Sunday, November 29, 2015

Brasserie d'Ecaussines Ultra Ambree

This 7.0% ABV amber ale is from the Brasserie d'Ecaussines in Ecaussines, Belgium.

The beer pours a hazy dark amber and medium-dark brown in color. There is a short head of off-white foam, not long-lasting. The aroma is sweet, malty, rich, caramel, sherry, sweet potato. The taste follows the aromas, very malty, sweet, but with a dry finish, hitting dark caramel and sherry notes. The carbonation is light. The beer drinks easy and hides its 7.0% ABV well.  




Leibinger Seeradler Classik

This radler, or shandy, a mix of lemonade and beer, is from the Brauerei Max Leibinger in Ravensburg, Germany. 

The beer pours a clear and very pale, sun-bleached straw yellow and golden. There is an inch of white, foamy head, thick like whipped egg whites. The aroma is straightforward, lemon juice and lager, with the pleasant sulphurous note of the German lager style. The taste follows the aromas, becoming lemon curd on lightly toasted bread. The beer drinks easy with a crisp carbonation.


Kinkaider Dan the Wiser

The Kinkaider Brewing Company is from Broken Bow, Nebraska. This is their 6.2% ABV kolsch-style ale.

The beer pours a clear pale yellow golden in color. There is a half-inch of white head, not long lasting. The aroma is grain and lightly fruity. The taste is lightly sweet golden grain, with a lightly bitter grassy finish. The beer drinks smooth and easy, with a light tingle of carbonation.  


Confluence Belgian-Style Dubbel Ale

The Confluence Brewing Company is in Des Moines, Iowa. They have been commercially available for some time in howlers sold at liquor stores, but are now starting to release some bottled specials. This 8.4% ABV Belgian-style Dubbel ale is part of a limited release Virtuous Endeavor Series of bottle-conditioned Belgian Style beers (a Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadruple).

The beer pours a hazy dirty amber and dark dried apricot in color. There is a half-inch of fizzing off-white to very light tan head. The aroma is tangy, fruity, malty, vinous. There is caramel, dark fruits, and light wine. The taste is rich, sweet, malty, but with a dry finish. There is much caramel, along with dark fruits. The taste is bright and refreshing. The beer drinks with a fine, intense, refreshing carbonation. There is a light vinous note in the aftertaste. This is very enjoyable.




Renegade Redacted Rye IPA

This is 7.0% ABV rye India Pale Ale from the Renegade Brewing Company of Denver, Colorado. 

The beer pours a lightly hazed dark apricot to light amber in color. There is a relatively short head of off-white foam. The aroma is rye, herbs, and old-fashioned bubble gum. The taste is lightly toasted rye bread with jelly. The finish is dry and lightly bitter. The beer drinks easy with a crisp carbonation. I find rye IPA's to be hit and miss.  They can be very good, but are often of uneven quality. This one is unspectacular.


Baraboo Hayrack Brown IPA

Baraboo Beers are a proprietary brand of the Hy-Vee chain of Midwestern supermarkets.  The beers are contract brewed by Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This brown IPA (that's a style now?) features dark Munich malts and Australian Enigma hops.

The beer pours a deep dark amber and medium-dark brown in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of off-white. The aroma is roasted and sweet caramel malt and a tangy, citrus fruitiness. The taste follows the aromas, malt both roasty and sweet, along with tangy, fruity hops, with orange and berries. The finish is dry with a light to moderate bitterness. The beer drinks easy and smooth, with tingling carbonation.  


Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc

This is a 5.0% ABV white beer from the Brasseries Kronenbourg in Strasbourg, France. It is brewed with spices and natural flavors, the bottle not being anymore specific than that. White beers generally have orange peel and coriander.

The beer pours a cloudy light lemon yellow. There is about an inch of pure white foaming head. The aroma is bright and tangy citrus, and light coriander over toasted grain. The taste follows the aromas, very fruity, tangy and citrus, light herbal, and light toasted grain. The beer drinks smooth with a light stinging tingle of carbonation. This is bland and artificial tasting as white beers go, and I would not repeat.  


Friday, November 27, 2015

Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale

This 6.5% ABV Belgian-style blonde ale is from the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. Ommegang is part of the Duvel family, and is essentially a Belgian brewery plopped down in New York State. It is one of their special releases tied to the HBO television series Game of Thrones. It was the first release, and the only one in the series I had missed. Luckily, they re-released it this fall and I was able to pick up a bottle.

The beer pours golden yellow, with a light haze. There is a tall, foaming, fizzing, head of white foam, with ragged bubbles. The aroma is sweet, grain, bread, honey, floral, with a bit of a fruity tang as well, yeast esters. The taste follows the aromas note for note. While there is ample sweetness, the beer finishes dry, with a light floral and grassy bitterness. The beer has the intense and fine carbonation of bottle conditioning.  


Two Brothers Heavy Handed 2015: Centennial

This 6.7% ABV beer is a wet hop IPA from the Two Brothers Brewing Company of Warrenville, Illinois near Chicago. It has 65 IBU's and the 2015 version features Centennial hops. 

The beer pours a deep copper in color. There is about an inch of thick, sticky, foamy head, off-white in color. The aroma is oranges, orange rind, orange oil, sweet, yet with a fruity tang. The taste follows the aromas directly, laying the hops on ample malt. It drinks smooth, with a moderately bitter, and dry finish.



Thursday, November 26, 2015

Sixpoint The Crisp

The Sixpoint Brewery is in Brooklyn, New York. This is a 5.4% ABV hopped up lager.


The beer pours golden and yellow. There is a tall, foaming head of white, that fizzles down relatively quickly, leaving sticky lace. The aroma is toasted grain and fresh tall grass, overlain with floral and fruity hops. The taste follows the aromas, grain with floral and fruity hops, with a grassy bitter finish.  



Sixpoint Bengali

The Sixpoint Brewery is in Brooklyn, New York. This is a 6.5% ABV and 69 IBU India Pale Ale.

The beer pours orange and honey golden. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of white to just off-white. The aroma is big citrus, sweet and tangy oranges abound, a bit of tropical fruit skins, over toasted grain. The taste follows the aromas directly, ending with a moderately bitter finish, and a fruit and light pine tang of hops. This is a nice orange bomb of an IPA. The beer drinks very smooth.  


Jackie O's Chomolungma Honey Nut Brown Ale

This is a 6.5% ABV brown ale brewed with wildflower honey from Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio. The can says it is brewed in honor of Brian Oestrike's May 23, 2007 summit of Mount Everest.


The beer pours a very dark brown, nearing black in color. There is an inch of foaming off-white to light tan head. The aroma is honey sweet, toasted grain, like honey nut Cheerios. The taste follows the aromas, there is some sweetness, but the toasted grain in the aroma rises to roastiness, throwing off nutty notes and dark roasted notes, and also some dark fruit or berry notes. Despite the sweetness in the taste, the roastiness takes over and brings a dry finish, but light on the bitterness. The beer drinks smooth with a tingling and fluffy carbonation.  




Three Floyds Deesko!

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. This is their 6.5% ABV take on the tart Berliner Weisse style. Yes, that is some Euro "Sprockets" type dude driving a WWI German tank on the label.

The beer pours a very lightly hazed golden yellow in color. There is a short and thin head of white foam. The aroma is tart, woody, with a vinous fruitiness like green white wine. The taste is tart and fruity, with a light earthy, woodiness. The tartness here is wonderful, it is a flavorful tartness that does not overwhelm the palate. The beer drinks smooth, with very light carbonation, perfect for sipping. This is one of the most drinkable and enjoyable sour beers I have tried; highly recommended.


Elevator Ghost Scorpion Lager

This 5.0% ABV lager is brewed with Ghost (Bhut Jolokia) and Trinidad Scorpion chiles, the two hottest peppers in the world. The bottle calls it the world's hottest beer (spoiler alert: it is).  The Elevator Brewing Company is in Columbus, Ohio.

The beer pours a cloudy, dirty-looking brown amber. There is a tall head of very fizzy off-white to light brown foam. It fizzes down to nothing quickly like pop. The aroma is strong of hot, hot peppers. There is also a sweet and tangy fruit note behind the hot pepper notes. The beer is scorching, scorching, hot, hot peppers. The peppers have a nice earthy, roasted note, but it is immediately wiped out by throat burning heat. This is the absolute hottest hot pepper beer I have ever tried. Sip it slow or you'll burn your throat. It is hard to imagine there is one hotter. Unfortunately, it is so hot, it is very difficult to drink, and I enjoy very spicy foods. This would probably be best as an ingredient in chili or similar spicy foods.


Jackie O's Razz Wheat

This 5.5% ABV wheat ale fermented with all natural raspberry puree is from Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio.

The beer pours dark orange and light amber, with a touch of haze. There is a short and short-lived white head. The aroma is like smelling a tray of fresh raspberries, with a bit of toasted wheat beneath. The taste is a mixture of the aromas, with the toasted wheat more to the front, but battling with the raspberries. The raspberry is a bit less fresh in the taste than in the aroma, but it perks back up in the aftertaste. The beer finishes dry with a mild bitterness. I am conflicted on raspberries. I love fresh raspberries, I hate anything that is only raspberry flavored. That leaves me conflicted on this beer, love the aroma, don't like the taste much, do like the aftertaste.


Goose Island Fulton St. Blend Coffee Ale

This is a blonde  coffee ale from the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois (now owned by AB-InBev). It uses coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee and is 5.5% ABV.

The beer pours a dark golden in color, just a touch hazed. There is a short, thin, and short-lived head of white foam. The aroma is an explosion of fresh coffee, fresh roasted beans, freshly ground, freshly brewed, cold-pressed, a coffee shop of coffee notes. The taste follows the aromas directly, intense, bright, and fresh coffee, coffee and coffee. The beer drinks easy and carbonated. If you like coffee, you'll love this beer, but if you don't like coffee, avoid at all costs because this is the most coffee coffee-beer I have had.


Titletown Johnny Blood Red

This is an Irish style red ale from Titletown Brewing in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It takes its name from John "Blood" McNally a Pro Football Hall of Fame player. He played from 1925 to 1941 for several teams, including the Green Bay Packers.

The beer pours reddish-brown with a short and thin head of off-white foam. The aroma is malty, toasted, lightly roasted, with much caramel, a bit nutty, and a light note of coffee. The taste follows the aromas, a delightful malt bomb, roasted, toasted, caramel, nutty. It finishes dry with a moderate bitterness. The beer drinks easy. This is really good!


Saturday, November 21, 2015

Gigantic Brewing Company Solid!

This is a 6.0% ABV hoppy American Wheat Ale from the Gigantic Brewing Company of Portland, Oregon. It is also number 30 in their endless series of artist collaborations on the label art for their limited release beers, this one with Japanese artist Nigamushi-Tsuyoshi. The label has a great quote, "Don't fear what happens if you keep going on this road. With fear, there will be no road. If you give one step, the step becomes a road. Go on without fear. Then you will find out."

The beer pours a hazed golden orange and apricot in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of white to off-white. The aroma is lightly musky, with tropical fruits, mangoes, and very light passion fruit and guava. The taste follows the aromas, with earthy and somewhat musky tropical fruit, over toasted and crackery malt. There is a fruity tang that goes into a moderately bitter finish. The beer drinks easy, smooth and round, with a tingling carbonation. This is quite enjoyable.  



Friday, November 20, 2015

Madtree Galaxy High

This Imperial IPA has a whopping 10.2% ABV and 120 IBU's. It is from Madtree Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Not surprisingly, it uses Galaxy hops, along with Topaz.

The beer pours a hazy orange golden and apricot. There is an inch of thick, foamy white to just off-white head. The aroma is overripe melons, and tropical fruit, passion fruit and mango skins. It is sweet and fruity, yet tangy. The taste follows the aromas, it is very big and sweet. However, the finish is mostly dry, with a moderate bitterness, tempered only by the big sweetness. The alcohol warms and the end is a bit spicy. The beer drinks full, smooth, round, with a subtle tingling of carbonation.


Three Floyds Lord Rear Admiral Special Bitter Ale

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. This is their 6.8% ABV take on the Extra Special Bitter style.

The beer pours a deep, gem-like, amber and copper in color, with tints of dark orange. There is an inch of thick, foamy, light tan head. The aroma is toasted malt and lemon, like toast with lemon curd on it. The taste follows the aromas, well-toasted and lightly roasty malt, with a lemony fruit note. As you drink, notes of tea come in, with a light hint of spicy tobacco. There is some sweetness, but the finish is dry and moderately bitter. The beer drinks easy and smooth with a crisp and tingling carbonation.  



Root Sellers' Row Hard Root Beer

This 6.7% ABV hard root beer is from Root Sellers' Formidable Fermentables from Memphis, Tennessee (according to the can, although they appear to hail from Columbia, Missouri by their website). 

The beer pours a very dark brown and dark ruby, nearing black. There is a fizzy head of tan that fizzles away very quickly. The aroma is mostly root beer, a bit boozy, with a tang like very cheap lager. The taste follows the aromas, root beer and horrible, tangy cheap, cheap lager. It is overly sweet and vomit like. It is fizzy like pop and syrupy all at once. This is atrocious, and a drain pour. I'm off to the kitchen sink. I am so glad I found a single of this and did not get a six pack.

I'm done trying these hard root beers, but Not Your Father's is easily the best of the three I tried.



Coney Island Brewing Hard Root Beer

The Coney Island Brewing Company is from Brooklyn, New York. This 5.8% ABV hard root beer is brewed in collaboration with the Boston Beer Company.

The beer pours a very dark brown to mahogany, along with dark ruby. It pours like pop, with a light brown foam that bubbles immediately away. The aroma is heavy on the sarsparilla, like a root beer barrel candy, and birch beer. The taste follows the aromas directly, it is overly sweet for my taste, and is so strong in its root beer herbals that it becomes almost menthol in the finish for a brief moment. It drinks like a syrupy pop. Too sweet for me, I wouldn't drink it again.


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Shiner Wicked Ram IPA

Shiner beers come from the Spoetzel Brewery in Shiner, Texas (pop. 2,070). This 6.0% ABV and 55 IBU India Pale Ale is their latest release and their first IPA.

The beer pours a light amber and copper in color. There is a tall, foamy head of white to off-white. The aroma is grassy, citrusy, with some floral. The taste is grassy and citrus hops over toasted malt. It finishes with a mild bitterness. The beer drinks smooth and round, with a tingle of carbonation. This is a drinkable beer, but more like an English pale ale than an American IPA. I've said this before, Shiner does a great job with different types of lagers, but they aren't good yet at the hopped up styles.


Saturday, November 14, 2015

18th Street Brewery Death Trapp Door

This 9.5% ABV Belgian-style ale is from the 18th Street Brewery in the unique Miller's Beach neighborhood of Gary, Indiana. It is about a mile from the shores and sand dunes of Lake Michigan.

The beer pours dark brown and ruby in color. There is a short and short-lived head of light tan foam. The aroma is darkened sugar, dark fruits, raisins, grapes, sweet, yet tangy, a light vinous note. The taste follows the aromas, adding in caramel. The beer is rich, and sweet, yet the finish is dry. The beer drinks smooth, with a background tingling of carbonation. It is a bit spicy on the finish, adding in an alcohol warmth.