Bocks (or their imperial variant) are a hard beer style to do correctly; a number of bocks end up being toasted sugar bombs without much depth. Cleveland, Ohio’s Portside Distillery has crafted something special in their Gambrinus Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Bock. There is a good amount of malt that is immediately present, a taste that is quickly muted with hints of vanilla and bourbon granted it during its time…
Toaster Pastry marks the previous life of 21st Amendment’s facilities; this effort is described by San Leandro’s 21st Amendment as an “India style red ale”. The beer’s name is a bit of a misnomer, but what ultimately results from Toaster Pastry is an eminently drinkable beer that takes the best points of the IPA and red styles and melds them together seamlessly. There is a good malt presence that imbues…
Left Hand Brewing Company (Longmont, Colorado) has released their latest seasonal, Oktoberfest. The beer is a marzen with a dark yellow / light mahogany coloration. There is a decent tannish to brown head that laces its way down the glass, with has good amounts of sweet and malt elements. The 6.6% ABV of Left Hand’s Oktoberfest calms down the sweeter elements of the beer; instead of taking on a more…
Bergamonster Imperial Wheat is the latest offering in Two Roads Brewing’s Road Less Traveled Series. This unfiltered wheat ale pours with a light yellow coloration and a small amount of whitish head. Lacing is pretty thick along a glass. Two Roads’ imperial wheat ale packs a kick at 8.2% ABV, blending together a strong alcohol bite with sweeter (the titular Bergamot, lemon, and orange) and hoppier elements.
The inclusion of coffee into the latest Maui Brewing Company seasonal, Doppelshot Doublebock does a good job at hiding some of the overly sweet elements that can sometimes be discerned from the bock style. Doppelshot pours with a hazy dark brown – light orange coloration and a small amount of wispy white head that trails its way down a glass or mug. The ABV (8.2%) is similarly well hidden with…
Great Raft’s Commotion APA pours with a yellow/gold coloration and a solid amount of fluffy white head. Lacing traces its way down the glass, showcasing the progression that one has on the beer. The ale’s nose is heavy with mango, pine, and caramel.
The Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale pours with a hazy coloration and a good amount of whitish head. One can easily taste rthe different sides of Blue Moon’s latest seasonal; the hazy hefeweizen-esque notes of the Blue Moon poke through while the cinnamon notes are much more strongly noticed. There is a bit of creaminess that puts the beer more in line with a nitro mouthfeel.
New Belgium has thought long and hard, reformulating their Trippel. The beer pours with a gold/yellow color and a small amount of head that laces its way down the bottle. The nose of this trippel is sugary and sweet, something that is moderated well by wheat and malt elements when one takes their initial sip. The high-ABV of this beer is hidden perfectly through these bold flavors of banana, cereal,…
Aspen Brewing Company’s 10th Mountain is an imperial oatmeal stout, an absolutely delectable beer that pours with an extremely dark brown to black coloration and a good amount of tannish head that is slow to dissipate. There is little that is given up with the initial nose of this imperial oatmeal stout, but the silken mouthfeel and bold tobacco, chocolate, and barley elements make for a dangerous combination. The beer…
Upland’s (Bloomington, Indiana) Oktoberfest offering pours with a light orange coloration and a small amount of offwhite head. The good amount of malt present in Upland’s take on the typical Oktoberfest offering is matched perfectly with a decent alcohol bite. A small amount of hops are included in the overall flavor profile to stave off the sweetness present in the marzen style. The crispness of this beer is unheard of…
Morning Glory is an espresso stout that hits the perfect balance between coffee and chocolate, sweetness and bitterness that makes for an eminently drinkable beer that goes down dangerously easy. The beer pours with a dark brown color and a good amount of tannish head which is slow to dissipate. The initial nose of Morning Glory is reminiscent of dark chocolate. The inclusion of Mt. Hood and Cascade Hops…
The night that we visited the Burntwood Tavern in Cuyahoga Falls we were worried about getting to the restaurant; the sheer amount of rain that was falling made it a challenge to pull in. Rather than get drenched on the short walk from the car to the entrance, the Burntwood Tavern offers valet parking to keep one out of the crazy northeast Ohio climate.
Farm Dog pours with a dirty brown to copper coloration and a small amount of rapidly-disappearing off-white head. There is little in the way of barnhouse and yeast notes that issue forth on the initial nose, while the first sip provides imbibers with a good amount of sweetness before a warming, slightly boozy rush makes its presence known. A good bit of spice adds further variety to this ale, while…
Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale is a beer that pours with a dark brown to orange color and a small amount of slightly off-white head. The KPBA is slightly thicker than many ales in the same unctuous fashion. The nose provides hints of toasted malt, sugar, spices (cinnamon, clove) and a little bit of spice. Where there is a tendency for pumpkin beers to go overboard in regards to the outright…
In Memory Of… is a pilsner that Baltimore, Maryland’s Full Tilt Brewing has crafted to help out The Military Relief Fund of Maryland. With this beer, Full Tilt has created an eminently drinkable pilsner that is able to refresh and quench one’s thirst while having enough nuance to the beer to keep individuals interested over an entirety of a session with In Memory Of…. The beer pours with a light…
Oktoberfest, the latest from Milwaukee’s Sprecher Brewery, pours with a dark brown to mahogany coloration. The beer has a small amount of off-white to tan head that is fairly persistent. Oktoberfest’s nose yields hints of sugar and toffee while the first sip of the beer has good amounts of grain and malt present themselves to imbibers. Dark fruits (figs, prunes) are prevalent while the toasted character of the beer provides…
Cape May Brewing Company’s Devil’s Reach pours with a hazy, goldenrod to yellow color and a small amount of wispy head that dissipates quickly. There is a small amount of carbonation and a tart nose that issues forth from the beer. A good amount of grain and a sharp alcohol note make for a complex array of flavors; the crispness of the resulting brew is one that will keep individuals…
Exit 4 American Trippel is a complex effort that pours with a clear golden color and a good amount of white head that laces itself down the glass. The beer has a small amount of sweet and malt that can be discerned from its nose, while the first sip links together grain, malt, bananas, and figs before a stronger alcohol burn sneaks its way in. The Exit 4 is well-balanced…
There are not a large number of breweries that actively put out beers in the Wee Heavy style, but San Clemente’s Left Coast Brewing has crafted a massive effort in their Get in My Belly. The beer pours with a mahogany coloration and a small amount of off-white to tan head. There is little in the way of carbonation to this effort, while the mouthfeel is thick and luxurious. There…
Saint Archer’s Mosaic IPA is a masterful blend of strong Mosaic hops with enough malt and alcohol burn, creating an eminently drinkable beer that bursts forth with additional flavors at every turn. The beer pours with a golden-yellow coloration and a good amount of creamy white head. This head laces its way down a glass, showcasing the progress that one has made on the beer. Citrus fruit and tart elements…