Matt

Matt (Bottleworks X)
Strong Ale
Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.
11.5% ABV

    12 oz. bottle from 2010 poured into a snifter. Thanks Kan. Since I am on a Strong Ale/Old Ale/Barleywine kick for the past few months and this is the coldest day this far into Fall, it's the perfect occasion to drink the only bottle I have. Matt pours dark brown and looks almost black; the looks are in the Imperial Stout territory. There's no head whatsoever  but there is a tiny ring holding promise of carbonation. I hear it's a crap shoot with HotD, and I think I am lucky.

    Matt boasts a very complex aroma, with distinct notes of roast, smoke, dark fruit, port, caramel/toffee and dark liqueur. And ripe apples! I can't wait to taste it, but I can't stop smelling it either.

    The base beer for Matt is Adam, which was a disappointment to me. However, the barrels have changed the beer massively, into something much better. My complaint against Adam was too much roast and too much bitterness. The roast is mellow in Matt, and the bitterness very restrained, along with the added sweetness and complexity.

    Sticky caramel sweetness, accompanied by still bold, roasty and chocolaty bitterness leading towards a slightly astringent finish. There is a lot of fruity-vinous character and ripe, sweet apple notes from eau-de-vie de pomme. I am loving it so much! This beer is one of the testimonials to the fact that American brewing today can stand up to Europe. Reminiscent of two of my favorite beers, Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw and JW, and yet so different. And what restrained use of barrels, that have added so much character without the typical booze.

    While I am convinced that this beer will only improve with age, it hardly tastes young. In fact, had I not known the age, I would place it at 3 years, at least. A great beer, and perfect for this moment. It's beers like this that make trading worthwhile. I don't think I have anything in my stash that can excel Matt significantly. I won't be drinking anything else tonight.

3, 4, 5, 4, 4.5

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock
Old Ale/Barleywine/Eisbock
6.3 oz bottle from 2007 poured into a snifter. Thanks jrallen34 for this huge Want!

    Pours clear rust brown with pink highlights with some bubbles, but hardly a head. A solid oz of dark dregs at the bottom. Great malty notes in the aroma, akin to a fine barleywine with some oxidation. Dark fruit, toasted coconut, dessert wine. And raspberry.

    The raspberries, initially mute really open up with time and warmth. Still, the fruit has died down quite a bit, assuming it was strong to begin with. Tastes very fruity: figs, dates, prunes and raspberries. The taste is sharp and tannic, with a slightly bittering and amazingly dry finish. The alcohol warmth and raspberry dessert linger.

    Medium body and very low carbonation. The 13.50% ABV is hardly felt. Haters might call it cough syrup like but this is right up my alley. A tremendous beer! I have no doubt that Kuhnhenn has it down when it comes to strong ales and lagers (?).

3, 4, 4.5, 4, 4.5

Homebrew # 5: Bavarian Hefeweizen

Bavarian Hefeweizen (Northern Brewer kit)
6 lbs Wheat LME, 1 lb Wheat DME
1 oz Tettnang (60 min)
Weihenstephaner yeast (Wyeast 3068)
OG ~1.050
FG ~1.014
Estimated ABV ~4.6%

    Pours in a golden stream but looks clearly darker than a good commercial hefeweizen. The high carbonation (intended!) is evidenced by the loud pop and huge head. The head retention is good, although it could have been better. Little lacing. Also, the head is more bubbly for the style.

    Great aroma on this one. Bread, banana, and mild lemony tartness. However, the extract twang is still very much present. The taste is very fruity with light tartness and weaker, but present, notes of "house character". Spice is low because of the warmer fermentation but some phenolic notes appear alongside the bitterness at the end.

    I am really digging the way it tastes for the most part. A simple style to brew, I can clearly see that the yeast has done its job very well. Problems were at our end... needs polishing, but delightful nonetheless.

    Carbonation is just as high as we shot for. Body is medium and the finish medium dry with fruitiness lingering. I am quite pleased, but still unhappy about the twang :-(

Raspberry Treatment

    Pureed ~9 oz of raspberries and added to ~1/2 gallon beer in a growler. Let it sit for 2 weeks and bottled with some sugar. Perhaps too little. The bottles did get a lot stiffer (I used plastic coke bottles) but the carbonation was nowhere near the desired level :/

    Pours clear and deep pinkish brown with no head at all. Aroma is big on raspberries, very scented. The base beer is pretty much dominated by raspberry flavors. Light sweet tartness with plenty of raspberry taste and a slightly bittering finish. Medium bodied like the base beer, but only hints of the much needed prickly carbonation.

Homebrew # 4: Patersbier

Patersbier (Northern Brewer kit)
All pils malt (6 lbs Pilsen LME; 0.5 lbs carapils steeped at the beginning of the boil)

Hop additions:

   - 1 oz Hallertau (60 min)
   - 0.5 oz Saaz (60 min)
   - 0.5 oz Saaz (10 min)
Westmalle yeast (Wyeast 3787)
OG ~1.040
FG ~1.008
Estimated ABV ~4%

    Pours a light shade of hay with brilliant clarity and a massive creamy, rocky head with excellent retention and equally good looking lacing.

    The aroma is very complex and definitely displaying its pedigree: phenolic, fruity (pear, apples), and a spicy bite that (perhaps) derives its sharpness from CO₂ bubbling out. Some bottles sampled about a week earlier had a banana note that could be attributable to warm fermentation, and seems to have cleared away.

    Tastes lightly fruity, with notes similar to aroma but quite low in their strength. A very mild hop bite at the end, that is noticeably tamer and more desirable this way. The "homebrew" (amateur) note is still there that I often refer to as "house character" :/

    Overall clean, light bodied, very crisp and very refreshing. Bonus is lower alcohol, certainly very low for its complexity and flavors, and truly sessionable.

Galactic Double Daisy Cutter

Galactic Double Daisy Cutter
Half Acre Brewing Co.
Double IPA
8% ABV

Bomber courtesy Dan poured into a New Belgium globe.

    Pours a very milky mango color with barely any head. Reminded me immediately of Mango Mama. I can understand that it's heavily hopped and dry hopped and what not but looks pretty fuckin' far from an IPA!

    Complex hop profile to say the least: initially it was mangoes but I can definitely smell the spice and slightly dank notes. Brief suggestion of malt melds really well with the fruit. Off to taste: thankfully bitter! Maybe I have an acute case of LTS or it's just the spicy food but I am having a hard time tasting bitterness in beers these days. Galactic has definitely broken that dry spell for me!!

    Fruity, flavorful and bitter to the bone, this is a straight up DIPA. Some alcohol warmth along with the medium finish. The carbonation is medium and the texture oily, almost viscous. Aside from the looks, it's a good DIPA and a good beer, not to mention that it's thankfully on the lower side of ABV for DIPAs!

2, 4, 4, 4, 4.5

Captain Fantasy

Captain Fantasy
Half Acre and Shorts collaboration
Saison
7% ABV

Bomber poured into a Duvel tulip. Thanks AgentZero.

    Clear and golden with a medium sized creamy alabaster head. While the head itself wasn't too impressive, the retention and lacing certainly are.

    Smells more like a BSPA than a saison to me. No saison smells good enough after Fantome I suppose :/ There's a good fruitiness present and it's no surprise that it actually has pears. Also, knowing that Sorachi Ace hops are present, I smell a hint of lemons; but that could be the "power of suggestion". Eventually the saison yeast profile appears but not assertively.

    Taste is fruity and sharp with a bittering finish. Quite inoffensive except for the fusel notes, which are really out of place in a 7% ABV beer. The body is medium but the crisp carbonation keeps everything nice and clean.

    Pretty run of the mill for a saison with entirely missing tartness and spice. Not as bad as the local Honeymoon saison but not as good as a good saison either.

4, 3.5, 3, 4, 3

Maduro

Maduro Brown Ale
Cigar City
5.5% ABV

12 oz poured into a pint.

Rust brown hued with good clarity and a small tan head with sub par retention. Sweet and malty, but very moderately so. Good on the specialty malt character: I can definitely smell chocolate.

Nutty and chocolaty with a slightly roasted profile. Finishes clean and dry with a charred aftertaste. I quite like it. The carbonation is not too high; the body rather watery.

Overall, I can see myself drinking this beer every once in a while if it were available to me. The local favorite Bender does an equally good job though, if not better.

3.5, 3.5, 4, 3, 3.5

ABR, Tasting reviews

Barrel Aged Blackout Stout

Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Shared generously by Andrew, thanks! Poured into a tasting snifter.

    Thin and brown as opposed to viscous black: not-so-stout-y looking. Aroma is bourbon, coal/smoke/roast, and some, umm... tartness? Taste has strong presence of roast and coffee, and the associated acidity. Not as big on bourbon in taste as in the aroma. Some chocolate notes. Very thin body with low carbonation. Seems like something is wrong with this beer/bottle.

Overall pretty pedestrian for a sought after barrel aged stout.

Bourbon Darkness 2011

Surly Brewing Co.
Poured into ABR 2011 glass by the brewer himself!

    Dark, rich black with a nice dark brown head. Good retention too... definitely inherits its looks from the base beer.

    Aside from the looks and the raisin character of Darkness, this beer seems different on so many levels! The smoothness of regular Darkness is entirely missing, and so are the hops, obviously. The latter is not a bad thing in my opinion. However, this beer is still very sweet without being well integrated, and somewhat boozy, and yet the bourbon character is mute. Odd :/

Three

Surly Brewing Co.
Poured into ABR 2011 glass by Todd Haug.

    Clear and dark brown with medium head that fell into a nice collar. Aroma is honey and ginger; sweet and spicy. Tastes sweet at front with plenty of honey flavor with malts in the background and little hops. Finishes very clean. Well carbonated with a medium body.

Two

Surly Brewing Co.
Poured into ABR 2011 glass.

    Very dark and rich brown with a good head and good retention. Aroma is some berry and sweetness. Tastes a little too tart for me but that should be expected for a cranberry stout! As others have reported, the cranberries are alive although I have no idea how it was fresh.

    Not quite chewy but still good on the mouthfeel. I am glad to tried it although there's no way I am going after it.

Westvleteren 8

Westvleteren 8
Quadrupel

    Big thanks to jrallen34 for this 11.2 oz bottle. Date on the cap is August 2013. Poured into a snifter. Pours chestnut brown with good clarity and a light cappuccino colored huge creamy head. The head retention is good, and so is the lacing.

    The aroma is very sharp and almost pungent at times! More phenolic and yeasty, and less sweet smelling than 12; there is ample toasty caramel goodness from the dark sugars, and hints of fruit and chocolate, but there's a strong phenolic character too.  A note or two of alcohol that I don't mind one bit.

    Fruity sweet with dark fruit on the palate with the yeast/byproducts present all along. Not quite as tannic as the bigger Quads, but still bitter and cleansing at the end. Very clean finish with some warmth lingering. The body is medium and the carbonation rather low. It's good, actually very good, but I doubt I'll have it by myself again. Considering it's tougher to come by, more so than 12, I think it'll be best shared. There are equally good or better off the shelf Quads for regular drinking.

4.5, 4, 3.5, 4, 4

Iron Works Alt

Iron Works Alt
Altbier
Metropolitan Brewing, Chicago

    12 oz poured into a pint glass. Thanks AgentZero. Pours deep and clear copper with only a small-medium head in spite of a regular pour. The head retention is alright in that the bubbles manage to stay on the surface and lace the glass as it gets emptier.

    A very strong malt aroma without the sweetness: quite rare in most beers that I have had. Smells like the inside of a homebrew shop. Very biscuity, and dry. A wee bit of fruitiness at the end. Crisp and biting with a slightly sweet taste profile balanced by light bitterness. The finish is way too sweet for a beer that tastes otherwise clean.

    More lager-y feel than an "old-style" beer but it seems to be the norm for Alts. The body is light and the carbonation very high. Overall nothing too impressive going on here... tastes like lagered Fat Tire.

Disclaimer: This is my second Alt ever and the first one was aged in barrels, so I don't know anything about Alts from direct experience.

3, 3, 3, 4, 3

Guava Groove

Guava Groove
Saison
8% ABV
Cigar City Brewing

750 ml split with Apu, poured into New Belgium globes. Thanks Dan.

    Hazy amber, with very hazy dregs; off-white dense and thick pillow-y head with medium retention and, oddly, no lacing.

    The lemony tart and yeasty aroma profile is signature saison. There's some stronger acidity that suggests a light sour character. Lots of fruit, specifically white grape. But... guava? I don't get any until the very end.

    Taste is bit of a let down from the aroma: the tartness is missing; and the hop bitterness is a little too strong. Finally, the beer tastes harsh at times... like leftover fruit pulp after getting juiced.

    Mouthfeel is bigger than many other saisons but apt carbonation keeps everything in check. Overall just an average beer.

4, 3.5, 2.5, 4, 3

Non-saisons at Saison tasting

    Ben from BA recently organized a rarer Fantômes' tasting that I attended. While I had every intention of reviewing, I was so overwhelmed by the beers that I didn't find anything meaningful to write. This is the list of Fantômes had:

• Brise-BonBons
• Blanche (my favorite)
• La Piétrain Blonde
• Magic Ghost (pretty good, and very unique)
• Santé-15
• Saint-Roch
• Hiver

However, there were other very different beers at the tasting that I thought I could review:

Lou Pepe Framboise (2002 Vintage)

Thanks Andrew! For this one and for Gratitude.

    Pours burnt orange-pink with a dirty collar for head. Aroma is massive funk, sulfur, leather and maybe some fruit lurking somewhere. Smells abrasive!

    Tart, dry, pungent. Did I already say dry? I don't think I have ever had a monster comparable to this beer in its dryness and sour character except the Beatification that I don't remember having at Darkness Day 2010 :/

Excellent mouthfeel with loads of crisp carbonation.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4.5

Lente

    Thanks Kevin for hosting and sharing this awesome (and rare ;-) beer! Not to mention the excellent homebrewed Berliner Weisse.

    Pours light golden with a medium white colored dense head. Signature Gueuze. A very very interesting aroma: I usually expect Gueuze to be all about acid and such but I got a lot of coal and tobacco like notes over the massive funk and of course, acidic notes. It is noteworthy that the said coal/tobacco notes seemed more related to a damp warehouse than the perfectly oxidized strong ale.

    Taste contains everything in aroma and more: the tart character is more intense and the light body/crisp carbonation make things more interesting. A very intense and complex, and yet easy drinking beer.

    I am not a very discerning Lambic drinker but I noted a lot of similarities in Zomer that Frank and Pasta shared at another later tasting. Thanks again guys!

4, 4.5, 4, 4, 4

Event Horizon (2010)

I don't quite remember who shared it but I think it was Kevin again. Thanks!

    Fairly standard -bal Imperial Stout with a dark, smooth body and tiny head. The aroma is full of chocolate notes and vanilla, and of course bourbon. Tastes chocolaty and is reminiscent of BCBS without the booze. Mouthfeel is good for an ~8% beer. An achievement in the sense that so much flavor is packed into this beer without being too strong. Very very good.

3.5, 4, 4, 4, 4.5

Zombie Dust

Zombie Dust
American Pale Ale
3 Floyds
6.2% ABV, 50 IBUs

    12 oz bottle, courtesy Chicago BAs, poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint. Pours hazy golden with a thick off white head. Good retention and lacing.

    One of the better smelling APAs out there, this one has me convinced that Chicagoland brews the best APAs, with the possible exception of Alpine. Never had Hoppy Birthday. Grassy and weedy as promised with some malt sugars coming forth in the aroma.

    Taste is fairly simple with both, flavor and bitterness, on a decent malt backbone. More dry hopped than bittered methinks. Initially it seemed very easy drinking and quenching but the body is pretty decent, with good, but not crisp carbonation. I like it, but I still think that the ABV could have been lower.

4.5, 4, 3.5, 4, 4

MAUI CoCoNut PorTeR

CoCoNut PorTeR
Maui Brewing Co.
Robust Porter
6% ABV
30 IBUs

    12 oz can poured into a Surly pint. Thanks Ross. Dark brown and clear with a brown head that left fast. No lacing either. Very very good aroma with plenty of roast, toast, coffee, malt, and coconut.

    The taste is a notch down from aroma but not all that much: malt and coconut, with coffee-roast finish. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Plenty of coconut aftertaste after a medium dry finish.

Overall awesome!

2.5, 4.5, 4, 4, 4

Citra

Citra
Double IPA
Kern River Brewing Company
8% ABV

    Pours clear and golden with a moderate alabaster head that formed in cascades atop the amber mass. The head is more bubbly than creamy with medium retention and good lacing.

    The aroma is all over the hop spectrum: from fruity to dank to spice. Reminds me of my local Abrasive at times. As it gets warm the sweetness comes through: hard to say whether it's exclusively from malts or there's some contribution from the alcohol. I think it's fairly standard for a DIPA and nothing exceptional, especially because it's all over the place and not showcasing a particular hop character.

    Mildly sweet, hints of fruit, quite crisp as opposed to creamy-viscous, with moderately bittering finish. Everything about the profile of this beer seems "moderate", or shall I say ordinary?

    As remarked, mouthfeel is crisp and clean on a lighter-than-your-usual-DIPA body; and I like the mouthfeel on this one.

Overall, ok. I can't taste the hype :/

4, 3, 3, 4, 3

Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw

Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw
Het Anker
Quadrupel

One of my favorite beers that I believe doesn't get enough press. Classy looking 750 ml cork & caged bottle (2009 vintage) poured into a snifter at approximately two and a half years of age. Some details from the brewer:

Every year on the 24th of February, we celebrate the birth of Charles Quint. Therefore we brew a special beer in limited edition called Cuvée of the Emperor. This exceptional beer is a special version of the Golden Carolus Classic, with an enriched taste pallet and mysterious aromas added. The caramelised malts and its 11% Alc. Vol. give the Cuvée of the Emperor the warm roundness of wine together with the refreshing taste of beer. It is imperially crowned with a special cork so it can be preserved for a long period of time with a constant cellar temperature of 12° C. An imperial beer to cherish and enjoy in moderation.

Type of beer: Dark special beer
Colour: Ruby red

Alcohol: 11% VOL

Hops: Exclusively Belgian hops
Wort extract: 24° Plato
Fermentation: High fermentation
Lagering: 2 weeks
Packaging: Bottle 75 cl and 1,5 l
Tenability: At least 10 years

    Pours caramel brown with moderate clarity and a medium light brown head. Medium retention, good lacing. Smells dark and sweet from the Belgian candi sugar used I suppose. Dark fruits, prominently raisins, hint of figs, prunes and dried cherries. Touch of spice, and perhaps some oxidation.

    The taste is decadent with a great balance of sweet and dark: very fruity (raisins, dates, figs), slightly chocolaty, with a moderately tannic finish very reminiscent of the said fruits. Very vinous, with some sherry like notes. The sweetness lingers.

    The body is bigger than most Belgian ales, but still in the Belgian territory; the carbonation is alive and kickin'. As noted, there's a tannic note in finish but it's still sweet, and the beer damn smooth.

    Overall, a very unique and great beer. Stands out from other Quads in its heightened sweetness and proximity to English Barleywines.

Appearance 4/5; Aroma 4/5; Taste 4.5/5; Mouthfeel 4.5/5; Overall 4.5/5