Posted on November 6, 2012 by

Well the election is pretty much over and already I’m feeling my old political rants returning. I’m a slightly changed man since last I wrote about politics. I still hold mostly the same views, I’ve just mellowed out a lot. Not sure how well that is going to translate into words on a webpage. Most people read blogs, especially blogs like mine, for the angry and often thoughtless ranting. That’s just not me anymore and I can see my hit count plummeting. That’s fine with me. If my heart’s not in it, why should my readers care either? That said, I’ll give it another shot since the election season is over. (For those who haven’t noticed that I’ve been posting nothing but wall to wall beer reviews, I hate election season and I hate writing about it.)

So here’s my take. It looks like Obama has won another 4 years in office. While there are more things on which he and I disagree than agree, I can’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t vote for him. I voted 3rd party. I never vote for the lesser of two evils, but I can try to look for the silver lining when the lesser of two evils is elected. I don’t like that the Obama administration is using drones to kill more innocent people than terrorists with every strike, BUT I feel like now that he’s re-elected, he will probably push to legalize gay marriage. Romney would not. I don’t like that Obama expanded the power of the executive branch to spy on Americans and to indefinitely detain us without a trial, BUT he said he still wants to close Gitmo. I don’t like that Obama has cracked down on marijuana, and especially medical marijuana dispensaries even though he said he wouldn’t, BUT I like that he will probably keep religion out of politics more than Romney would. See? Small silver linings. I couldn’t bring myself to vote for him because of the glaring violations on our civil liberties and privacy, but I think I can allow myself a small sigh of relief that at least Romney, the guy with absolutely ZERO redeeming qualities, was not elected.

If that reduces my agorist street-cred then whatever.

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