Category: Beer Reviews

Posted on: January 6, 2017 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Apricot Sour (Perrin)

Perrin released two new offerings to their sour series, an Apricot Sour and an Amber Saison Sour. After a few months aging in their bottle,w e decided to crack open a bottle of their Apricot Sour. The beer pours with a dark orange coloration and a fair amount of white head that reluctantly dissipates. With the initial and early sips, imbibers will be impressed with the good amount of wheat notes that…

Posted on: January 2, 2017 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Jackie O’s 11th Anniversary Extravaganza Set for 1/6-1/7

Jackie O’s is planning on going hard this weekend. On Friday (1/6) and Saturday (1/7), the brewery is inviting imbibers in for one of the hottest parties of the year. 64 taps are split between between the taproom, BrewPub, and the Public House. The sheer amount of rarities, new variants, and old favorites are enough that individuals should search out lodging and a taxi for the weekend.

Posted on: December 4, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 1

Parabajava 2016 (Firestone Walker)

Firestone Walker does not distribute in Ohio. It is a sad fact of life but it means that any time we make it to a state that has Firestone Walker distribution, we have to pick up a bottle. The company has just released the 2016 variety of their popular Imperial coffee Stout power up by Java. This beer which is pegged at about 13% ABV pours with a chocolate brown…

Posted on: November 9, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Ditto (Session IPA)

A number of breweries are trying their hand at finding the perfect balance between a low ABV and a strong hop forward flavor profile. Pyramid has offered up their Ditto, a session IPA which hits a number of the marks to make for a solid effort. There is a fair amount of floral and piney hop notes that are immediately present after the initial sip. A wheaty, grain-heavy backbone allows these more oily…

Posted on: November 3, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Brandy Barrel-Aged Coffee Porter (Tusk & Grain)

Saint Archer has released some stellar offerings in their Tusk & Grain imprint but it was not until their latest bottle released that we had the chance to try them out. The company has just released two variants of a Coffee Porter, a brew that comes in with a wallop. The Brandy barrel-aged version hovers around the 13% mark while the tequila and bourbon barrel-aged variant nearly reaches the 11% mark. This…

Posted on: October 25, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Night Marcher (Rivertown)

Night Marcher is Rivertown’s Brett-conditioned pale ale, and is one of the most unique beers that we have covered or even experienced this year. The beer pours with a pale yellow coloration and the head is lacking to the point that it does not seem to exist. The initial flavors that one will kick around their mouth is juicy, tying together orange and pineapple flavors with just a hint of hoppiness. While…

Posted on: October 12, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Orderville (Modern Times)

This IPA pours with a yellow to orange coloration and a fair amount of white head that is somewhat slow to dissipate. The nose of Orderville is very strong on the pine and floral aspects of the hop while including a bit of astringency from the alcohol of the beer. The drink-ability of Orderville is unparalleled; it is one of the first beers that is able to marry the West…

Posted on: October 6, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Everything Rhymes With Orange (Roughtail)

Everything Rhymes With Orange is an 8% IPA brewed by Midwest City, Oklahoma’s Roughtail Brewing. The beer pours with a dark yellow to orangish color, hazy as all get out with a fair amount of sudsy white head. Everything Rhymes With Orange is a good bridge between the traditional West Coast India Pale Ale and the juicier East Coast style that has began to dominate brewery’s hoppy efforts. This means that there…

Posted on: September 29, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 1

Death Valley Shootout: Remus Revenge

Death Valley Shootout: Remus Revenge is a 14% ABV bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout which also includes bits of maple syrup and brown sugar. With our pour, we noticed an inky black coloration that was topped with an infinitesimally small head.

Posted on: September 15, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Yamma Jamma Harvest Ale (Indeed)

Minneapolis Brewing Company Indeed has released their fall seasonal Yamma Jamma during a period when many of the breweries are coming forth with pumpkin efforts. The decision by Indeed to utilize sweet potatoes and spices (allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) into their beer seems to be a hit. The overall flavor profile is a bit more moderate than the pumpkin bombs that are littering store shelves throughout autumn. For those imbibers…

Posted on: September 1, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Beatnik Sour (Exile Brewing)

There are quite literally hundreds of different sour beers that have been released by different breweries over the course of the last year or so. It seems to be one of the hottest styles that is present when it comes to microbrewery efforts and Des Moines, Iowa’s Exile Brewing is trying their hand at an easy drinking sessionable sort of tart beer with their Beatnik Sour.

Posted on: August 13, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Hieroglyphic (Barrel Aged Imperial Saison)

The overall saison style is something I can get behind. There is typically a good amount of wheat, hay, and pepper that can be discerned. We received Hieroglyphic from Raleigh, North Carolina’s Gizmo BrewWorks a little bit ago and finally had a second to test it out. Hieroglyphic is the first barrel-aged imperial saison we’ve reviewed; the brew needs a few seconds in a glass to properly breathe. When one takes…

Posted on: August 7, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Destihl’s Tripel, Best in Class

Over the course of the last few years, we’ve had the chance to review a number of Destihl’s offering. However, I believe that Destihl has outdone themselves with their Tripel, a 11% effort that is able to go down easy while possessing considerable depth to the flavors that one will experience within each 500 mL bottle. There are hints of Belgian yeast dryness, sweetness, and bits of citrus fruit flavors…

Posted on: July 29, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

ACT 1: Bourbon Coffee Porter

Good Nature Brewing (Hamilton, NY) has a new line of beers named Funk n’ Barrels. Their first effort in this line, ACT 1, a bourbon coffee porter, is one of the most delectable brews we can covered so far in 2016. 

Posted on: July 18, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Alaskan Brewing Hits Ohio

Beginning today (6/18), Alaskan Brewing is entering the competitive Ohio beer market. The brewery is striking out further east than it previously had been distributed with a core bottled lineup that includes their Amber (an alt), their session IPA Kicker, and their India Pale Ale, Icy Bay. Alaskan will be available anywhere that stocks craft beer, meaning that one’s local Kroger, Giant Eagle or ACME supermarkets should have a place…

Posted on: July 17, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 1

Sour Apricot (Dry Dock)

Sour beers have not typically been perceived as a go-to drinking sort of beer, but Dry Dock’s Sour Apricot is something that can be enjoyed through the hottest days of summer. The sharpness of the tart element is immediately noticeable, but there is a solid amount of wheat that acts as a backdrop here. The presence of lactobacillus in this brew adds a more mild sour element than is typically present…

Posted on: July 14, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 3

Blackbeard’s Breakfast (Heavy Seas)

Heavy Seas has continually innovated and created beers that are world class in their respective style while having them pegged at a price point that is approachable for the average person. Blackbeard’s Breakfast, their Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Porter, may just be the best Heavy Seas effort we have tasted. The brewery utilizes coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasters to add a further layer of depth to Blackbeard’s Breakfast; the initial sip…

Posted on: July 8, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Miller’s Toll (Raleigh Brewing)

The Miller’s Toll is one of the best stouts we’ve ever reviewed. The ABV of this effort is high, but the density of flavors that exist here in this imperial oatmeal stout means that any sort of alcohol sharpness is hidden masterfully. The beer pours with a dark brown to nearly blackish color with a fair amount of dark-brown/tannish head that gradually dissipates. Nutty and coffee-heavy notes are immediately present,…

Posted on: July 5, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Aunt Sally (Lagunitas)

Aunt Sally pours with a light yellow to golden coloration with a fair amount of whitish head that remains sitting on top of the beer. Aunt Sally’s note showcases a good amount of piney hop elements, while the initial sip of the beer will yield tart elements that work in tandem with the hop snap. 

Posted on: July 1, 2016 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Ragana (Baltic Porter)

Ragana Baltic Porter by Southern Prohibition Brewing (Hattiesburg, MS) is a limited-time effort pouring with a dark brown and nearly blackish coloration and a fair amount of off-white head that gradually dissipates. The beer comes forth with warming elements granted it by its alcohol content along with bold flavors blending together chocolate, vanilla and roasted, toasty malt.