Black Licorice, Chocolate and other foods to love

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:35:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Aroma of beer. Awesome body & carbonation. Clear as can be. Great head retention, simcoe & citra flavors. Very well balanced and super drinkable. I love you Gigantic. Tasted at 50F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
A freakin' hop bomb. Bright, multi-layered citrus hop aromas and flavors blow up your face, with just the right amount of hop bitterness to back it all up.

Gueuze Tilquin

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Huge funk aroma from the bottle. Pours crystal clear with nice head that sticks around. Great carbonation and wonderful lingering flavor. Tart, apple, sour cherry, wood, and a bit sticky. Superb beer tasted at 60F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

MANUFACTURER DESCRIPTION:
Oude Gueuze Tilquin a l'Ancienne (6.0% alc/vol) is a spontaneous fermentation beer, produced from the blending of 1, 2 and 3 years old lambics. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized, and refermented in the bottle for at least 6 months. The lambics used were fermented and oak aged in our installations. These lambics are coming from worts brewed by Boon, Lindemans, Girardin and Cantillon breweries.

JW LEES CALVADOS HARVEST ALE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 18:31:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Superb English style barleywine. Wonderful wood notes both in aroma and flavor. Very drinkable, especially for an 11.5% brew. Oaky, huge malts, lots of residual sugar, and mild hopping. Mouthfeel is amazing. Love this and all of the JW Lees Harvest line. Tasted @ 60F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com - BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Only available filtered and pasteurised in bottles. Matured in wooden Etienne Dupont Calvados casks from the end of October until mid March. This fully fermented ale has been brewed by JW Lees as a celebration of the brewers' art. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a fine wine for enjoyment to come.

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:31:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES: Unreal nose. Chocolate, caramel, light hop, candi sugar, and malts. Amazing flavor of chocolate, caramel, and interesting tobacco notes, with a hop finish. Delicious beyond belief. Tasted @ 65F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

MANUFACTURER DESCRIPTION:

We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it's all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition.

By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Creme Brulee, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a Milk Stout. Lactose sugar is added and is present in the product.

FIRESTONE DOUBLE DBA 22 OZ

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:33:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Aroma of malts, booze, wood, and cherries. Remarkable flavors of whiskey, wood, dark fruit/raisins, bitter hops, with a hint of vanilla. Superb mouthfeel. Yes it’s a little hot right now, but that’s to be expected and I can’t wait to try it in 6 months. Tasted at 60F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
DDBA is our flagship beer brewed at double strength. It is amazingly similar in many respects to our barrel fermented DBA and possesses everything we love about that beer times two. English caramel malts lend rich toffee character that pairs well with assertive medium toast American oak barrels.

REMEMBER: Watch for bottled on dates located on the necks or bottom left corner of the label for each of our beers. Our Proprietor's Reserve Series, Barrel-aged beers are built to aged carefully. Storing in a dark place at or below 40F will allow them to best age for several years.

MALTS:
Premium Two-Row
Maris Otter Pale
Munich, Crystal
Chocolate

HOPS:
Bittering-Magnum
Late Kettle-Styrian Golding
East Kent Golding
Dry Hops-East Kent Golding

Gigantic The City Never Sleeps

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:13:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Smells like a sour brown from the neck. Pours very dark brown with a decent head if you work at it. Interesting flavor. Definitely some saison notes, malt backbone, and a bit of smoke on the end. Mouthfeel is fairly thick for a saison. Oxidation that helps the overall flavor, well carbonated. Very nice tasting and I have to say, I am glad after the initial hype about this brewery. Very much like a black IPA but without the bitter hops. Very well put together beer. I like it a lot! Tasted at 55.7F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
From the deep dark recesses of our minds emerges this Imperial Black Saison. A beer shrouded in mystery and depth of flavor. A night you will never forget. 18.6 Plato 7.6% ABV 26 IBU

Dogfish Head Noble Rot

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 03:56:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Sweet, sour, and grassy aroma from the neck. Pours wicked clear light gold with an aggressive frothy white head. Malty sweet and vinous aroma. First sip is WOW! What an interesting brew. The flavor of white wine is very forward. It nearly tastes like champagne to be honest, with a similar carbonation. But the alcohol is fairly well masked...at least balanced out well. Good combination of malts and hops to pair with the fruit. So a specialty brew perhaps not getting the justice it deserves. IMO, a well made and interesting, quaff. Very refreshing! Tasted @ 54F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Hmmm. We wonder if anyone will buy a beer with the word "rot" in the name? This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash.

The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.

"This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially," says Dogfish's Sam Calagione.

Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:24:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Obviously early in its life, this brew is still quite good. Sweet & Sour, wild notes, wood. Aroma is vinegary from the bottle, but opens up in the snifter to a very complex profile. Great carbonation, sour & sweet throughout, wonderful barrel notes intertwined. ABV is well masked. This beer is going to age VERY well. Tasted from the bottle @ 45F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Deschutes Brewery and Hair of the Dog Brewing join forces to weave The Dissident and The Stoic and Fred and Adam into an artistic collage of cask-aging alchemy. Damn. Beer is fun!

Conflux No. 1 - Collage is the second release in the Deschutes Conflux Series. These beers were brewed in March of 2010. One hundred percent of these beers spent two years aging in a variety of oak barrels: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak, new American Oak and new Oregon Oak.

Less than 200 barrels of this intelligent blend was produced.

PAIRINGS:

Turkey Paisano Sandwiches with Fig-and-Black Olive Vinaigrette
Figs and Dried Cherries Poached in Vanilla-Honey Syrup with Pistachios
Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

BOURBON BARREL-AGED OLD RASPUTIN

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 03:20:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Pours black as ink, with a huge frothy tan head. This beer looks beautiful in a glass. Huge aroma of chocolate, sweet malt, alcohol, bourbon, and wood. Complex flavors of wood, licorice, bourbon, malt and bitter hops on the finish. A great mix of salt, sweet, and bitter. Great mouthfeel and wonderful Winter Warmer feeling going down. This beer is aging very well. Tasted from the bottle @ 60F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com | BeerAdvocate.com

MANUFACTURER DESCRIPTION:
Russian Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels in 500ml corked bottle. Truly an amazing beer, worth every penny.

Silver City Deluxe Spring Lager

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:24:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Huge malt aroma from the bottle and off the head. Pours very clear golden with a nice white head. The head dissipates fairly quickly but leaves a thin blanket and some lacing. very clean malt flavor, hint of hops, spices, excellent body and extremely easy drinking. Great carbonation and slightly oily. For me, this would be the PERFECT all Summer beer, and I am glad the bottled beer is just as good as it is on tap. Tasted from the bottle @ 54F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

This golden lager is an ideal spring beer that refreshes on a warm day, yet warms on a cool one. Representative of beer brewed before prohibition, Deluxe's exceptional refreshing character comes from the use of flaked corn in the mash. The result is a smooth, full flavored light bodied lager with a pleasant, sweet grain character.

LOST ABBEY JUDGEMENT DAY ALE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:22:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Awesome aroma of dark fruit, flavors of dark fruit, Belgian style, rich and robust. Phenomenal head with ultra legs. Incredibly smooth. Pairing superbly with Chimay cheese & Goat Gouda. Tasted from the bottle @ 60F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
A massive beer in every sense of the word. A stronger and more contemplative version of our Lost and Found Ale. Judgment Day is the base beer for our Cuvee de Tomme. Many of the Trappist Breweries produce a version of beer which ages incredibly well for many years to come. And, since none of us knows when the end of the world is coming, we suggest you stock up with lots of Lost Abbey beers so that when the end of the world magically appears from no where, you'll have a beer or two on hand for even the stingiest of angels.
Malts- Two Row, Wheat, Medium and Dark English Crystal, Special B and Chocolate Malt.
Hops- Challenger and East Kent Golding
Yeast- Proprietary Belgian Ale Strain
Adjuncts- Dextrose and Raisins

LAGUNITAS SUCKS HOLIDAY LEFTOVERS ALE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:19:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Huge tangerine aroma...hops hops hops...but not too bitter. Really enjoying what sems to be citra-hop with a nice malt backbone. Really much like a fruit-filled DIPA, and extremely enjoyable to drink. The hop/flavor intensity reminds me of Monk's Indiscretion and Bigfoot. Mouth feel is medium and the head retention is great. Even with a giant head, the hop aroma blasts you in the face. Tasted from the bottle @ 51F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

This sad holiday season we didn't have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared Brown Shugga' Ale. You see we had a couple of really good years (thank you very much) and so heading into this season while we are awaiting the January delivery of a new brewhouse we are jammin’ along brewing 80 barrels of IPA and PILS and such every 3 hours. A couple of months back we realized that since we can only brew a mere 60 barrels of Shugga’ every 5 hours, that we were seriously screwed. For every case of Shugga’ brewed, we’d short 3 cases of our favorite daily beers. It’s a drag. This year, we brewed something that we think is also cool and brews more like our daily brews. The new brewhouse will help insure this kind of failure never happens again. It’s a mess that we can not brew our BrownShugga’ this year and we suck for not doing it. There is nothing cool about screwing this up this badly and we know it. Maybe we can sue our own sorry selves. There is no joy in our hearts this holiday and the best we can hope for is a quick and merciful end. F*@& us. This totally blows. Whatever. We freaking munch moldy donkey butt and we just want it to be all over... So this substitute beer is a `Cereal Medley' of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats.. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.6%abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.

RUSSIAN RIVER REDEMPTION BLONDE ALE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:23:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Super clean straw yellow pour with fluffy white head. Beautiful Belgian ale aroma, yeast and malt notes. Slightly tart apple, floral, with a fairly dry finish. This is a superb example of a Belgian Blonde Ale with appropriate carbonation. Easy to drink, a wonderful beer. Tasted @ 55F.

REVIEWS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

This is the sister beer to our award-winning ale, Damnation. Fashioned after a Belgian-style "single", this ale is rarely brewed in America, let alone Belgium. Typically, "singles" are brewed only at the Trappist Monasteries for the monks to enjoy with meals. They often drink only half of a bottle with lunch and the rest with supper, despite the beer's low alcohol content. Redemption is modest in strength, robed in warm golden hues, and soft on the palate with a smooth dry finish.

Der Blokken Ginga

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Sharp Hop aroma from the neck. Pours a bit cloudy dark amber. Actually less red than the Der Blokken Black. Thin off-white head, but it stays around for quite a while. 3 Minutes and there’s still a thin head on it. Not getting much aroma to speak of. Some sour fruit, grassy hops. Well carbonated with a nice malt forward flavor. Now I am getting pine notes in the aroma. Decent hop balance. This really is a pretty good red, although I don’t drink many of those. I like the mouthfeel too. It’s really got some body. Nice legs on the glass, and the head is still there! Tasted from the bottle @ 58F.

LIPS OF FAITH COCOA MOLE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:36:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Wonderful spice and malt aroma from the neck. Pours dark amber, looking like an old ale with a nice off-white head. Aroma is a complex blend spices, malt, chocolate, cinnamon, peppers. Flavor is roasted malt, dark chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, herbal, and chilis. medium mouthfeel with nice legs and a LOT of flavor staying power. This beer would be superb to cook with as well, like maybe for fresh oysters. Very nicely done specialty brew! tasted from the bottle @ 60F.

We first tasted the beer at Strange Brewfest and were very excited to find out it had been bottled!

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

Say Hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, chipotle peppers. But don't fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor to our Cocoa Molé. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying, "Ole for molé!"

Der Blokken Black

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:11:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Aroma from the neck is malty, roasted, and carmelized sugar. Pours very dark red with a frothy tan head. The head itself has a hoppy aroma and takes a while to flatten down. Nice legs! Lightly carbonated with a medium to thick body, and nutty malt flavor. Malt forward with a muted but tasty bitter hop on the finish. This is a well balanced sweet stout with just enough hop flavor to make it an interesting and easy to drink stout. Even a bit creamy and slightly sticky with a hint of coffee, chocolate, dark fruit, and biscuit. Tasted from the bottle @ 54F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

Strange Brewfest 8

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:58:00 +0000

I pity the fool, who didn't attend Strange Brewfest! 1,000s of attendees, so many breweries putting out their experimental beers, off-the hook entertainment, and all in a VERY welcoming Port Townsend.
First stop, food: We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Belmont Hotel and my meal was noteworthy. Although lacking in presentation, the Black Angus Burger was amazing. It's all about the meat and how it is prepared, and the Belmont Hotel Kitchen did not dissapoint. Hand-made out of very high quality meat, this is one of the best burgers I have had in years.

And then on to the Brewfest! Pre-paying seems to be the safest way to go, but I end up waiting much longer to get in. This time I was 3rd in line and it took about 20 minutes to get my armband. Why? Because the guy in front of me was a volunteer and not on any of their lists. No matter, I knew it was worth the wait, but that 20 minutes let me into a fully packed room. I heard some grumbling, but we're really not their to be by ourselves. We are there to share the experience that is Strange Brewfest.
Beers I Tried: (not in order)

Pike Brewing Wood Aged Sour Cherry Stout: Recommended by friends and after their awesome 2011 Old Bawdy Barleywine I had to try this. Lots of fruit, sour, and roasted malts. This was very sour and yet quite drinkable. I think this brew would age well too.

Elk Head Chantrelle: I was dissappointed by this year's batch compared to last year, in which I could really distinguish the chantrelle flavor. This year I just didn't get that same high quality mushroom note. Still drinkable.

Silver City Basil Deluxe: I heard a LOT of opinions about this beer being to light or too strong in basil flavor, none of which I agree with. Knowing what basil does in a variety of environments, I knew it would certainly be more subtle than the Rosemary IPA. BUT, it was very well executed, very balanced, and delicious. I would buy that in a store to go with so many foods like fettuccini alfredo, lasagna, well... you get the point.

Silver City Pepper: Wow! There were other pepper beers at the fest that I just didn't want to try because they smelled like stomach surgery, but the Silver City's was very impressive. You can taste all 3 kinds of peppers with just enough roasted pepper to give an underlying sweetness. A delicious take on a fresh pepper beer, very well balanced and very drinkable.

Hale's Cherry Troll Porter: Awesome. Very well balanced, dark fruits, candi sugar, dark malts, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The Hale's staff was especially effective at working the room and their booth and all their beers were quite good.
Hale's Bacon Pale Ale: Another interesting brew. Very bacon yet no floaties! Apparently not made with a bacon extract, but by smoking the grain with bacon. Very clean and drinkable.

Hale's Coconut Troll Porter: Excellent. Not as strange as some, but in my opinion, very marketable. I would can it and put it up against Maui Coconut Porter. The thing about this beer is that coconut and porter just go so well together. You can taste all the key elements, but hey blend together to develop into a very well balanced moderate dark beer.

New Belgium Lips Of Faith Cocoa Mole: Fantastic. Really well executed and VERY drinkable. Just the right amont of chocolate and Spanish mole. At 9% ABV, this beer should age well too. This beer will be hitting the shelves this week, and we will get as many as we can in the Marina Market. You have to try this brew!

Redhook Almond Joy: Loved it! Great mouth feel, malty, nutty, and delicous. Reminded me of Southern Tier Creme Brulee. Very drinkable.

Flyers Jameson Irish Stout: Really nice whiskey stout. Well made, well balanced, and very tasty. This would sell at retail by the pallet.

Cabernet Lager: Unbelievable Cabernet flavor. Amazing. Really this brew is on a very fine line between a wine and beer flavor profile. It would pair with meat dishes extremely well and I would hope it could be sold to restaurants as such.

ENTERTAINMENT: As always, Strange Brewfest brings the best. I loved Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme. Incredibly talented and entertaining, I could enjoy them all night. fb

Big Al Brewing - website
Big Time Brewery - website
Elkhead Brewing Co. - facebook
Fish Brewing Co. - website
Georgetown Brewing Co. - website
Ninkasi Brewing Co. - website
Pike Brewing Co. - website
Port Townsend Brewing Co. - website
Slippery Pig Brewery
Valholl Brewing - website
Wingman Brewers, Inc. - website
Alpenfire Cidery - website
Finnriver Farm & Cidery - website
Hale's Brewery - website
Crispin Cider - website
Elysian Brewing Co. - website
New Belgium Brewery - website
Silver City Brewing Co. - website
North Sound Brewing Co. - website
Flyers Restaurant and Brewery - website
Anacortes Brewery - website
Ram Brewing - website
7 Seas Brewing - website
Fremont Brewing Co. - website
Eaglemount Wine & Cider - website
192 Brewing Co. - website
Emerald City Beer Co. - website
Big Al Brewing - website
Red Hook Brewing Co. - website

OMMEGANG SEDUCTION

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:14:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Aroma is superbly Belgian, dark fruit, malts. Pours very dark with nice tan head. Dark chocolate note on the finish, but nothing too prominent. Well balanced Belgian ale with cherry notes. A little sour on the finish as well. really a true specialty Belgian ale. Tasted @ 56F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

Ommegang Seduction is lovingly brewed with six dark malts. Chocolatier Callebut provides the chocolate, while Liefmans brings the cherries. This international romance is consumated with a full body, alluring aromas and flavors of Belgian chocolate, and tart cherries. Seduction is an ale to be lovingly embraced.Beautiful, rich and smooth, roasty and malty throughout, Seduction offers balanced chocolate-cherry notes, a bit of caramel sweetness, and a long, slow finish. Seduction is welcoming and warm-hearted, gently hopped and harbors no bitterness, leaving only a lingering glow.

SILVER CITY IMPERIAL STOUT

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:25:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
Bottle: Aroma from the neck very malty, chocolate, coffee, & alcohol note. Pours black with a nice tan head that dissipates into a halo. Huge roasted malt nose and flavor, coffee, woody, and a bit of heat. Notes of cherries, chocolate, carmelized sugar nicely balanced with hops and alcohol. Medium bodied and easy drinking. This is very smooth for such a young Imperial Stout. Slightly sticky and just enough sweetness to be right where I like my beers. Delicious. I am interested to see how this ages, but predict with the 9.2% ABV, hops, and residual sugar, this beer should age quite well. It reminds me of Panther Lake Porter in balance, and I know that beer ages VERY well. Tasted @ 68.2F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
An extremely black beer with massive roasted malt character balanced with assertive hopping from Northwest Chinook hops, fruity esters and a sinister alcohol content. Brewed in late fall/early winter and a is limited release.

AWARDS:

2007 North American Beer Awards: Bronze Medal Winner

2005 North American Beer Awards: Silver Medal Winner

2004 Great American Beer Festival: Silver Medal Winner

2004 North American Beer Awards: Gold Medal Winner

MORE BROWN THAN BLACK IPA

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Super fruity wet hop aroma from the bottle. Mango, pineapple, and sweet smelling. Pours medium brown, with off-white head and lots of flotsom. This isn't just cloudy...it has chunkage. The head recedes slowly, larger bubbles in the center, and very fine around the rim. Aroma in the glass is still VERY tropical (I suspect from Citra Hops) and there is a bit of a swing towards piney and malts. So much fruit though, like strawberries. Dirty hop-forward flavor. Not what I was expecting after such a tropical nose. Not much body, bitter on the finish, but I am not getting anything in the middle. Perhaps because of the yeasties, this bottle is a little rough and maybe I poured it too soon or too roughly. I had noticed there wasn't much head, so I raised the bottle up and poured faster to get a head to develop. The head in fact is still clinging to the glass some 10 minutes later. I am not sure what the IBU is on this, but it seems quite high, and I also have to note that the ABV is completely masked by the interesting hop flavors. And the name really says it, in that this is certainly more IPA than black ale. In fact it really seems like a double IPA to me. I am getting more fruit, again sweet strawberry-ish on the very end of the finish. It is a very interesting brew to be sure. I am enjoying it. Tasted from the bottle @ 52.3F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

One of the many unfortunate casualties of Hurricane Irene was The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury, VT, which was completely flooded and destroyed. When Stone Brewing Co. Brewmaster Mitch Steele heard of the loss, he immediately sent out an email to The Alchemist Head Brewer John Kimmich asking if there was anything he could do to help.

“John’s wife, Jen, wrote back suggesting that John fly out to Southern California for a few days… just to get a break from the reality of everything,” Mitch said. “And almost as an afterthought, she casually mentioned that maybe we could even brew something together. I ran with it.“

Mitch asked Jamie Floyd, Brewer/Co-founder of Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, OR, if he wanted to complete the brewing trifecta, and he immediately jumped on board.
In November, the three brewers came together and brewed “The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone More Brown Than Black IPA.” It was quite the occasion, so we made a nifty video about the beer and the brewday:

CABOOSE OATMEAL STOUT

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:22:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Smokey aroma from the bottle. Pours black with nice tan head. Some legs, but dissipates to a thin halo in about 1 minute. This one lets NO light through. Aroma of sweet malts, herbs, and dark fruit from the glass. Very smokey malted flavor with only a slight hint of bittering hops. Carmelized brown sugar...The mouth feel is wicked nice, thick and a bit oily. Slight tartness on the finish, lingering sweet, smokey, and salty flavor. A little less oatmeal and more towards a sweet smoked stout. But then again, when I think of an American Stout, this is what I envision. As it warms up, the oatmeal seems to come more into play. Very enjoyable! Tasted @ 51F.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

This Oatmeal Stout is dark brown to almost black in color with a rich cream colored head. It has a pleasant, full-bodied, smooth flavor profile with an aromatic blend of coffee, oats, and roasted malts. A long, rich and smooth finish with a subtle dark chocolate finish. This oatmeal stout is something great to behold, enjoy!

HALE'S BARREL AGED WEE HEAVY

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:
2012: Heavy wood aroma from the neck. Pours dark amber with a very nice thick off-white head. Bourbon, Malt, and wood aroma from the glass. Big bourbon & wood flavor. Strong bourbon, wood, flavor with some bittering mixed in. Medium mouth-feel, and still a bit hot. Nice offering from Hale’s Ales! Tasted from the bottle at 57.9F.

2011: Aroma of malts, wood, and booze from the neck. Pours cloudy, red/amber, with a very THICK tan head. Aroma is amazing. It just smells like Heaven. So much malt, dark sugars, and wood on the nose. Nice full mouthfeel, sweet wood character and a surprising note of bitter hops. Tastes stronger (hotter) than the stated ABV, and I am really interested to see how this ages. Lots of vanilla but overwhelmed by the booze. And I do get some slight vegetal note that I can’t quite place. It’s fleeting though, and may just be a bit of a grassy note in with the hops. I’ll save one for a few months and report back! Tasted from the bottle @ 60F.
RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

MANUFACTURER DESCRIPTION:
We reserved a small amount of our Winter Ale for this special treatment. Aged in used oak bourbon barrels for 6 months, the beer has flavors that bring to mind currants, caramel, and bourbon. Enjoy!

J.K.'S ORGANIC SOLSTICE HARD CIDER

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:39:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Aroma from the neck: Fruit, floral/roses, cinnamon & other spices. Pours slightly cloudy golden with moderate carbonation. Easy drinking, with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of a pucker on the end. Very well balanced with not much alcohol note. This is a sweet, aromatic, and VERY enjoyable cider. Kind of a cross between Martinelli's and a spiced cider. Nice and full bodied, and I would guess welcomed by nearly everyone as a good afternoon Winter warmer. Goes really nice with pumpkin pie! Tasted @ 50F.

RATING: ratebeer.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

As the sun arcs low in the mid day sky, this year's harvest is slowly fermenting in its winter slumber. Everyone here at the Orchard enjoys a few halcyon days to remember the hard work in the last year's harvest. We look forward to next year's crop of apples. To warm ourselves in the cold northern solstice we enjoy our winter cider. Lightly spiced with ethically traded cinnamon, vanilla and a wee drop of syrup from our old Maple trees on our farm. Enjoy this wonderful cider cool or gently warmed, savor a tipple to reflect on your last year and bountiful new year beginning.

ORGANIC - GLUTEN FREE - SULFITE FREE - SORBATE FREE

HARMON IMPERIAL RED ALE

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:04:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet sugary malts and a touch of hops from the neck. Pours clear red with a thin but sturdy off-white head. Lots of bubbles clinging to the glass. Aroma of pine, candi sugar, and malt. Lots of hops in the flavor though. Sweet, medium bittered ale, with a little salt and hops. Seems very slightly acetic. Viscous, medium bodied, with a mild finish. The finish does linger on the palate though. Imperial Red? This really leans towards old ale or barleywine style ale IMO, and that's why I like it. Tasted from the bottle @ 52F.

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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

A well balanced red ale with a healthy dose of caramel malts - this brew leaves an empire of flavor in your mouth!

BLACK BOSS PORTER

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholic) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:37:00 +0000

TASTING NOTES:

Aroma from the neck is a malt lover's dream come true! Caramel, alcohol notes, sugary goodness. Pours very dark amber and with some coaxing, a thin tan head. Huge aroma of malts and dark fruit, cherry, plum, and carmelized sugars. The head dissipates fairly quickly but leaves a nice set of legs clinging to the glass. Although very dark in the glass, a flashlight reveals this beer is essentially red. Wicked red. Flavors of toasted grain, a little smoke, malts, and virtually zero hop. The flavor is much more subdued than the aroma IMO. Body is medium, slightly viscous, and tart on the finish. I also get some notes of sherry. Tasted @ 55F from the 330ml bottle.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

Original Polish Porter, brewed since 1848.