Town Hall Barrel Aged Week 2012

L to R: Buffalo Bock x 2, Wee Jack x 2, Twisted Jim x 2, Tumaltuous Rare x 2, Barrel Monkey x 2, Czar Jack x 4

Day 1: Buffalo Bock (Weizenbock aged in Eagle Rare barrel)

    7.2% ABV before barrel aging. Served in a 10 oz chalice like glass at the brewpub. Dirty garnet with a wispy tan colored head... head retention and such are tough to comment upon but the beer looked appealing. Obscure fruitiness and oak/bourbon notes at the beginning that are taken over by strong over ripe banana notes with temperature.

    Slightly boozy in a very good way... the barrel character shines, especially at slightly colder temperature. Low carbonation, medium body and silky feel, with a clean finish. An example of barrel aging done right.

look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Day 2: Wee Jack (Wee Heavy aged in Jack Daniels barrel)

Wasn't a fan last year, not a fan this year either. I thought it was too fruity for a Wee Heavy. Earlier review here.

Day 3: Twisted Jim (Twisted Reality barleywine aged in Jim Beam barrel)

    10.4% ABV. Served in a 10 oz half pint glass. I have had the base beer not too long ago... I thought it was excessively bitter and hop forward to the extent that malts' only contribution was characterless sweetness and body. I have the same complaint against the barrel aged version.

    Looked slightly hazy caramel-amber colored with a small head with good retention and lacing. Aroma was caramel, vanilla, general barleywine and general barrel notes at first. Upon the first few sips, it was really hard to get past the extreme bitterness, but once the palate got accustomed, the malt and barrel character did come forward. Notes of toffee, chocolate, and richness in general, accompanied by pleasant boozy "heat". This beer begs to be thrown into the cellar for a few years!

    The citrus peel bitterness was off putting to me, considering what I was expecting... maybe I am just not a fan of American barleywine style :/ Twisted Jim is certainly not a bad beer, and is very well crafted. It's just not my type, not right now anyway. Not every barleywine can taste like King Henry right off the bat I suppose X-(

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Day 4: Tumaltuous Rare (Tumaltuous wheatwine aged in Eagle Rare barrel)

    ABV? Served in a 10 oz chalice like glass. Expectedly hazy with a small off white head that refuses to go away. Aroma is loads of bourbon and malt upfront, with some wheat making thorough. Later on it starts to smell a lot more wheat-y. I can tell right away that this is going to be very very smooth.

    Has plenty of dates, figs and dried apricot notes in aroma and especially in the taste; and an excellent bourbon character. Faint tartness, from wheat I assume. Layers upon layers of harmonious notes... every whiff and every sip is a delight.

    Not too bitter, not too sweet and definitely not too tart, this is not an intense beer by any means... just an incredibly balanced, complex, and smooth strong ale that I am very glad to have had. Love it!

look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Day 5: Barrel Monkey (Tank Monkey DIPA aged in Buffalo Trace barrel)

    ABV? Served in a 10 oz glass. Hazy burnt caramel color with a small head. Aroma has loads of vanilla from the barrel, and other bourbon notes but hops manage to hold their ground. Tastes like a liquor based drink with the feel of beer... bourbon forward with caramel and a dash of bitter citrus thrown in.

    Smooth drinking, but a sipper. Very good!

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Day 6: Czar Jack (Imperial Stout aged in Jack Daniels barrel)

    The keg was not ready to be tapped when I picked my bottles up. However, I have had it last year and thought it was solid. Earlier review here.

Black Note

    Blend of Bell's Expedition Stout and Double Cream Stout aged in bourbon barrels. Huge want. Thanks Frank! Shared with two other BAs.

    Very dark brown and clear with a tiny collar. An incredibly smooth and silky beer... feels like milk, seriously! Tartness, coffee, and very mellow roast with, of course, bourbon. Not the beast that Expedition is but an immense beer nonetheless. One of us had the opinion that the Double Cream Stout component brings the milkiness and smoothness and I think I agree. Very good, loved it! My only regret is not being completely sober while drinking this one :/

4.5, 4.5, 4.5, 4.5, 4.5

Torpedo

SN Torpedo Extra IPA

    12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. The code on the bottle is 125721... per freshbeeronly, this is not very fresh. I haven't had any luck before so here it goes: pours hazy amber with an awesome off white head... a beautifully thick, creamy, pillow-y head with excellent retention and lacing. Taking a point off for the haze though :/

    Aroma has the SN signature on it: West Coast hop profile leaning toward dankness, with the malts introducing some balance. Tastes clean, and flavourfully bitter. To me it's a cleaner, crispier, and drier version of SNPA. A lingering bitterness follows the finish with hints of tropical fruit. Light mouthfeel and good carbonation aid the experience tremendously. A good beer, steal at its price, and very enjoyable. I wish the ABV was 4.2 instead of 7.2... regardless, next time I buy a six pack of a straight up IPA, I will have another option besides Bell's Two Hearted, Founders Centennial, Furious and Mama... I know, lots of choice could spoil a man :-)

4.5, 4, 4, 4.5, 4.5

Surly Mild

Mild
Surly Brewing Co.
English Dark Mild Ale
4% ABV

    Garnet to brown colored with a good creamy light brown head. Very good head retention and lacing... better than what I was expecting. Aroma is dominated by dark malts and some coffee notes, with caramel/toffee only in the background.

    Taste is... very similar to Bender? Except for the hop profile which takes a back seat here. Light malt backbone with ample dose of specialty malts... a good kick of roast without the tartness that comes along with it. Finishes dry with a long roasty aftertaste.

    Good carbonation and good mouthfeel... I haven't had any other mild before but knowing Surly I don't expect it to be "true-to-style". However, the fact remains that it's a very good beer and an excellent low alcohol option. The taste rivals bigger brown ales and this beer is almost a junior stout.

    Very easy to have a few... I can't recall the last time I had five pints of the same beer in the same sitting!

look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Grand Funk Aleroad

Grand Funk Ale Road (G.F.A.R.)
The Bruery
"Gueuze"
5.8% ABV

Thanks Frank!

    Bright lemon-orange color with poor clarity and a really fizzy head that disappeared within seconds. Most Gueuze have poor head retention in my short experience, but the head on this one was exceptionally quick to leave. While it could only be a cosmetic issue, others agreed that the beer became "flat" really fast, and it did affect the mouthfeel adversely.

    Aroma is medium armpit funk and strong acid. Not reminiscent of Belgian examples in my opinion, but not bad either. Tastes funky and lemony with strong sourness that was quick to saturate my palate. Some fruity overtones here and there. Finishes clean but not as dry feeling as it could have been if the carbonation wasn't amiss.

Overall, I enjoyed it regardless of it's shortcomings.

2, 3, 4, 3, 4

Oil of Aphrodite

Oil of Aphrodite
Jackie O's pub & brewery
Imperial Stout brewed w/ walnuts
10% ABV

Thanks Dan!

    Pours dark brown with good clarity and a cola colored head. Medium retention and lacing. Aroma is really tart, almost citric, with decent amount of coffee/roast notes typical to stouts. Taste is also a little too tart for my liking, but with a good amount of roast in there.

    Brewed with walnuts? Tough to tell. Yeah, there are some nutty overtones and a walnut skin like bitterness at the end, but if I had not known, I wouldn't even fish for those aspects. Other than that, it's a fairly average Imperial Stout and pretty lackluster in the richness department. Mouthfeel is medium with high carbonation, so it drinks like a 7-8% ABV beer. Not a fan.

4, 3, 4, 3.5, 3

Black Butte Porter

Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Brewery
5.2% ABV, American Porter

    12 oz w/ a best by date of 06/12 poured into a Surly shaker pint glass. Pours a clear brown color with a respectable light brown head; good retention and lacing. Aroma is coffee and dark malts... simple but very enticing. I didn't have much hopes from this beer but it's drawing me in. Fruity tartness in taste that is a little too light for a Porter in my opinion. However, the "darkness" of this beer succeeds in countering the fruitiness well. Slight roast and coffee in the taste, and a medium charred finish.

    The body is not too big but medium carbonation aids the mouthfeel. Overall better than what I expected I was in for and a beer worth buying over and over. Especially at those Twin Cities bars that have limited craft options. My ratings might not be solid but I can see this beer becoming a staple, in part because of its good flavor density and less alcohol concentration ;-)

4.5, 3.5, 4, 4, 4

Westmalle Dubbel

Westmalle Dubbel
7% ABV

    11.2 oz bottle, best by 07/12 poured into a Chimay chalice. Pours a dirty amber-brown color with a light brown sugar hued creamy head. Excellent head retention and lacing. Think I poured it too cold... waiting for it to warm up, stealing a sip or two in between.

    Not much by the way of aroma here, or my sense of smell is horribly messed up. This particular dubbel seems a lot more hop forward, drier, tannic, and almost oak-y compared to other examples of the style. Only slightly sweet with a spicy yeastiness and brown sugar notes, led by the high carbonation toward a tannic bitter finish. Medium body, intense but clean flavors. Not a fan.

4.5, 3, 2, 4, 3

La Roja Grand Reserve

La Roja Grand Reserve
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
11.2 oz stubby bottle sent by Romulux. Poured into a snifter. Thanks!

    Pours a dark burnt red, with good clarity. Thick layer of dregs is seen settled at the bottom and the neck of the bottle, that thankfully did not get disturbed at all. In spite of a good pour, no head forms and the beer looks lifeless :-/ This is surprising because the carbonation couldn't have been more apt as far as the mouthfeel goes!

    An ale of staggering complexity, La Roja Grand Reserve opens with the vinegar and plum peel character typical to Flanders style beers, but quickly delivers fleeting notes of bubblegum and phenols, typical to tripels. It is also one of the most oak/bourbon forward beers and reminds me of straight bourbon every now and then. With so much going on, the finish is puckering dry, in part from oak and in part from acid. A fruit peel like slightly tart bitterness lingers with hints of wood. Amazing! The relatively low body keeps things clean and also lets the oak/bourbon shine, almost dominate the end in the best way.

2, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 4

Ruthless Rye IPA

Ruthless Rye IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Rye IPA
6.6% ABV, 55 IBUs

    12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a deep shade of rusty amber with a good off white head. Very good head retention and great lacing. Call me spoiled but many hop forward beers don't excite me because of their not being hoppy enough. I don't get much in terms of hop aroma except some floral-citric notes that could be loosely called West Coast/American.

    The malt notes are much bolder and have a strong presence of rye and bread (and therefore rye bread). The malt profile of this beer seems to be based on SNPA, or at least has the Sierra signature on it. Taste is medium bitter, very bready, and comes with a kick of rye and spice. I remember it being cleaner on tap, but it gets there with warmth.

    Medium bodied and crisp, and overall fantastic. It really is a no brainer at 7.99/6-pack. I am going back to the store when I am done with this sixer.

5, 3.5, 4, 4, 4.5

Dry Dock DIPA

Dry Dock Double IPA
9% ABV
Bomber send generously by poonamibaxter poured into a pint.

    Slightly hazy and brightly amber with a nice head that forms even without trying, DDDIPA certainly looks the part. Good head retention and extreme lacing tell me that this IPA is well hopped up. Aroma is citrus freshness and sweetness; nothing out of the way but not bad either.

    Taste? Fruit juice?! Seriously, all I can detect is lush, juicy, fruit: pineapples, mangoes, apricots... good (but not excessive) sweetness helps too. Now me, I love weedy, piney, and grassy IPA. And I like 'em dry. So this can't be my favorite, but it's a good IPA nonetheless. And if you're shopping for something that is lush and mellow, but not quite as big as, say, Maharaja, look no further.

5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4

Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barleywine
14.5 % ABV
2011 Winter release

    12 oz poured into a snifter. Thanks Ron, as always! Poured a deep copper brown with hardly any head. There was quite a bit of sediment, mostly confined to the bottom part of the bottle, and was carefully avoided. For now. Like any robust strong ale, legs were more impressive than the lace.

    Have I been drinking too many barleywines? Or too few? Dried dark fruit, toasted coconut, toffee, bourbon, oak summarize the aroma. Taste is similar, but more intense... for one, hops are present, very much so. The sweetness is not as fruity as it is alcoholic and liqueur like, but this beer is not harsh. Not at all. Finishes quite clean with some warmth, and a long taste lingers. Smooth and coating with a very good body, this is a cigar beer all around. Still a notch below King Henry in my opinion. Although a blind tasting will easily expose my refined palate :/

    I have not had a single strong beer from Kuhnhenn that I cannot call amazing. I have had my fair share of strong/old/barleywine style ales and only a few of them have seemed worth seeking out again. These beers, unlike a pilsner, have to be chosen with care and consideration because of their ABV. If I had to choose only on the basis of the brewer, I will always pick Kuhnhenn. In line with the pedigree, the Bourbon Barrel Barleywine is an amazing ale, with great balance and drinkability. Perhaps not "THE" barleywine but not too far behind. Love it!

4, 4, 4.5, 4.5, 4

Russian River trip

The sampler at Russian River

Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger
DANG!

On tap at Russian River, poured into a 10 oz nonic pint glass. 2012 release.

    Amber colored with some haze that disappears with temperature, and an off-white head with good retention and great lacing. Looks and feels very sticky and sugary, but taste is a different story. Aroma is sweet tropical fruit, with some sweetness lent by alcohol.

    Tastes fruity but very restrained in its sweetness, with a tropical profile and high bitterness, especially towards the end. Very clean for its huge body, mostly because of its hoppiness. A long and very bittering (pleasantly so) finish. Smooth and silky, clean but not crisp, with the alcohol very well masked. Very good, if not the most aggressive DIPA.

4.5, 3, 4.5, 4.5, 4

---

Reality Czech
Czech Pilsner
4.8% ABV

    Enjoyed a couple pints on draft at Monk's Kettle. Nice and clear with a pillowy head. Good retention and lacing. Aroma is pils malt and noble hops... quite mild but definitely appealing. Tastes grainy sweet with light malt, mild bitterness and a long bittering finish. Like the other features of this beer, the bitterness in the finish is mild and accessible.

    Light and crisp and extremely clean, Reality Czech's highlight is its extremely high drinkability. It is not often that one finds a good beer that asks to be drank by the pitcher!

4, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 4.5

---

Beatification Batch 3
Wild ale brewed in the Gueuze way if I am not mistaken.
5.5% ABV

    750 ml cork and caged bottle enjoyed at Monk's Table. Split with a friend. Poured into a tall, flute like glass. Feels good to slay a whale!

    Clear golden with a good white head. Very carbonated, almost fizzy. Aroma is funk, lactic acid and diaper. Tastes intensely and insanely sour with notably less funk compared to the aroma. Strong lemon, medium oak with a slightly tannic and bitter finish.

    Very very crisp and bone dry, although the later part of the bottle drank slightly mellower. I like it by all means but I don't see the demand. It was worth the 50 dollars spent only because of its reputation. Assuming that it is fair to compare it to other Gueuze, it's not top shelf.

4, 4, 3.5, 4.5, 3.5

---

Redemption
Blonde Ale
5.15% ABV

375 ml cork and caged bottle from Batch 11 poured into a wine glass.

    I have been told that this is the closest commercial example of monks' table beer or "Enkel" beer. Pours a light hay golden color with a creamy white head. Slightly hazy and very effervescent. Medium retention and lacing.

    Smells good! Very restrained but delicious aroma of temperate fruit and pils malt (I think, not too good at identifying malts). A fruity and slightly spicy taste with present malty sweetness, and slight European bitterness. Full mouthfeel from residual malts and bubbles. Overall a very good, easy drinking beer. I like it.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

---

3F Oude Gueuze

    12.7 oz bottle poured into a wine glass. Pours amber hued and very effervescent. The bone white head quickly fizzes away to a tiny ring. Aroma is signature 3F: musty, cellar like, damp, coal and slight funk. Very likeable!

    Taste is lactic and lemony sourness with medium intensity and an exceptionally clean character. While it is definitely sour, the tartness doesn't linger too much and it drinks like a more balanced beer. Although the young age might have something to do with it. Very bubbly and very clean, I loved it!

    Having had this (good) and some other (not as good) Gueuze, I am definitely editing (up) my rating of Lente, that is perhaps the best I have had till date.

4, 5, 4.5, 5, 4.5