Matilda

Matilda
Goose Island Beer Co.
Belgian Pale Ale

7% ABV

32 IBUs

On tap at Haute Dish on 10/30/2010, served in a Matilda glass.

Appearance 3.5/5
Clear golden copper with a medium off white head, with medium retention and lacing; nowhere close to Orval, looks wise.

Aroma 4/5
Delicate, with floral, fruity and phenolic notes, reminiscent of rose, pear, and apples.

Taste, Mouthfeel, Drinkability 4/5
Spicy sweet beginnings with a crisp, carbonated mouthfeel on the medium body; a slight bittering medium dry finish with a phenolic and fruity aftertaste, and very low residual sweetness.

La Folie

La Folie
New Belgium Brewing
Sour brown ale (Flanders Red on BeerAdvocate)
On tap at Minneapolis Town Hall brewery on 10/30/2010, served in a New Belgium snifter.

Appearance 4.5/5
Dark brown and clear with a good looking light brown head; good head retention and lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
The aroma is sharp, pungent, tart, and slightly woody with no particular fruit shining through. Some softness is noted later but still quite harsh.

Taste 3.5/5
Tart, refreshing, acidic, with a vinous astringent finish. One dimensional in my opinion.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Good carbonation and medium body go well with the refreshing character.

Drinkability 4/5
Drinkability is alright.

Three Hour Tour

Three Hour Tour
Town Hall Brewery
Milk/Sweet Stout

5.9% ABV
Sampled at the brewpub in a pint glass on 30/10/2010.

Appearance 3.5/5
Dark brown to black with a brown head; medium retention, no lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
Smells like a dessert full of coconut, nuts, and banana, cooked in coconut oil. Rich and strong aroma but hardly stout-ish.

Taste 4/5
Slight banana and strong coconut notes, exactly similar to the nose. Some roast and bitterness help keep the finish clean, but coconut flavor lingers. I like it.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Could've been smoother, had the carbonation been lower, and that would've worked really well here.

Drinkability 4.5/5
Very good.

Belgian Quadrupel / Strong Dark Ale Tasting

Trappist Westvleteren 12 has been the #1 beer on Beeradvocate and ratebeer for as long as I have been into beer, and longer. At the moment, it is tough to buy it anywhere except at the abbey, or at least that's what the monks prefer, "Westvleteren Trappist is sold only to individual customers. Every customer agrees not to re-sell the beer to any third party." Although it is still available easily on eBay etc., but

• It is costlier than it should be. The monks sell 24 bottles for €38; it sells in excess of $25+Shipping on eBay.
• You don't know the conditions under which it was kept.
• What if it's just the Westvleteren cap?
• What if the shipment got damaged? If you trade beer, it's the sender's responsibility until the package arrives fine at your address; on eBay, not so much!
• I don't feel like buying stuff, off of eBay.

Because of some of my friends and folks from BeerAdvocate, I was able to acquire two 11.2 oz bottles recently, one of which I drank in a state of irritation and impatience. Seeing as I was left with mere 11.2 oz to share with friends, we planned a side by side tasting of Belgian Quadrupel and Belgian Strong Dark Ales, that are similar, and perhaps overlapping styles. Some of the top rated beers from these styles are (BeerAdvocate top-100 ranking in brackets):

1. Trappist Westvleteren 12 [1]
2. Trappistes Rochefort 10 [6]
3. St. Bernardus Abt 12 [10]
4. Trappistes Rochefort 8 [38]
5. Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) [43]
6. Pannepot - Old Fisherman's Ale [50]
7. Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue) [64]
8. Trois Pistoles [93]

Out of the above, all are easily available in stores in MN except Westvleteren 12, and Pannepot (distribution issues). So we left Pannepot out for the moment, which still left us with 7 beers that are best examples of their style and make the BA Top 100.

Got the beers,

poured them,

Left to right: Trois Pistoles, Chimay Blue, Rochefort 10, Westvleteren 12, Rochefort 8, St. Bernardus 12, Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw.

and drank them! Notice the Tums at the bottom left corner ;)

Here are our rankings:

	Friend 1	Friend 2	Friend 3	Friend 4	Overall	Score
Cuvee De K	1	2	3	2	Westy 12	1.5
Westy 12	2	1	2	1	Cuvee De K	2
Roch 10	3	3	1		Roch 10	2.33
Roch 8	3	3	4	3	Roch 8	3.25
Trois P	4	4	6		St. B 12	4.33
St. B 12	4	5	4		Trois P	4.67
Chimay B	5	6	5		Chimay B	5.33

Trappist Westvleteren 12

Trappist Westvleteren 12
Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
Quadrupel (Quad)
10.2% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

Poured at room temperature into a big 25 oz snifter on 10/26/10. The cap carries a date of April 29, 2013; had it right after Rochefort 10 so there's some comparison in notes.


Appearance 5/5
Clear mahogany brown with a massive, very light brown, rocky "Belgian" head, with good head retention and good lacing.

Aroma 4.5/5
Little alcohol, compared to Rochefort 10. Toasty malts with warm richness, raisins and dried plums; like a pie that's still in the oven! There's some chocolate as well, but no coffee. Little, if any, phenolic notes: I have heard that Westmalle & Westvleteren use the same yeast but I can't see any similarity.

Taste 4.5/5
Effervescent and slightly sweet at the beginning, with elements of caramelized sugar along with dark fruit in taste. A long, long finish that is dark, slightly bitter, rich, comforting, and warm, with a slight tannic astringency. This is not the best tasting beer I have had, but this sure is a magnificent beer. Only a fool could underrate its merit. Very complex with dessert like sweetness, very present hop bitterness, and wine and over brewed tea like tannic finish; the finish wouldn't have been as clean without that sharpness of character. This beer deserves to be the legend it is. I have rated some other beers higher and I will do so in future too, but this beer is quite an experience.

Mouthfeel 5/5
I have the exact same comment as I had for Rochefort 10: "The body is medium, but its presence immense." However, the mouthfeel on this one is lighter than Rochefort 10.

Drinkability 5/5
Supreme!

Other
Had it again two days later, side by side with Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus 12, Rochefort 8, Chimay Blue, Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw, and Trois Pistoles. Although I am rating Westvleteren 12 higher than Rochefort 10, it's only because of better looks and absence of alcohol in aroma; these two, although very different, are just as good as each other in my opinion. My taste preferences lean more towards Rochefort 10, which is a good thing because that's way easier to come by.

Nemesis 2010

Nemesis 2010
Founders Brewing Co.
Black Barleywine
12% ABV
OG?
100 IBUs
12 oz bottle (released September 2010) poured into a New Belgium snifter on 10/28/2010, a little short of two months from the release.

Appearance 5/5
Pours in a clear, silky looking brown stream, with a big tan colored head. Good head retention and excellent lacing, typical of a hoppy beer.

Aroma 4/5
Upon smelling with a blindfold on, I would have guessed this an American IPA: fresh smelling piney, citrusy, and maybe grassy notes. No roast or sweetness from the malts is perceptible in the smell initially, although some sweetness shows up later. I am surprised that I don't smell the alcohol.

Taste 4/5
Taste has a different story from smell: fruity sweet, with fruitiness leaning a wee bit towards the darker kind (think raisins). The hop bitterness doesn't seems to bother initially and it might appear the hops are there only to balance the malts, with no significant presence taste wise. This, however, is wrong. Right before the finish the enjoyable fruitiness gets its ass kicked by intense hop bitterness and worse, roast. What remains after the sweetish finish is a lingering abrasive bitterness and alcohol warmth, that combine to give a burning sensation in the throat. However, over a quick sip, the impression would be of a flavorful hoppy ale that has notes of dark fruit with some (appropriate) bitterness, and a long roasty bitter finish. Given some time for the beer to attenuate and for the malts to come forward in nose, this beer would taste really good, provided the roast doesn't interfere negatively.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Low carbonation, silky feel, and medium body: the mouthfeel on this beer is just right.

Drinkability 4/5
Fresh as it is, it's not all that "hot". The 12% is well hidden, and the drinkability is affected not by the alcohol, but by the astringency of roast.

Summit Winter Ale

Summit Winter Ale
Summit Brewing Co.
Winter Warmer
6.2% ABV
OG 14.6° Plato
36 IBUs
On tap into a pint-ish glass.

Appearance 4/5
Dark brown and clear with garnet highlights, and an off white to light brown colored, short lived head that left decent lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
Mainly spices with little to none malt aroma. The aroma was never strong.

Taste 4/5
Slight malty sweetness with spices riding on it, and some bitterness towards the end. The finish is smooth and medium with a long aftertaste of dark malts.

Mouthfeel 4/5
A little high on the carbonation, but good otherwise.

Drinkability 4/5
Factoring in the flavor, aroma, body and ABV, good, but not exceptional drinkability.

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Brewing
American Double / Imperial Stout
9.5% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
On tap at Stub & Herb's in a 10 oz glass.

Appearance 4.5/5
Dark brown, looks black in the glass; with a dark brown, rich looking head that receded rather fast but left a decent lacing.

Aroma 3/5
Nondescript.
Bunch of swirls coax a slightly chocolaty malt aroma, and perhaps oak. Some of the usual stout aroma when the beer got warm enough.

Taste 4/5
Dark malts, creamy chocolate and some oak that doesn't seem to meld too well, giving an impression of poorly done artificial flavoring. Still the base beer doesn't let this one taste too bad.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Good mouthfeel on this one with the right combination of roast, body, and carbonation.

Drinkability 4.5/5
Appropriate for the style and ABV.

Four

Four
Surly Brewing Co.
Double Espresso Milk Stout

10.0% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
On tap at Stub & Herb's in a 10 oz glass.

Appearance 4/5
Clear, very dark brown with garnet highlights, with a tiny bit of brown collar for head that manages to leave some lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Dark roasted coffee and clean, sugar like, sweetness.

Taste 4/5
Sweet from start to finish, with coffee presence building up into a massively roasty, bitter, coffee flavored finish. Pretty smooth for the most part but astringency from roast is very noticeable in the the end; roast, coffee flavor and bitterness, and alcohol warmth linger afterwards.

Mouthfeel 3/5
A wee bit thin for the sweetness, with over roasted coffee and high-ish carbonation, its mouthfeel could be called average at best.

Drinkability 4/5
Alright, but I can't see myself drinking too much of this beer.

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy)

Quadrupel (Quad)
11.3% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

11.2 oz bottle with a freshness date of February 03, 2015, poured into a 25 oz snifter on October 26, 2010.


Appearance 4/5
Clear mahogany brown with dark sediment at the bottom, this ale pours with a big light tan colored head; the head retention is average, and lacing minimal.

Aroma 4/5
Dark fruit, sweetness, sharp alcohol, fresh baked dessert, perhaps chocolate? Too much alcohol at warmer temperature that distracts at times, but never gets solventy.

Taste 4.5/5
The taste is poetry when the beer gets warm, and warm is the best temperature for this one: beginnings are humble, just slightly sweet and fairly easy on the palate. It's towards the end when it turns massive, or should I say sublime? Vinous tannic astringency makes its presence felt and leaves raisin-ous notes on the palate, while chocolate and toffee like flavors take over the nose, and stay all along the warm, long finish that is never cloying. Some toastily malty notes in the aftertaste, and sweetness on the lips. Cold as this beverage is at room temperature, the impression is of a warm dessert after a satisfying meal.

Mouthfeel 5/5
The body is medium, but its presence immense.

Drinkability 5/5
In general I take alcohol into account while rating drinkability but for Belgian ales I make exceptions. I feel greedy for this one, what else can I say?

Other
This beer might make me revisit Chimay Blue and Trois Pistoles, that I rated lower, but I can clearly see how they were similar in character, if not at par in merit.

Mango Mama

Mango Mama
Town Hall Brewery
American IPA
6.0% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
64 oz growler with a best by date of 11/09/10 poured into a Bell's tulip on 10/25/10 (the day of its release!)

Appearance 2/5
Murky orange-brown with a tiny dirty orange head with poor retention and no lacing. Not the looks of a beer, much less of an IPA.

Aroma 2/5
Nose is reminiscent of India, seriously: dry and intensely hot summer afternoons, and mangoes - fresh mangoes, mango juice, mangoes and spice. American IPA? No. For an IPA that has hints of mangoes without smelling like mango juice itself, I'd recommend Bell's Two Hearted.

Taste 3/5
I have to say that taste redeems this beer to a certain extent. There's some sweetness, massive fruitiness from mangoes, and decent bitterness but no hop flavor. Finish is slightly bitter, and quite dry, but not crisp. Carbonation is low which is generally to my liking but not this time.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Soft, with low carbonation, and decent overall, but the finish ruins it.

Drinkability 4/5
Not bad, strangely!

Other
This alcoholic beverage might not be bad but it's not beer. It's overdone in my opinion.

Twin Cities, MN beer stores, bars, and brewpubs.

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Oaked Arrogant Bastard

"You're still not worthy"

Oaked Arrogant Bastard
Stone Brewing Co.
American Strong Ale
7.2% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
12 oz bottle with a freshness date of November 02, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter on October 24, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Slightly hazy, perhaps because of chill haze; dark rusty, copper brown, with a big tan head, with excellent retention and lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Piney hops, browned sugar, wood.

Taste 4/5
Starts sweet and caramelly with some wood and progresses towards a firm, deep, bitterness, and further towards a long, bitter, medium-dry finish.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Medium body, and appropriate carbonation.

Drinkability 5/5
Full of flavor, and yet not too high on the ABV; I would take Stone's bastards any day over mediocre barleywines. Not too oaky or woody, but still very good. I have rated this exactly same as regular Arrogant Bastard. If I went looking for woody flavors, I would seek Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron.

Bourbon County Stout

Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island Beer Co.
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

13% ABV

OG?

60 IBUs

2008 vintage 12 oz. twist off bottle, bottled on October 28, 2008, poured into a 25 oz snifter on October 20, 2010. Almost 2 years! Apparently the best barrel aged stouts used to come in twist off bottles a while back ;)


Appearance 5/5
Most vigorous of pours cannot force a persistent head out of this beer. The initial froth that would subside soon into a thin collar is the darkest of browns, with some foam wandering on the surface of the beer in mocha like spirals. The beer itself is dark as night, although much later when the collar dies, deep brown highlights can be seen.

Aroma 4/5
Sweet oak and bourbon, sharp alcohol, hot chocolate, and coffee dominate the nose in the order mentioned, with *perhaps* some leather, tobacco, and vanilla. However, alcohol becomes dominant and everything else gets pushed to the background when the beer warms up, which is a not a good thing.

Taste 4.5/5
Creamy sweet hot chocolate and bourbon, with a massive chocolate and coffee aftertaste when the beer is colder. When it's warmer, a dark, unsweetened chocolate and bitter coffee taste also kicks in before finish, and coffee like acidity is also felt. In fact, the slight bitterness helps the finish too, which is medium, and therefore surprisingly clean for a beer of this magnitude. However, booze affects the taste too at higher temperatures.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Thick, creamy, and luxurious mouthfeel with very low carbonation; this is a beer with a truly big body that coats the mouth and seems to stay on the palate forever.

Drinkability 4/5
This is a sipper, but the problem with sipping it is that it's going to get warm, and messy. The usual serving temperature for big stouts is 55°F, but this one must be served at Goose Island's recommended 40°F, and the bulk of this beer must be enjoyed before it warms up to room temperature. Too much alcohol is a flaw in this beer, that becomes glaringly obvious at room temperature.

Other
KBS could be boozy too, I have found, but booziness of BCBS becomes irritating towards the end. Even though the mouthfeel of this beer is better, I think KBS is a superior beer overall. This is my earlier review of BCBS (from January 27, 2010):

look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | drink: 4
Looks absolutely beautiful in a worthy glass and the smell is one of the best among all stouts I have had: wood is certainly dominating to me and a faint smell of tobacco works magic. Of course there's more to the smell, like dark fruit. Overall very complex. Also, the alcohol is evident.

Taste is rich and complex and could be described as bitter-sweet in one word. Mouthfeel is silky and luxurious but a little cloying for my taste. If drinkability means what BudLight advertises, this beer would score a 0.0 but that's what one would expect from this strong a stout.

Alcohol/bourbon becomes overpowering as the beer warms up.

Overall a great beer, to be savored over an hour, or more.

Serving type: 2009 Vintage (12 oz bottle) with less than 4 months on it.

Pawtucket Patriot Ale

Information available:

• It's an ale.
• The SRM (color) is between 7 and 9. The colors in the chart above look brighter than the beer but let's attribute it to the pub like lighting in the Drunken Clam.
• The head is poor.

Assumptions:

1. It's an year round beer, and not one of the seasonal kind because they drink it all the time (eliminates Pumpkin ales and such)
2. It's a low ABV beer, because they drink it all the time (eliminates English Barleywines and such)
3. It's a good example of the style, so if there's no head on Peter's beer, it's because the style itself has little head.
4. It's not a Belgian/inspired beer (poor head, glassware used), or a one-off (rules out barrel aging and such), related to 1. and 2.

After this, it's just a matter of going through the BJCP style guidelines, and the beer above is an English Bitter.

Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest
6.5% ABV
OG 14.5° Plato
20 IBUs
12 oz bottle with a best by date of 11/23/10 poured into a Samuel Adams perfect pint glass on 10/19/10. The recommended serving temperature is 45°F

Appearance 4/5
Clear, but not brilliantly so, with hues of honey, orange, and gold; a decent off white head with alright retention and excellent lacing. There was some sediment at the bottom of the bottle that was avoided while pouring.

Aroma 4/5
Soft malt aroma that is sweet and toasted. No hops.

Taste 4/5
Starts slightly sweet but there is enough hop presence. Overall sweet, but not cloying, with a medium to dry finish.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Well carbonated but smooth.

Drinkability 4/5
Good, except for the high ABV.

A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale

A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
“Another Big Sister of the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale.... Loads of Malted Wheat for a Curious Malt Foundation and a Light Color, But Our Belgian Yeast Leaves a Huge Flavor and Complexishness.”

8.85% ABV

OG 1.082

72.51 IBUs

22 oz bomber, bottled on the 242nd day of the year (August 30, 2010) poured into a New Belgium snifter on October 18, 2010. This beer is described by the brewer as a bigger sister of the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale, and it says that this beer was fermented using Westmalle yeast strain right on the label; so, stylistically, this would be a Belgian IPA brewed with wheat malts. At the moment it is listed as a Belgian Strong Pale Ale on BeerAdvocate, the class to which Duvel belongs. Odd. And it’s not a Wild Ale.


Appearance 5/5
A little hazy, golden orange colored beer, with a big, slightly off white, dense, creamy, and rocky “Belgian” head with excellent retention and fantastic lacing. A beer with the perfect looks!

Aroma 5/5
Strong aroma of tropical fruit from hops and esters, with phenols from the Belgian yeast in the background. Some perfumy wheat malt as well.

Taste 4/5
Slightly sweet, intensely fruity, light and crisp on palate with some bitterness at the back, followed by a moderately dry finish and lingering aftertaste. I, personally, didn’t like the aftertaste which is neither sweet, nor bitter, or fruity, but just odd in my opinion. Otherwise, a very good tasting beer.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Crisp and well carbonated with a decent body.

Drinkability 4/5
It really depends on how you see this beer: for a DIPA, it’s too easy drinking; for a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, it’s not that drinkable. Either way, it’s a nice drinking beer, but doesn’t achieve anything exceptional drinkability-wise.

Arctic Panzer Wolf

Arctic Panzer Wolf

Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA
9% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

22 oz bomber with no freshness date poured into a New Belgium snifter


Appearance 4/5
Carefully avoiding the chunky sediment at the bottom of the bottle, this beer poured a moderately clear amber-orange color, with a medium off white head. Decent head retention with good sticky lacing on the glass.

Aroma 4.5/5
Solid hop aroma that's fruity, piney, and citrus. A very attractive smelling hop profile, with a light, sweet maltiness in the background.

Taste & Mouthfeel 4/5
The taste is similar to aroma with some spicy hop character too. Overall it's quite bitter as expected, and the bitterness lasts into the dry, perhaps too dry, finish. Light bodied and crisp with a malt backbone that struggles, this beer seems closer to an AIPA than IIPA in all respects but ABV. As the beer warmed up to room temperature, it felt watery... too much dextrose?

Drinkability 4/5
Classic AIPA drinkability.

Summit Oktoberfest

Summit Oktoberfest
Summit Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest
7.4% ABV
OG 16.4° Plato
25 IBUs
12 oz twist off bottle with an enjoy by date of January 09, 2011, poured into a Surly pint glass. No ABV information on the bottle and the ABV is way out of control.

Appearance 4/5
Pours clear, but not brightly clear, honey golden with a nice two finger creamy off white head. Moderate head retention and good lacing. An inviting appearance for sure.

Aroma 4/5
Nice toasted malt aroma with a decent amount of sweetness to it. No hops in the nose. True to style.

Taste 4.5/5
Slightly sweet beginnings with a nice, light and soft, sweet maltiness in the middle and some balancing bitterness in the end, along with toasted flavors. Finish is medium with some residual sweetness and some bitterness. The bitterness certainly helps the finish. Perhaps the best tasting Oktoberfest I have had.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Carbonation is slightly higher than I would like but it's not off putting. Very attenuated and not cloying at all for a malty beer and for its OG.

Drinkability 2/5
I am not going to an Oktoberfest where people are drinking this. Seriously, what were the folks at Summit thinking? As solid as the taste is, are they trying to make a supposedly session beer double as roofies? The alcohol is way too high and the taste and mouthfeel entirely deceptive. At first I thought that the ABV listed on BeerAdvocate might have been an error but I checked at the brewer's website too. Had it been 3.7% ABV (3.7 = 7.4/2!), I could have drank it for hours! What can I say, for a non Belgian beer at this body, the drinkability is below average.

Wet

Wet
Surly Brewing Co.
West coast style IPA
7.5% ABV

OG: 17.7º Plato

90 IBUs

6 ºSRM

16 oz canned two days ago, bitches, poured into a Samuel Adams perfect pint on the early morning of October 13, 2010.


Appearance 5/5
Crystal clear amber-orange with a big off white head and great lacing. Looks the way an IPA should.

Aroma 4/5
Pine, mango, and papaya. Only complaint? Strength. Any IPA Surly churns out will always be compared to Furious, and this is not as furious -- I can smell it! Yet, very very nice.

Taste 3.5/5
Fruity hops dance on palate with enough malts in the background. I have to say that malts hold up alright, against what Surly says about this beer, "This is a hop forward beer, dry with subdued malt flavors." This beer is not bitter at all in the first impression although after a finish that's not as dry as advertised, an intense bitterness can be felt in the back of the mouth. I wonder what's up with the finish, given the clarity and brewer's statement! Good as it is, it doesn't belong "up there" in my opinion.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Almost perfect, but the finish is sweet for the body, and the carbonation seems a tad low.

Drinkability 3.5/5
This one needs more bitterness, cleaner finish and higher carbonation. Also needed is a lower ABV for a beer this easy to drink!

Trois Pistoles

Trois Pistoles (Three Pistols)
Unibroue
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
9% ABV

OG?

15.5 IBUs

12 oz bottle with a freshness date of April 07, 2013 poured into a Gouden Carolus on October 13, 2010.


Appearance 3.5/5
Slightly hazy, perfect brown, with a medium, creamy tan colored head, with good retention. Average lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Fruit, spice (phenols), and yeast dominate. Not very sure about chocolate or caramel. Yet the aroma is decently complex, and nice. But nowhere close to exceptional!

Taste 3.5/5
Vinous taste that promptly gets covered by the prickly carbonation. The bitterness seems discordant, or the dark fruity sweetness is simply not enough. The aroma was certainly better than the taste: they are similar but the fruitiness of aroma was way higher. I would call this an average tasting beer. Finish is slightly sweet and long. Slightly warming.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body and medium to high carbonation. Good.

Drinkability 4/5
While slightly disappointing considering the fame, very drinkable. Also, the warmer the better!

Cutthroat Porter

Cutthroat Porter
Odell Brewing Co.
Robust Porter/American Porter
5.1% ABV
OG?
43 IBUs
12 oz bottle with a freshness date of 3/8/11 poured into a Surly pint glass on 10/11/10.

Appearance 5/5
Clear and very dark brown with a full tan colored head, that dissipated into a thin one and left sticky lacing over the course of the beer. Spot on.

Aroma 4/5
Sweet malts and coffee dominate the nose with hints of roast.

Taste 4/5
Coffee contributes most to the flavor in my opinion, and is welcome. Some acidity that seems to be from coffee. There's some roast and a tiny bit of bitterness towards the finish, which doesn't seem enough to balance the malts. Finish is almost cloying for a beer of this ABV.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium to low body. Carbonation is just right, but still doesn't help the overly sweet finish. If the body were stronger, I'd be fine with the finish.

Drinkability 4.5/5
I have pointed out more mistakes than better qualities but this is one of the most flavorful beers around at its ABV.

Robert the Bruce

Robert the Bruce
Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Scottish Style Ale
7% ABV

OG?

30 IBUs

12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a New Belgium snifter


Appearance 4/5
Moderately clear and dark, but not terribly dark, reddish-brown with deep caramel highlights when held up to light. Thin tan head that started off as huge, but subsided rather quick and left little lacing.

Aroma 4/5
An intense caramel nose which is so strong that one would think that they are smelling warm, fresh caramel itself. Certainly promising of flavor over mere sweetness, like a good tasting dessert, with undertones of dry fruit; I am thinking raisins and figs. However, I don't get any of the roast that's mentioned on the label and in that sense, it's rather one dimensional. No hops, obviously.

Taste 4/5
Malty sweet with the flavor described above, but disappointing, when compared to the aroma. Some bitterness and astringency from the roast shows up near the long, sweet finish and stays afterwards, resulting in a chocolate-caramel aftertaste. There's no discernible hop flavor, which is proper. Slight warming from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel 3/5
So thin, that I don't know what to think of it. I think that if the beer had a bigger body, it could've helped the taste too, which is good but not strong enough. The carbonation is low, as expected and desired.

Drinkability 4/5
Alright, but this one needs a stronger body.

Obsidian Stout

Obsidian Stout
Deschutes Brewery
American Stout
6.4% ABV

OG?

55 IBUs

12 oz bottle (best before December 30, 2010) poured into a New Belgium snifter on October 9, 2010.


Appearance 5/5
Pours as a clear, dark brown stream into the snifter and gives an impression of jet black while in the glass. The head is big, creamy and brown from a vigorous pour, with decent retention and nice, sticky lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Sweet malts to begin, with powdered chocolate following soon after. Not too big on roast in my opinion.

Taste 4/5
Some malty sweetness starts the beer, that goes well with some coffee like acidity. The chocolate character of the aroma is absent in taste; instead there is a roasty coffee like bitterness. The finish is medium, long, and bittering with elements of roast, but I think hops also contribute significantly towards it, because the roast never seems over the top.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Very good, but not exceptional. Medium body, medium carbonation. Quite smooth.

Drinkability 4/5
Very good, but it’d be better if the ABV could be lower and beer a little drier.

Palo Santo Marron

Palo Santo Marron
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood.
12% ABV

OG?

50 IBUs

12 oz bottle with a kickass label, bottled August 17, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter on October 8, 2010, at a few degrees below room temperature.


Appearance 4.5/5
Pitch black with a dark brown, big, and dense head. Great head retention and lacing. The looks of this beer will give any imperial stout a run for its money!

Aroma 4.5/5
Refreshingly different: a very unique smell that is obviously from Palo Santo wood. Indeed boner inducing, as DFH says on the bottle. Wood, spice, and vanilla, with perhaps some spicy hop character. No booze!

Taste 4.5/5
Caramel, roast, and the wood like quality of the aroma. Sweet from the malts and the alcohol but not solventy. This beer is a good example of an high ABV beer that's not "hot". At some point close to the finish the hop bitterness kicks in, and leads to a medium finish in conjunction with the roast: had it not been for these, the finish would've been too sweet. Afterwards, this beer's unique "Palo Santo" aroma is felt in the breath along with the alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Medium to strong bodied with low carbonation, this beer feels silky on the palate. Finish is medium as noted and some malty sweetness and roast is felt later on.

Drinkability 4/5
Dangerous if you ask me.

Gumballhead

Gumballhead
Three Floyds Brewing Co.
American Pale Wheat Ale
5.5% ABV

OG?

28 IBUs

12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a Samuel Adams “perfect pint” glass. I was assured of its freshness by the guy who sent it to me


Appearance 3.5/5
Cloudy golden orange with tiny head that was almost a collar, and yet, left some lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
Perfumy wheat malt and breadiness. A little weak, but inviting.

Taste 3/5
There's not much to taste and this one is certainly not complex at all: slightly sweet, slightly bitter, some flavor that's tough to name. Perhaps fruity and strangely enough, slightly astringent. It needs a drier finish.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Thin as it should be but not watery. I noted some astringency in taste which, frankly speaking, was not unpleasant. Very refreshing, but a drier finish will help this one.

Drinkability 4/5
Lower the alcohol by 1.5% ABV and we'll talk. Very good! Now that I am done singing praises, I have to say that 3 Floyds has done a pretty good job of making their mediocre beers look awesome. I have had Dark Lord on one occasion and that too is contributing towards my opinion.

Alpha King

Alpha King
Three Floyds Brewing Co.
American Pale Ale
6.5% ABV

OG?

66 IBUs

12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a Samuel Adams “perfect pint” glass. I was assured of its freshness by the guy who sent it to me


Appearance 4.5/5
Poured clear and deep amber, to the extent of seeming light brown; there was sediment in the bottle that might have caused the beer to a look a little murky. Moderate off white head with moderate retention and fantastic lacing.

Aroma 4.5/5
There is a great balance between malts and hops in the nose that is almost reminiscent of Arrogant Bastard, although weaker. Smells like sweet candy at times with malts upfront, and at times like a typical IPA, with strong hop presence. The malt aroma is toasty and caramelly, the hop aroma is classic American hops: piney and herbal...

Taste 4/5
Like the aroma, the balance is excellent. Even though the malts are certainly more prominent than AIPA’s, the flavor is still dominated by hops; however, the malts add a definite sweetness. Riding on this sweetness is a zesty bitterness from the hops, that stays even after the medium-long finish. The finish is the only downside, taste wise, and is a tad too sweet.

Mouthfeel 3.5/5
Medium body, medium carbonation; this ale seems to coat the mouth at times. This beer cannot be called refreshing, and is a little too big for its own good.

Drinkability 4/5
I would like to have a more drinkable Pale Ale. Yet, I will seek out this one again because styles aside, this is a very good beer. However, as I said before, is reminiscent of the quintessential American Strong Ale to me.

Pride & Joy

Pride & Joy
Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Mild Ale
5% ABV

OG?

30 IBUs

12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a Surly pint glass. I was assured of its freshness by the guy who sent it to me.


Appearance 4/5
The bottle had some sediment and it doesn’t surprise me that the beer looks slightly hazy, which could be because it’s unfiltered, or perhaps because of “chill haze”. Nice, two finger off white head with good retention and sticky lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Light and sweet, slightly caramelly, malt aroma. Some hop aroma comes through as the beer gets warm.

Taste 3.5/5
Starts fairly unoffensive with some malts that are almost fruity at times. The hops appear towards the end, and stay on the palate as a slightly bitter aftertaste following the medium finish. There is definitely an American hop flavor in this beer, that could be called citrusy. Overall, good taste for a session beer, with a slightly hop-sided balance that sadly doesn’t let the malts shine.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Medium bodied and crisp with carbonation, this is a quite refreshing beer.

Drinkability 4/5
There is little aroma and mild flavor which is not a fault, per se, for a session beer. This beer is refreshing and easy to drink too. However, I am sure that there’s a way to do whatever this beer does, and yet, not cross the 4% ABV mark.

Chimay Blue

Chimay Blue
Chimay
Belgian Strong Dark Ale
9% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

11.2 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a Gouden Carolus chalice.


Appearance 3.5/5
Slightly hazy, burnt reddish brown with a tan to light brown head that's not rocky like a typical Belgian ale, but is dense and creamy nonetheless. The head retention is decent but lacing is disappointing.

Aroma 3.5/5
Warm and sweet aroma with hints of brown sugar, and caramel. Of course, the usual suspects are present but still the aroma is largely nondescript.

Taste 3.5/5
Nothing overpowering, contrary to what I expected. Nice malt character but overall weak; fruit, spice, and bitterness for the most part. The bitterness could certainly be from hops but has the slightly burnt sugar character of caramel to it.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body; medium carbonation, that is prickly at times. Sweet to medium finish with a long aftertaste of fruit, malt, and spice.

Drinkability 4.5/5
Classic Belgian deceptiveness to it. Some alcohol warmth but alcohol can't be smelled or tasted. Very well done, in the manner only Belgians can!

Other
Certainly good, but many other beers are deserving of being in top-100 in my opinion!

Bigfoot

Bigfoot
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
American Barleywine
9.6% ABV

OG: 23.0 Plato

FG: 6.0 Plato

90 IBUs

12 oz 2010 vintage, bottled December 30, 2009, poured into a wine glass at room temperature. (picture from Sierra Nevada)


Appearance 4.5/5
Clear reddish brown with a dense, creamy, tan colored head. The head retention was great with good lacing, but not as sticky as I hoped.

Aroma 3.5/5
Only "downside" of the aroma was its weakness. Otherwise fantastic: first impression was hops, but not of any specific kind. Some caramel malts and brown sugar, with sweetness and richness of a fresh baked rum raisin pie.

Taste 4.5/5
Bitterness is the king here. Starts slightly fruity sweet, but the bulk is a strong and smooth bitterness. Not harsh, but very powerful. Strong and complex hop flavor. The alcohol is felt in breath and in its warmth but not in the taste itself. Finish is dry and long with unyielding bitterness. The malts support the beer pretty well but the balance is decidedly bitter, as is appropriate for the style.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Feels more attenuated than I remember, both in the body and the finish. It's perhaps the age on it, almost ten months, but maybe it's because of the temperature too. Low carbonation lets the beer coat the mouth without being prickly. Keep in mind, however, that the finish is quite clean and not cloying at all.

Drinkability 4.5/5
Very good.

English Stouts Sunday

Unfortunate as it is, very few of the top notch British beers make it to the Americas. This has to do with the British tradition of "real ales" too, wherein the breweries would generally offer their beers on cask, meant to be enjoyed fresh while it's getting conditioned in cask.

My perception is that Samuel Smith is a decent English brewery, but nowhere close to the best, that chooses to bottle its beers, and sees fit to export them. They still need to put a date on their bottles though!

My primary source for all things beer is Beeradvocate and Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Stout have made the top 100 list; so I figured I would try them again objectively with the intention of writing an honest review on this fine Fall Sunday.

Here are my thoughts!

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Oatmeal Stout
5% ABV (from BeerAdvocate)
OG?
IBUs?
550 ml bottle with no freshness date poured into a Surly pint glass.

Appearance 5/5
Pours clear dark brown that looks black in the glass with deep brown highlights. Big, creamy, dense and rocky head that's like a Belgian ale's in all respects but its dark tan color. The persistent head leaves sticky lacing on the glass over the course of the beer.

Aroma 4/5
Big on roast, bordering on a charred character. Some grainy undertones. Perhaps powdered chocolate. This one is hard to say, but there might be some earthy hop aroma too.

Taste 4.5/5
Light malty sweetness in the beginning and middle, complemented by coffee like acidity that's perhaps from the roast, followed by a moderate bitterness from the hops, and then a moderately dry and roasty finish. A grainy character from oatmeal is certainly notable, but not prominent. The aftertaste is like dark chocolate in terms of some sweetness and decent bitterness. Hop flavor, if present, is very little.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body with moderate carbonation, just the way it should be. Not cloying. However, it doesn't feel as silky as I expected.

Drinkability 5/5
Very very good. At 5% ABV, you can knock down a couple of pints of this flavorful dark ale.

The Oatmeal Stout made an A on BeerAdvocate according to my ratings with a rDev of +6.4% but the Imperial Stout didn't fare as good, making a B with a rDev of -12.8%. Here are my thoughts on this one:

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout
Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Russian Imperial Stout
7% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
550 ml bottle with no freshness date poured into a 25 oz snifter.

Appearance 5/5
It's hard to tell the difference between Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Stout based on visual inspection alone, except that the Imperial Stout, perhaps, is a shade darker. Pours clear and dark brown with a big brown head with decent retention and lacing. Going by the looks, an Imperial Stout alright.

Aroma 4/5
Roast; some tartness, but not funky. Instead, the tartness in smell seems to derive from the astringency of roast or the acidity of coffee. There is a dark fruit character that corresponds to a dried sweetness of raisins and dried plums, but not as aromatic/flavorful like dates and figs. No hops. Some sweet alcohol once in a while, that lends a vinous quality when paired with the acidity.

Taste 3/5
Roast and bitterness and the tartness of aroma. This is not the tartness of an infected beer, it's perhaps that charred character that's not getting masked under residual sugars. Also, this is not the only RIS with the described character, but the described character is strongest in this one among all RIS's I've had. The finish is slightly harsh for the style and medium dry, leaning towards dry. The aftertaste has hints of chocolate milk. The richness is missing from this beer in my opinion; yes it's big-ish, yes it's roasty, but that's about it. This is a mediocre RIS at best.

Mouthfeel 3.5/5
Thin and overly carbonated for the style.

Drinkability 4/5
Drinkable? Very much, but what sense does knocking back a few make when one doesn't get the Russian Imperial Stout experience? Between this and other common examples, I would rather have my senses assaulted than experiencing the English kind that gets exported to the Americas.

Old Rasputin

Old Rasputin
North Coast Brewing Co.
Russian Imperial Stout
9% ABV

OG?

75 IBUs

12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a big snifter. Although, I am big supporter of bottle dating, I don’t criticize North Coast in deeming dating Old Rasputin irrelevant, because it will hold up for years, and yet won’t be “too hot & rough” fresh. This is one of my earliest, but still favorite, Russian Imperial Stouts and I am very excited to review this! Let’s get down to business!


Appearance 5/5
Pours in a clear and very dark brown stream from the bottle that gives an impression of pitch black in the glass, with a big, dense, dark mocha colored head that receded into a rather thin one but left excellent lacing on the glass. Towards the end, the head was thinner, but still was much more than a tiny collar! The lacing didn't stick around, but that's forgivable for an Imperial Stout.

Aroma 3/5
I have never been a fan of this beer's aroma even though I have had it at innumerable occasions and I like this beer quite a bit overall. The aroma I detect is of sweet malts with no particular character, but just a slight bias towards roast. It has a certain smoothness to it though. As the beer got to room temperature, alcoholic sweetness became obvious.

Taste 4/5
Taste is however, very good, so you may ignore my comments on aroma. Starts slightly sweet with a dark, roasty, richness that takes a dark chocolate character in the aftertaste, along with the persistent roast. Also, they have hopped this one generously, and the finish is quite bitter; the roast and hops make it quite clean for an Imperial Stout. A coffee like acidity is notable as the temperature rises. So is alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel 4/5
More body and lower carbonation would be welcome. Otherwise, it's flawless.

Drinkability 5/5
It tastes good, and finishes fairly clean. I could have another bottle. A RIS that's any more drinkable is doing it wrong!

Other
Never disappointing, amazingly priced, this is a beer I will continue to drink. Never say die!

La Fin Du Monde

La Fin Du Monde (The End of the World)
Unibroue
Triple-style Golden Ale (from Brewer's page). See Tripel, Belgian Tripel
9% ABV

OG?

19 IBUs

12 oz bottle with a freshness date of March 30, 2013 poured into a tulip on October 1, 2010. Since their sommelier recommends an age of 3-5 years, and adds that it peaks at 3 years of age, I would guess that this is around its best at two and a half years! The pour was as instructed by the sommelier: the bottle was agitated to dissolve the yeast. Yet, I poured a little separately at first to examine the clarity.


Appearance 4/5
Pours golden amber with a big creamy head. Although the beer is clear unagitated, the recommended pour causes an obvious haze. The head is quick to recede and in that respect, the looks are not as impressive as similar beers, say Westmalle Tripel. The lacing is quite good though, but I must say that the head was disappointing.

Aroma 4.5/5
Aroma is fruity, and dare I say, perfumy? Very soft and enticing, with a touch of spice. No hint of booze. But it's a little too weak. A few swirls release a toasty malt aroma time to time.

Taste 3.5/5
Slightly malty sweet, with mild fruitiness and slight bitterness. Finish is clean and slightly bittering which is a surprise considering the low IBUs. The aftertaste is long with a malty creaminess but not sweet or cloying. Some alcohol warming.

Mouthfeel 4/5
The body is medium but the effervescence of the style is missing.

Drinkability 4/5
I expect more in other departments. Yet, the 9% is not noticeable at all! Amazingly done!

How to kill a boot aka how to drink to your heart's content and not be hung over!

I am 150 lbs (68 kg) with a moderate alcohol tolerance and no German ancestry whatsoever. However, I love to drink and sad as it is, get hung over quite a bit. Many people share this problem and various preventive measures and cures could be found online, most of which are bogus.

Anyhow, I go to college and a two hour lecture on a Thursday evening gives you ample time to plan the mischiefs. My friend got a 2 liter beer boot as a gift from another friend that stood accumulating dust in his living room for about an year, perhaps more. Can't say why, but in the class yesterday I had a strong urge to "kill that boot".

First step was deciding upon the beer, and my original choice was Surly's Bitter Brewer. However, my go to store was out of this delicious seasonal session beer, so I picked up a six pack of Goose Island's 312. More manly men could attempt this with Expedition Stout  at 10% ABV (I know a guy) or even Bourbon County Brand Stout at 13% ABV, or if you're the manliest man like Metal Madman below, 120 minute IPA (~20%!).

Drinking a boot full is not a feat in my opinion, preventing the aftermath is! Take notes people, a high protein meal about an hour before you start is the shit. Can't say if this is the correct explanation because it was found unsourced online, but protein sitting in your small intestine slows down the absorption of alcohol, which is why you need to give some time to the food to get digested and move to the small intestine. Eating while drinking won't save you!

I went to Perkin's and had something that had 39 grams of protein. Then I acquired the boot and cleaned the dust and sediment from one year of neglect. Filled it up,

...and killed it. No, I didn't/can't/won't chug it. I took my own sweet time and drank about the same amount of water, as beer. This is my second point: drink water. There are other things that can help, like vitamins & minerals to prevent and counter the effects of alcohol, and this article on BeerAdvocate is an excellent read for those interested.