The sheer fruit nose of the beer, Smuttynose’s latest Short Batch effort, makes for something that is eminently drinkable. The effort has just enough in the way of bitterness to make for a very distinctive and complex take on a Berliner Weisse. The inclusion of the sour Rhubarb (100 pounds) alongside the Strawberries (924 pounds) spins the beer off into a bold new direction. The problem with the Weisse format…
Stone has decided to celebrate their 17th anniversary in a huge fashion, and have created their Götterdämmerung IPA to both provide a blast of hoppy goodness alongside a substantial alcohol bite. The beer pours clearly with a light copper color, providing imbibers with hints of flowers and grass. The initial sip ties together pilsner and IPA styles, allowing the immense drinkability of the pilsner style to be pushed into a…
Unity Vibration is a different type of brewery, gathering most of its notoriety from producing premium Living Kombucha Tea. Unity Vibration’s owners Rachel and Terek Kanaan stepped out of the box and created Unity Vibration Kombucha beer. We had the pleasure of tasting their Peach Bourbon Wild American Ale. This beer was a unique experience, first you can’t just “crack” open the bottle, this stuff is very carbonated. You have…
Pale ales have been largely passed over with the popularity of India pale ales, but Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale looks to establish a renaissance for the style. Whether in cans or on tap, the Dale’s Pale Ale has more of a backbone than competing efforts. I feel that it is the vigor and spirit that makes for an inimitable beer. The initial pour provides individuals with a fairly thick,…
The Scotch Ale style blends the bitterness of hops with the fullness of malt. The MacBubba hits all of the high notes of the style while providing enough unique flavor to make it a go-to beer. The amber / brown pour provides a nice cream colored head, while the initial sip yields hints of caramel, raisin, molasses and just enough burn to keep things lively. The inclusion of peated…
Odyssey is an oak-aged (to the tune of 6 months conditioning) ale, which tops the scales at 10.4% ABV. The beer pours incredibly dark and brown, yielding a lighter tan shade for the head. There is a strong flavor that yields hints of vanilla, bourbon, oak and bits of hop towards the end of each quaff. Subsequent sips will provide imbibers with fruit (berry) and chocolate notes. As the beer…
Vampire Slayer is a dark elixir, one that blends equal parts chocolate and cream
For those that have access to the Alaskan Stout, they should immediately search out a bottle. This is due to the smooth mouthfeel, absolutely dark color ,and full head that pours from each beer. The slightly heavier ABV (5.7%) allows for a hint of burn to moderate the coffee and caramel flavors that are present. With subsequent sips, bits of smoke and toasted malt become evident. Makes the beer…
While there seems to be a desire for individuals to want the lighter and more fruit-flavored beers during the summer months, I feel that porters provide a perfect counter-point to a big meal or long day of work. Summit’s Great Northern Porter is a rich brew that pours with an intimidatingly dark head and body. The lacing that remains stands in stark opposition to the dark coloration…
Brownstone is an amazing brown ale, blending sweetness with a bite. Sixpoint is pegged at 6.0%, a shade higher than most brown ales. I feel that the additional alcohol works nicely with hints of fruit and bitterness provided by the hops. There is a decidedly more creamy feel to Brownstone that makes the beer eminently drinkable, a hint to the complexity that is present. As one begins on the second…
This imperial stout is one of the most memorable that we have experienced; Bear Republic has created a delectable array of styles and flavors with the Big Bear Black Stout. Served cold in a 22 ounce bottle, the beer pours incredibly dark, with a small, tan head sitting on the top. As one continues to drink the Big Bear Black Stout, a light amount of lacing will occur. When individuals…
Goose Island is celebrating their 25th Anniversary, and has brewed a special beer to commemorate the occasion. This beer – their 25th Anniversary Ale – is Goose Island’s take on the ESB style. What results in this Anniversary Ale is something that is a complex and intricate experience. The bottle pours nicely, with a large head that sticks around; the beer has an orange / copper hue that makes the…
ParadoX is an interesting beer – a Session IPA, the sharpest sides of the IPA style have been rounded off by a bit of cream and floral flavors. The 5.30% ABV of ParadoX is perfect to maintain the fruit (grapefruit, lemon) flavors while providing an imbiber with a filling and refreshing body. The immediate IPA bite that is encountered rapidly dissolves, allowing the sweet side of ParadoX to shine…
80-Acre is a beer that will be at home in countless bars across the United States, but has a decidedly more complex mouth feel than anything that would be on tap. The intersection of biting hops and more smooth wheat notes create a complex flavor that will showcase distinct elements with each subsequent sip. A pour yields a fairly thick head along with a slight bit of carbonation; the…
3Beans is a strong porter that Sixpoint has released, and it is perhaps one of the most complex beers that we have had the chance to review. Each can of 3Beans represents a unification of disparate elements, beginning with the inclusion of Romano beans. These beans continue much to the vastness of the beer, and are united with cacao beans sited from Mast Brothers Chocolate. 3Beans is made complete…
This is one heavy beer. Our introduction to the beers of the Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company is a 6.4% ABV stout which pours incredibly dark. With each initial sip, a distinctive dark malt flavor touches upon coffee, chocolate, and the bitterness of chicory. The mouthfeel of the Steam Engine Stout quickly dissipates, allowing for a refreshed taste with every sip. For every hint of bite or bitterness, there is a…
There is no sense that this beer is 11.1%. There is a silky smoothness that will draw imbibers in, while the cloying sweetness (and lack of an alcoholic bite) will allow individuals to sip with (measured) abandon. In the John Barleycorn Barleywine, there is a warming effect that sticks around long after the beer is drank. Hints of caramel, fig and even slight notes of vanilla will appear in each…
Swing is a wonderful break from the masses of heavy or hoppy efforts that have been everywhere through the fall and winter. Swing, what Victory calls a “session Saison) is pegged at a 4.50% ABV. The hazy initial flow of Swing provides a decently large heads. Initial tastes that become prevalent here include citrus (orange, lemon) and coriander notes and bits of pepper, opening up into something that is…
Ebel’s Weiss Beer is our introduction to Two Brothers Brewing Company, and represents an entry in the Hefeweizen style. The initial sip of the beer is bold and provides imbibers with hints of cloves, spice, and lemon. Ebel’s Weiss pours nicely, with a very thick head and lacing remaining after each sip. The mouthfeel of the beer gradually fades to allow the beer to become eminently drinkable, while the…
Abita Fall Fest is the latest seasonal from perhaps the best brewery in Louisiana; this is a lager that has a considerably larger and more bold flavor than similar efforts on the market. This is due to the inclusion of Hallertau and German Perle hops, which pushes the IBUs up to 20. The bold malt and hop attitude of the Fall Fest distinguishes it from the rest of Oktoberfest…