Tap Talk | Beer Blog

The Lost Abbey | Judgment Day

2012-02-23T23:35:00.001-05:00

The Lost Abbey's Judgment Day, a Belgian style Quadrupel ale brewed with raisins. 180 pounds of raisins per 30-barrel batch to be exact! It also has to be said that this beer has a pretty bad ass label.

Poured into a Chimay Chalice glass, Judgment Day, has a dark almost-opaque ruddy brown color, a fizzy tan head that recedes to spotty surface foam, and good chunks of lacing. The aroma is very boozy, lots of sweet alcohol, lots of sweet dark fruit like figs, raisins (it is brewed with raisins after all…), black cherries, some vanilla, spice, and a hint of bananas. This thing smells like a beast.

The taste starts with big malt sweetness, and a definite alcohol presence, but not nearly as boozy as the aroma hints at. Again, fruit flavors of figs, raisins, plums, etc. There's tons of rich maltiness in this thing; biscuity, chewy, and just really tasty. The finish gives a taste of some spicy yeast mixing with the sweetness that lingers for a while after each sip. Definite alcohol warmth with this one.

Speaking of sipping, Judgment Day is not a beer you want to drink fast. At 10.5% ABV, and the insane amounts of malt and fruit flavor, this beer is a monster. This would be an excellent beer to cellar for a while, as the bold malt and high ABV will lend to a smoother more rum-like product over time. If I had more self control I would age this one, but I know it wouldn't last more than a month. Sure would be nice to see what some time will do to this beast though.

Judgment Day was a little too over the top for my palate, but still an excellent beer. It almost seems like more of a dessert than just a beer. Maybe I should have paired this with some late night chocolate cake? If you think this will be a bit too boozy for your taste as well, but are still interested in the style, Lost Abbey's Lost & Found would be a great option. Lost & Found is sort of the kid brother to Judgment Day, still a Belgian strong ale (a Dubbel) and brewed with raisins, but toned down just a bit.

Back to Judgment Day:

Personal 7.5/10, for the style 8.5/10

Rodenbach | Grand Cru

2012-02-21T00:18:00.000-05:00

Rodenbach Grand Cru

Yeah, it's time for another one of those unusual Belgian beers, this one being a Flanders Red Ale. Rodenbach Grand Cru sets itself apart from other ales because of the extensive maturing in oak vats that it undergoes. Then a blend of the older aged ale is mixed with younger ale (67%/33%) to create the "Grand Cru."

Poured into a tall fluted pilsner glass, Grand Cru has a transparent dark copper color and a soda-like fizzy tan head that disappears almost as quickly as it is poured. The aroma is quite pungent with powerful vinegar, sour cherries, apples, oak, hints of vanilla, and a touch of malt. Although this aroma is a bit odd for a beer, it honestly reminds me of smelling a magic marker. You know it smells like pure chemicals but for some reason it smells so good! Or maybe I'm just psychotic. Don't hold Eric to blame, it's only me (Pat) spewing this crazy talk.

The flavor is strong of tart cherries and grannysmith apples. The sourness is smoothed out a bit by sugary malt sweetness and woody notes before finishing crisp, earthy, and dry. Airy carbonation gives this ale a gentle mouthfeel despite it's rather full body. Not to mention the sourness adds that refreshing mouth watering effect that makes these beers so amazing. One of the most remarkable aspects of this beer is that all the sour fruit flavor you taste, is from the unique yeast and extensive aging; and no fruit ingredients or additives were used.

I'm going to quote Todd Alström from Beeradvocate here, since he puts it so eloquently, "Dear beergod, thank you. This is indeed one of the most refreshing beers on the planet. An absolute must try." I didn't think I was capable of being so poetic. Anyway, try this beer, you will not be disappointed. If you've never had a sour ale, Rodenbach Grand Cru is the one you want.

Personal 9.5/10, for a Flanders Red Ale 10/10.

Great Divide | Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

2012-02-20T00:18:00.000-05:00

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Ahhh, the latest incarnation of Great Divide's famed creature, the YETI! Great Divide loves the Yeti, and rightfully so, has made the Yeti their claim to fame. There are currently six different versions of this beer, most being seasonal, and some being quite rare. Lets get a beanful of this one, the espresso oak aged variation. (yep, I really just said "beanful")

Poured into a pint glass from a 22oz bottle, this Yeti has got to be the thickest beer I've ever poured. It looks like melted chocolate flowing into my glass. Jet black in color with two fingers of brown foamy head. Excellent head retention, and lots of lacing are left after each sip.

The aroma is loaded with coffee/espresso, dark roasty malt, wet oak, and hints of alcohol. A good swirl releases moderate amounts of alcohol sweetness ranging from chocolate, dark fruit, and licorice.

The flavor is of smooth velvety chocolate and coffee with undertones of vanilla, oak, and sweet fruit. The finish has a lingering dark chocolate bitterness and perhaps a bitter hop character. It's baffling how smooth and rich this beer is. Definitely way too drinkable for it's own good; but I guess having the consistency of spent engine oil is only helping the cause. It's so sludgy that I bet it would cure a sore throat.

Granted, I haven't had KBS, CBS, or BCBS, regardless of that, this is definitely the best stout I've ever had. The regular Yeti is phenomenal on it's own, but the espresso and oak aging give it some serious oomph. Good lord is it delicious, and man is it squatchy.

Personal 10/10, for an Imperial Stout 10/10.

Great Divide | Nomad

2012-02-20T00:03:00.002-05:00

Great Divide's Nomad Pilsner, in their words, "our spin on the classic Bohemian Pilsner style… with German malts and Saaz hops."

Poured into a pint glass, Nomad has an incredibly transparent, light straw color and a finger or so of fizzy white head that recedes to a ring around the glass. The color is so light if I didn't know any better I'd think I was drinking Coors light.

The aroma is of light grainy malt, grassy hop, slightly nutty, bits of lemon peel, and earth. This definitely smells like a European pilsner, with a very distinct Saaz hop profile, and a bit of that slight skunk.

The flavor is very similar to the nose, with a seriously pronounced grassy/herbal/vegetal taste: lots of flowers, grass, dandelion, etc. Spicy yeast and doughy malt also add a bit of backbone to this very crisp lager. The hop profile is definitely on the bitter side, which adds a bit of 'snap' to the beer, but can be a bit too assertive for some drinkers.

If you like Czech style pilsners then you will thoroughly enjoy this beer. It's really great to see American craft brewers making lighter lager styles, as it's still a bit of a rarity. Personally, I think it's the future of craft brewing, after the dust has settled from Imperial Stouts and Double IPA's of course. That's still a long ways off, but when you see Stone and Dogfish Head release year-round pilsners, it'll be a revolution. Anyway… Nomad is a fine example of a real pilsner, and would be a great way to work your way into the world of craft beer. It may look light and easy drinking, but this fizzy yellow beer has a hell of a lot more flavor than your 30 rack of Miller.

Personal 6.5/10, for a Pilsner 8.5/10.

West Coast IPA Throwdown | Stone vs Bear Republic

2012-02-13T23:37:00.003-05:00

Thought we'd mix it up a bit here and do a West Coast IPA Throwdown. NorCal - Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA vs. SoCal - Stone IPA.

Both poured into equal sized pint glasses. Racer 5 has a golden pale amber color, the slightest amount of haze, and a minimal cm or so of white head that fell to a frothy ring. Stone has a very similar shade of golden amber, maybe a touch paler, and is crystal clear. The head on Stone IPA is large and white with big fluffy foam that leaves lots of sticky lacing as it falls to a finger thick of head. If you want to get nerdy about it, I'd say Racer 5 is about 7-8 SRM and Stone is around 6-7 SRM. For appearance - Stone wins that round.

The aroma on Racer 5 is strong and fresh citrus hops, light pine, sweet tropical fruit with slight hints of alcohol and lightly toasted grain. There is a mild sweetness on the nose. Stone IPA has a slightly more pungent fruity aroma; still very citrus driven, but a little more zesty and minty. It seems like Stone's dry hopping is a little more intense than Racer 5. This is tough, both smell incredibly good.... but I'd have to give the edge to Stone on aroma.

On to the best part, taste! Racer 5 kicks your taste buds with an explosion of crushing hop bitterness. Hops are citrusy, piney, fruity, and bitter. The malt comes into play to balance the middle with some bready flavors making it very savory and juicy before finishing with a grapefruit bitterness. The hops really shift into gear in the flavor more than the aroma leads you to believe. Stone IPA starts off a little easier on the tongue, but still quite bitter, with a good amount of spiciness. Lots of pine, citrus, tobacco, and minty flavors. Although the initial hop blast starts off slower than Racer 5, it gets more intense throughout each sip, and almost numbs your tongue with hop essence. This is a tough one to pick because it really depends on what your personal preference is. Therefore, for flavor, it is a tie. Both have equally distinguishable and delicious traits to them, and it is nearly impossible to say one is better than the other.

It would seem as though Stone IPA has won this battle, with a much better appearance and a slight edge on aroma. However, like it was said in the taste, it's still up to personal preference. If you were to ask which one has a better mouthfeel and is more drinkable, then Racer 5 would win. But if you were looking for the 1 bottle quintessential hop-bomb IPA (as if both aren't hop-bombs), then Stone IPA is the choice. The easiest way to break down the difference, for me at least, is Racer 5 is like drinking "hop juice," while Stone IPA is more like "hop spice." Which is better? Tough call, it's up to you. The least that I can say is, if you love IPAs, you NEED to try both of these beers. You will not be disappointed.

Winner - Stone IPA

Jolly Pumpkin | La Roja

2012-02-10T01:02:00.000-05:00

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, an "artisan amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition," comes from Dexter, Michigan. Put simply, this is categorized by most as a wild ale, which means that it uses wild yeast strains in fermentation. Jolly Pumpkin, in particular, allows open air from outdoors to flow through the brewhouse, which inoculates their beers for secondary fermentation. Then a blend is created from multiple batches aged from 2-10 months in bourbon or red wine barrels. So, even though the initial brew is created to follow a Belgian Flanders Red Ale style (which is quite sour itself), Jolly Pumpkin puts their own twist on La Roja, making it more "wild."

Poured into a flute glass from a 750ml bottle (blend 11 - bottled July 7, 2011). La Roja has a slightly hazy deep burnt copper color with a creamy light tan head. Head retention sits somewhere around the 1cm mark and there is lots of frothy lacing sticking to the sides of my glass. The smell is pungent and tart. Strong aromas of red wine vinegar, sour cherries, with hints of oak, spice, and very funky yeast.

The flavor, much like the aroma hints at, is very tart and refreshingly mouthwatering. Bright fizzy carbonation injects flavors of red wine vinegar, citric and lactic acids, Maraschino cherries, pomegranate, woody oak, and musty barnyard funk. The initial blast of sourness fades to a sweeter flavor for a moment, creating a delicious tug-of-war between sweet and sour. La Roja finishes just slightly bitter, with lingering tannins. This beer has a lot going on!

These sour ales, with their wild yeast strains and extended barrel aging, create a cacophony of flavor and aroma that is sometimes hard to put into words. If you are new to the style, you will without a doubt question that this is even a beer. It's something that upon the first sip seems a little off putting, but by the time you get halfway through your glass, you won't be able get enough of the delicious mouthwatering sensation created by the sourness. Unfortunately sour ales are often hard to come by, as the style is only recently gaining popularity in the US, and most are created in small, hand blended batches. This means that only a handful of the sours made in our country make it to nationwide distribution. That being said, don't be scared off by the somewhat higher price of Jolly Pumpkin ales, as they are well worth every penny.

Getting back to the beer in the spotlight... I mean, pint glass. La Roja is a very well crafted beer, and it's one that I justify the $12.50 price to treat myself to every few months. It's easily passed by, but definitely one of the most complex and delicious beers in our store. Personal 10/10, for the style 9/10.

Sierra Nevada | Ruthless Rye IPA

2012-02-07T22:06:00.001-05:00

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA, the new spring seasonal addition to Sierra Nevada's outstanding line of beers. This one boasts rye malt, chinook, citra, bravo, and "experimental" hops. Curious what those experimental hops are, but I'm sure they're delicious either way. As a side note before we pop the cap on this ale, Sierra Nevada recently announced the construction of their first east coast brewery! It will be located in Mills River, North Carolina, and should be up and running within 2 years. That is some exciting stuff.

Poured into a Chimay chalice glass, Ruthless Rye has a deep amber copper color. It is filtered and translucent, and it has a minimal light tan head with sudsy retention and very little bits of lacing. The nose is very hoppy and peppery. The hops smell sharp and fresh, very resinous pine hops with some bitter citrus shining through. The peppery spice of the rye malt comes into play without standing out enough to be overly spicy.

The taste is strong hop bitterness upfront, grapefruit, pine, and orange. The rye malt is more noticeable, adding peppery spice, as well as a dryness, which (combined with intense hop bitterness) add to its "ruthless" character. The caramel and chocolate malts become noticeable midway through, adding body and a smoothing, almost lager-like mouthfeel. The malts definitely help to smooth out the bitter bite from the hops, but they don't quell them altogether. The finish showcases a sweeter floral hop flavor and peppery spice, with just a hint at dry hop bitterness lingering after each sip.

Ruthless Rye IPA, is definitely a great addition to Sierra Nevada's lineup. Although some may disagree, I'm happy to see it replace Glissade for their spring offering. Despite the fact that Ruthless is an IPA, the rye, and other darker malts, add a great amount of body and complexity to a beer that's meant to carry us through the rest of the dark cold months, looking forward to warm weather, and good times ahead. And as an added bonus, the label artwork is really cool! For the style 8.5/10, personal 8.5/10.

Rogue | Mocha Porter

2012-01-23T23:03:00.001-05:00

Rogue Mocha Porter, once known as Newport Porter, in honor of the town of Newport, Oregon and home of Rogue Ales.

Poured into a Hoegaarden hex glass, this porter has very dark cola color that gets to a dark ruby around the edges. After a vigorous pour, the caramel colored head built up about three fingers or so before receding rather quickly. Minimal head retention and lacing, just little bits here and there.

The aroma is a mix of both bittersweet and milk chocolate, mild grassy hops, caramel, and subtle hints of coffee. While it's more or less in the middle, the sweetness just seems to grab my attention a bit more. The flavor starts out with creamy milk chocolate, caramel, and light coffee. Next, earthy/grassy hops that honestly seem a bit metallic in taste, give this beer a little bite. The hop flavor gets pushed back pretty easily by all the dark roasty malt flavor in the finish, leaving you with a creamy semi-sweet chocolate aftertaste.

Although this is a creamy mocha porter, it seems to be a little light in body, almost a little watery for the style. That being said, obviously this is going to be way heavier than a pilsner. Definitely a solid beer for the winter months, and/or to pair nicely with a BBQ meal or chocolate dessert. Personal 6.5/10, for the style 7/10.

The Lost Abbey | Devotion Ale

2012-01-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

Ah... the famed Lost Abbey. To pick up with a bit more of the history lesson started in the review of "Port Wipeout IPA"....... The Lost Abbey is a brand of Port Brewing Company, and they are both brewed in the same brewery. As previously mentioned, that brewery, started in 2006, is in fact the old brewery of Stone Brewing Co. They (Stone) needed to expand and sold their brewery to Port. Though Port and The Lost Abbey share a brewery, the brands are geared at very different markets. Port Brewing is aimed at the American West Coast style of beers, generally very bold and hop forward. Or in the case of their darker beers, just well-made versions of American favorites. Lost Abbey on the other hand, focuses on complex Belgian style beers, many of which are barrel aged, and some are inoculated with a wild yeast strain called Brettanomyces. But, if you're a beer geek like we are, chances are you'll be interested in both brands! Anyway, lets pop the cork on this bottle.

Devotion Ale, the Belgian Pale/Golden Ale from The Lost Abbey. Poured into a Chimay chalice glass, this ale has a very hazy amber color with a big foamy white head. The head recedes pretty quickly with bits of sticky lacing left on the glass. The aroma is very soft and unobtrusive; hints of sweet doughy malt, yeast (very slightly funky), spice, citrusy hop (lemon, orange), and apple. Instead of one ingredient jumping out and punching you in the face, everything is working together in unison.

The taste starts very crisp and lively with notes of grassy noble hops, grannysmith apple, and lemon. Extreme effervescence upfront quickly turns creamy smooth, opening up sweeter bready malt flavors, spice, and oranges. Towards the finish, this ale gets drier and has a bit of a yeasty band-aid funk / tartness to it mixing with more lemon. This might sound a little off-putting to some, but it really makes it quite mouth-watering and refreshing!

The crisp, light, highly carbonated mouthfeel of this brew makes it pretty easy to drink, and there is no hint of alcohol present. At 6.25% ABV, this isn't necessarily a "strong beer," but for how drinkable it is, it can sneak up on you. Although it's quite different from most pale ales we carry in the store, Lost Abbey's Devotion is worth checking out. While not the bold piney west coast IPA type, this beer still showcases noble hop and yeast flavors in perfect harmony. If you liked Brooklyn Local 1, you will definitely like this one. Enjoy Devotion on its own or paired with light fare like cheese, crackers, breads etc. Personal 8.5/10 for a belgian style pale ale 9/10.

Terrapin Beer Company | Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

2012-01-19T23:26:00.000-05:00

Back to back Terrapin Beer Co. offerings tonight as we do another winter seasonal, Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout this one being part of the Monster Beer Tour. The tour consists of four Imperial versions of various styles for each season. Tons of hops, lots of flavor, and high alcohol content is the norm for these truly huge beers. This is definitely my favorite out of the four. Although there is one that I haven't tried, Hopzilla Imperial IPA, which will be joining the tour for 2012. I'll be looking forward to that one...hopefully we will get it.

Wake-n-Bake was poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. It's black as night and a good inch of brown creamy head recedes quickly down to a thin layer. More retention here than I saw from the Moo-Hoo. That plume of effervescence is once again rising up to the top in the center of my glass. As I swirl the beer there is a good amount of creamy lacing that sticks to the side rather than ooze down like it did with the Moo-Hoo.

Wow, the aroma here is pretty much all dark roast coffee. Alcohol is just slightly detectible as it is masked from the coffee smell. They suggest jokingly that this would make a great beer to have with breakfast. After smelling it I'm not sure that was actually a joke. W-n-B is brewed with Jittery Joe's Coffee, a local Athens, Georgia gourmet Coffee company. Wow, the intense coffee aromas make me wish Jittery Joe's was available in Jersey...guess I'll just have to settle for Wawa.

As the first sip is taken, it is overwhelmingly coffee. The coffee is almost so robust it could be compared to espresso with some alcohol taste. Even though you can taste the alcohol,(this brew is 8.1%), it is hidden quite well by the intense coffee flavors. On the back end you can taste the roasted malts and a slight dark chocolate taste as they complement the coffee taste quite well. This is a rich full bodied stout. Very creamy and luscious as is goes down. Great after taste as well. An almost perfect representation of an Imperial Coffee Stout. Don't miss this one as it will go fast! Personal 9.0/10 and style 9.5/10.

Terrapin Beer Company | Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

2012-01-19T22:26:00.002-05:00

Terrapin Beer Company out of Athens, Georgia brings us a winter seasonal treat that for many of us is truly a favorite. Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout is another sweet stout offering. What sets this one apart from other brews such as Riverhorse Milk Stout and Southern Tier Double Milk Stout is that Moo-Hoo, as the name suggests, is brewed with chocolate nibs. (Get it? Moo-Hoo...Yoo-Hoo?) Terrapin uses Olive and Sinclare gourmet chocolate nibs and shells along with lactose sugars to achieve a truly tasty treat.

Before we get into the beer review, just a quick word on Terrapin. If you are a fan of Terrapin products you may have noticed for quite a while that the line has been pretty much non-existent in our area for quite some time. Terrapin has been going through some financial issues that have actually led to part-ownership rights being sold to, cough cough, Miller-Coors brewing company. A division of the mega brewer named Tenth and Blake Beer Co. has purchased less than 25% ownership of Terrapin. This sounds bad but actually it will be quite beneficial to the growth of Terrapin. Under the guidelines they will remain an independent brewery and will be bailed out of an all-encompassing debt that has kept them from brewing many of their specialty beers as well as over-all distribution. A vast majority of Terrapin's production in recent months has only made it to the localized region around the brewery. Now that they have been bailed out they will be able to expand their production capacity and hopefully their beers will be more readily available in our area.

Ok, lets get started...Moo-Hoo (Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass from a 12oz bottle), as you would expect from any quality stout pours a jet black color with half finger brownish head that quickly disappeared with a decent hazing left behind. Nothing too special here but there is a small plume of bubbles still rising up in the center of my glass after about ten minutes...this is a good sign. Good creamy lacing creeps down the sides of the glass.

The aromas rising trough the middle of my glass are of strong coffee and dark cocoa. There is no alcohol content listed on the bottle, but it is slightly detectible in the smell. Chocolatey roasted malts are also at the forefront here. Just an over-all very pleasant aroma.

The taste is of sweet dark chocolate and robust coffee. The lactose sugars and cocoa nibs blend together well with one offsetting the other to provide a balanced taste...not too sweet yet not too bitter either. This works quite well. The alcohol is detectible but not over-powering. The roasted malts are there but are somewhat hidden behind the cocoa and the sugar. Decent carbonation remains even though the head has completely disappeared by now. With the mouth feel being on the lighter side, this is an easy-drinker compared to many other stouts. This is a great stout that I always look forward to this time of year...and now that Terrapin has expansion plans I wont have to worry about not ever seeing it again. Pick this one up before it's gone for another year. Personal 8.5/10 and style 8/10.

Fegley's Allentown Brew Works | Always Sunny Pale Ale

2012-01-18T14:26:00.002-05:00

Fegley's Brew Works out of Allentown, PA offers up their Always Sunny Pale Ale, a west coast style pale ale. Poured into a pint glass, this ale has a very pale golden straw color, and a minimal amount of fizzy white head. There is some sticky lacing on the glass, but that's about all the foam this one's got. The aroma is mainly full of sharp pine and grassy hops with some bitter grapefruit as well.

The flavor follows the nose, starting with refreshing light grassy hop flavor. The grassy hops mix with a very slightly sweet carafoam malt before the more bitter grapefruit and pine hops kick in. These flavors finish it out leaving you with a lingering bitterness.

Always Sunny Pale Ale has a very light crisp body and mouthfeel, which is definitely a plus for making it a session beer. But it's not really that special of a pale ale, and for the price, you would probably be just as satisfied with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Not to mention saving yourself about $5 for a sixer. Personal 5/10, for a pale ale 6.5/10.

Southern Tier | 2X Stout

2012-01-16T02:06:00.000-05:00

Southern Tier 2X Stout...When we heard about this one we were definitely excited! Considering how good the Blackwater series is (Java Stout, Chokolat Stout, Oat Stout, ect.) it was probably a given that this brew would be another winner from Southern Tier Brewing. Where as the previously mentioned brews are only available in bombers, this new offering is in six packs.

This double stout is actually a milk stout or a cream\sweet stout. Milk stouts are brewed with lactose sugar which as you guessed is derived from milk. These sugars are unfermentable so during fermentation they remain in tact and add a sweetness and body to the finished product. Mmm sounds delicious.

So onto the beer. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Dark as night as I can't see through it as I hold it up in front of the computer screen...just like it should be. After the pour about a half inch of brown froth was left behind which quickly disappeared after a short time with minimal lacing. I was really expecting more from the pour as the sides of my glass are pretty much clean.

What the pour lacks the aromas make up for...dark roasted malts, coffee, espresso and dark semi-sweet chocolate are easily detectible here. They do a good job of masking the higher alcohol content as this one comes in at 8%. Things are already looking up: even though the head didn't stick around for long, the aromas are still very strong and inviting.

As you would expect from a milk stout, this one is definitely on the sweet side but not too sweet. Think coffee with milk and a couple spoon fulls of sugar. The chocolatey roasted malts also shine through and are not over powered by the lactose sugar. For a double stout I find this one to be rather smooth and easy to drink. Not too thick but thick enough. Sweet but not too sweet. Although if you are looking for any bitterness as some stouts do have, you will not find it here as the lactose sugars hide any hints of bitterness quite well.

Out of curiosity I looked up the score on Beer Advocate and was surprised to see that it didn't score as high as I thought it would. I am most definitely enjoying this one a lot and feel that this is a more than solid representation of a milk stout. If you like stouts, regardless of the style, Southern Tier 2X Stout is a must try! Personal 9/10 and for a milk stout 8.5/10

Port Brewing | Wipeout IPA

2012-01-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

Please pardon my bad photo, I didn't feel like stealing one from Google this time.

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA, first off it needs to be said how great it is that Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey are now available in New Jersey. It was only two months ago that I had my friend from California stashing bombers of the stuff into his luggage when he came to visit.

In case you're unfamiliar with the name, Port started as "Pizza Port" in the 90's as a couple of pizza brewpubs around San Diego that gained a lot of attention for their locally crafted hoppy beers. Their popularity grew so much that in 2006 they decided to open up a real brewery. One year later, Port Brewing was named 2007 Small Brewery of the Year & their brewer Tomme Arthur was named brewer of the year at the Great American Beer Festival. Then only 6 months after that, they won Champion Small Brewery & Brewer at the 2008 World Beer Cup. Lets hope the coming years will bring more rare and delicious beers from Port Brewing to the east coast!

Poured into a chalice glass, Wipeout IPA has a hazy golden amber color with a big fluffy cream colored head. A good amount of sticky lacing is left all over the glass, and there is still a generous amount of froth atop the beer after sitting for some time. The aroma is very hoppy, with lots of resinous pine and citrus fruit. There is a mild sweetness accompanying the bitter aroma, but it's more of sweet mango and pineapple than malt sweetness.

The flavor is of juicy tropical fruit; mango, pineapple, grapefruit, as well as resinous pine. There is a slight bitterness that does more of balancing the sweetness rather than get too astringent. Lingering hop bitterness finishes each sip. The hop flavor in this IPA is honestly... incredible.

With a medium body and mildish carbonation, it's hard not to drink this beer in 1 minute because of how delicious it is. Depending on your tolerance to bitter hoppy beers, you may disagree, but I find this to be refreshing and very drinkable. Not to mention, one of the best examples of a west coast IPA I've ever tried (it's hard to believe this isn't a DIPA). Here's to hoping we have some bottles left when I get back to work tomorrow! Personal 9.5/10 for an IPA 10/10.

Firestone Walker | 15th Anniversary Ale

2012-01-13T15:31:00.001-05:00

Firestone Walker's 15th Anniversary Ale is a once-brewed beer that is a special blend made from many of their other popular ales. This year's blend consists of:
18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine.
17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine.
17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale.
13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale.
11% Good Foot (14.3% ABV) American Barley Wine.
10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout.
9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
5% Double Jack (9.5% ABV) Double India Pale Ale.

Yeah... that's a lot of stuff, and a lot of STRONG beers. As you might expect, this one is quite heavy (12.5%abv) and rightfully so, is in the style of "American Strong Ale."

Poured into a Stella Chalice, this ale has an opaque dark brown color that gets to a dark amber around the edges. There is a minimal amount of light tan head that falls to loose bubbles on the edges of the glass. The aroma is of strong alcohol, coconuts, licorice, coffee, and vanilla. It sort of smells like a blend of coconut rum and bourbon.

The flavor is strong and overwhelmingly intense. Sweet boozy vanilla and coconut start it off while it blends together with dark fruit, candied sugar, and licorice. Getting towards the finish there is a drier roasted malt espresso flavor mixing nicely with charred oak bourbon. In the end it finishes very smooth with lingering alcohol sweetness.

15th Anniversary Ale is definitely an experience, and I'm glad I had a chance to try this one (thanks Chad!). With that in mind, as delicious and complex as this beer is, I think it would be very difficult to finish it by yourself, at 12.5%abv in a 650ml bottle, this is a real sipper. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up before it's gone, and to offset the high price, split it with a friend. Personal 8.5/10, for the style 9/10.

Troegs | Hopback Amber Ale

2012-01-01T15:06:00.001-05:00

Troegs Hopback Amber Ale, which they claim to be their flagship brew. Not too surprising to hear considering we all love their seasonal classic, Nugget Nectar, which is an imperial version of Hopback. This beer gets it's name from the (optional) brewing stage called "hopbacking," which is no more than a little airtight container filled with hops. The brewed wort flows into it, and essentially gets filtered through the hops before heading out towards chilling and fermentation. As you can imagine, this extra stage of hopping adds a significant amount of aroma and flavor to the beer.

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle, Hopback has a deep amber/copper color with a moderately thick light-tan head. The aroma is of sweet and bready malt with some floral and pine hop. Smells pretty balanced, slightly more on the sweet side.

The flavor starts rather smooth and malty sweet, but hop bitterness starts to creep in. Citrus, pine, and floral hops shine with a slightly bitter finish. The malt really holds up well here and keeps the beer very drinkable despite noticeably aggressive hopping.

All in all Troegs Hopback is a very smooth, almost syrupy ale, with LOTS of flavor. Simply put, it's smooth and sweet, with a crisp citrus & pine hop bite. Personal: 8.5/10 and for an amber ale: 9/10.

Dogfish Head | 90 Minute IPA

2011-12-29T23:49:00.000-05:00

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA: Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. This is another east coast style IPA which Esquire Magazine called "perhaps the best IPA in America." This is quite a lofty claim considering the sheer amount of high quality IPA's being produced by countless craft brewers around the country. We know right off the bat that this one is going to be a heavy-hitter considering the 9% alcohol content and the 90 IBU rating. Another interesting tidbit on this IPA and all Dogfish IPA's for that matter is the continuous hop addition during the brew process. Whether it is 60 Minute, 90 Minute or the completely over-the-top 120 Minute, the number in the name refers to the amount of time they are continuously hopped as well as the IBU's of that particular offering.

Ok, on to the beer...this Imperial IPA pours a nice light golden amber color. There is a good half finger of frothy head which slowly recedes with a ton of lacing left sticking to the sides of the glass. A continuous stream of bubbles continues to rise from the entire bottom of the glass.

The aromas are of floral and resiny, oily, citrusy hops. The bitterness of this ale is also quite apparent. There is a slight smell of sweet malts detectible too as well as a slight alcohol smell. Overall not quite as good of a nose as some Imperial IPA's but it still smells good and hoppy.

The taste is actually quite balanced, considering the extreme hopping this ale undergoes. The hops are definitely at the forefront, but the malts do actually stand up with the hops and most likely keep this ale from being too hoppy. The hops are a citrusy raisinated taste that are somewhat sweet yet mostly bitter at the same time. It just tastes very fresh sweet malts and hops up front with a balanced bitter finish that easily overpowers the buffalo flavored pretzels I am eating and continues to linger.

An overall great example of an Imperial IPA. I'm not quite sure I would call it the best IPA in America, (as I could easily name a few better examples), but this is definitely a world class brew that can stand up to the majority of IPA's on the American market. Personal 8/10 and style 8.5/10.

Ok Esquire Magazine, just popped open a Lagunitas Sucks Ale and I think that is definitely better than the 90 Minute. There's one that's better already. Guess they never tried that one...

Caldera | IPA

2011-12-29T12:44:00.000-05:00

Caldera Brewing's IPA, coming from Ashland, Oregon, is yet another small craft brew offered in a can. Boasting Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo hops, at 94 IBU's, this one is sure to please.

Half poured into a pint glass for Pat, and half into a Stella chalice for Eric (fancy man), this beer has a very nice golden amber color with a good amount of fluffy beige colored head and good retention. Lots of lacing around the sides of the glass too, especially on that chalice.

The aroma is rather bittersweet with a decent amount of pale and crystal malt. Lets not leave out the wonderful hop aroma too, lots of citrus hops, both sweet and floral and a ton of bitterness.

The taste is where the hops really come through, starting out somewhat balanced, and then getting more and more bitter towards the finish. At the first sip the bitterness is almost overwhelming, but as we keep drinking, it mellows out some (or destroyed our tastebuds) and is quite smooth. The hop flavor is very citrusy, with tons of grapefruit and a bit of grassy flavor.

This one is a typical west coast style IPA, not a lot of sweet hop flavor that is common on the east coast, just a bold, bitter hop bomb. For how bitter it is, it goes down quite easy and there is little evidence of the 6.1% abv present in the taste. A very enjoyable IPA from a small tap house brewery. Personal 8/10 & Style 8.5/10.

Brooklyn Brewing | Local 1

2011-12-22T23:53:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn Brewery's Local 1, the American made "Belgian style strong pale ale" with German malts & hops, raw cane sugar from Mauritius, and a Belgian yeast strain...... yes please!

Poured into a Chimay chalice glass, this ale has a slightly hazy golden straw color, and a big puffy cloud of thick white foam on top. The lacing is very thick, almost like a bubbly spider web coating the whole glass.

The aroma has a very German scent; bananas and spice (clove/coriander) with a yeasty funk to it. Grassy and citrus hops also play a role here, which isn't all that common for the style, but then again this is America, and we love hops. Although the nose is loaded with complex aromas, the variety of fruit is what stands out the most here: banana, orange, lemon, apple, and pineapple.

Very smooth and subtle on the palate. Banana and spice up front with the rest of the fruit bouquet following closely behind. Moderate alcohol sweetness (thanks to that raw cane sugar) is present with a little warmth, but only adds to how delicious this beer is. There is a definite yeast funk in the taste that might be off-putting to those unfamiliar with the style, but it's one of those things that the more you drink it, the more you like it. There is just enough European hop character in here to keep everything perfectly balanced, not too bitter, malty, or sweet.

As light and fluffy as it appears, Local 1 has a decent amount of body to it, and plenty of fizzy champagne-like carbonation. Honestly one of the best examples you will find of a bottle conditioned Belgian pale ale in the US, not to mention on the east coast. If you're taking your beer game to the next level, do not pass this one up, an incredibly exceptional brew. Personal 10/10, Style 9.5/10

Southern Tier | Unearthly Imperial IPA

2011-12-22T23:11:00.001-05:00

Southern Tier Unearthly IPA...poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass from a 22 oz. bomber. What differentiates an Imperial IPA/Double IPA from an IPA? Let's just say hops, hops, higher alcohol content, and oh yeah...more hops! Imperials/Doubles are much more aggressively hopped and will always have more alcohol than regular IPA's. This is usually a good thing for us hop lovers considering that these ales usually push the limits of hop flavors and IBU's. For anyone who doesn't know, the IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is a scientific scale used to rate the bitterness of a given beer. A beer rated at say 35 IBU's will not be bitter at all, where as a beer rated at 75 will be quite bitter. Many Imperial IPA's take it a step further and may top the 100 mark.

Ok, enough about that stuff, let's get to the good stuff! Unearthly is an unfiltered Imperial IPA which pours a very hazy golden hue. About an inch of head was left behind which quickly begins to disappear. After a few minutes there is some retention with a thin layer still remaining. The lacing on the sides of the glass after a sip or two is quite impressive. The aroma is of sweet hops and alcohol. Not too much citrus here as it has more of a resinous pine smell.

Before we continue, another point to touch upon is the difference between West Coast and East Coast IPA's. There are always going to be some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part West coast versions tend to have more of a bitter taste where as East Coast versions tend to have more of a sweet hop taste and are slightly less bitter. This offering follows along with that rule. This ale is sweet hops to start with a slightly bitter finish. Not too much in the way of bitter citrus, just more of a sweet resinous piney taste and sweet malts as well. If you prefer your IPA's to have this style, this one will not let you down. Just an all-around almost perfect representation of an East Coast style Imperial IPA! This one is highly recommended! Personal: 9.5/10, for the style: 9/10.

River Horse | Oatmeal Milk Stout

2011-12-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout... you might be saying to yourself right now, "what makes an oatmeal milk stout different from just a stout, or an imperial stout?" Well, (obviously) it's as simple as, this beer contains... you guessed it, OATMEAL. Brewers add oatmeal to the grain bill because it is known for creating a silky smooth mouthfeel and mild hints of sweetness. Next the "milk", which is an addition of unfermentable sugars, namely, lactose. Since the lactose sugars can't be fermented by the yeast, they essentially go straight to the bottle, making your stout nice and sweet. Now, lets drink this thing!

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. bottle, this stout is an opaque black color with a foamy tan colored head. Not much head on this beer, just about a cm or so, and tiny bits of lacing. The aroma is of dark roasted malts, with scents of sweet milk chocolate, lactose, oats, and the slightest hint of coffee.

The flavor starts smooth, sweet, and chocolatey. Hops start to kick in and add some bitterness to the flavors, giving it more of a dark chocolate taste. There is a lingering milk sugar sweetness from the lactose in the finish.

Wow, this is one smooth beer. Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation, and a full on silk mouthfeel. When you see those lame commercials about over-priced chocolate or yogurt or whatever and they keep saying "smooth, rich decadence" ooolala. Well.... River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout is like that. Personal 8.5/10 For the style 9/10.

Rogue | Yellow Snow IPA

2011-12-17T17:09:00.005-05:00

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA, poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. bottle. This one has a cloudy golden-orange color with a foamy off-white head. There is a fair bit of sediment floating around too. Decent head retention and lots of soapy lacing around the glass. The aroma is of bitter citrus fruit and a good amount of sweet caramel malt. Almost balanced, but leaning towards the hoppier side of things.

The taste is of bitter citrus fruit, grapefruit really dominates with hints of pine resin. The pale malt tries to mix in but the dry bitterness of the Amarillo hops are really overpowering it. The finish is almost flavorless with nothing but bitterness riding over the taste buds. Medium bodied with a decent bite of carbonation.

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA is a real showcase for the Amarillo hop, which might hint at where the beer derived its name. If you're a hop head looking for a kick in the mouth, this is the beer for you! It's loaded with crushing hop bitterness (pretty intense for 70 IBU). Personal: 7.5 / Style: 6.5

Weyerbacher | Hops Infusion IPA

2011-12-16T00:39:00.004-05:00

Ahhh Weyerbacher.... a rather local brewery (Easton, PA) known for their bold "Double Simcoe IPA" and their many European style ales. This one however, seems to have slipped under the radar a bit, so lets take a closer look at Weyerbacher's Hops Infusion IPA. 6.2%abv, brewed with 7 hop varieties, and a "strong foundation of toasted caramel malts."

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass, this IPA has a deep amber color with the slightest bit of haze, and a thick fluffy white head. Decent head retention throughout sipping, and little bits of sticky lacing. The aroma is really interesting on this one, with all the hops that are in there you get your standard IPA aroma (pine, grapefruit, other citrus), but there is a strong aroma of sweet sugary candy. It's different than sweet malt, more of a sugar coated hop.

The taste is a barrage of hops from all angles, ranging from juicy and sweet to floral, to bitter and citric. A dry bitterness rides in and out through the middle, mixing with flavors of juicy fruit. Hints of malt come into play, smoothing it out in the finish. There is a certain twang to the flavor in this ale, as opposed to most IPA's, which can only be attributed to the sweetness that is present, or the overabundance of hops. It's definitely not a bad thing! Just a unique characteristic of this beer.

This IPA has a light-medium body with carbonation on the low end, adding to its smoothness. While there is a lot of hop flavor going on (there are still hops resonating in my mouth 10 minutes after finishing the beer), it's not overly bitter, and this one goes down pretty easily.

All in all Hops Infusion is an extremely unique IPA that deserves a try from any hop-head, especially since it's brewed only a couple hours away along the Delaware River. If you're looking for a hop forward beer, well, almost a hop-only beer, pick this one up, and get it while it's still fresh! Personal 6/10, for the style 7/10.

Mikkeller | Barrel Aged Chipotle Porter

2011-12-06T15:50:00.004-05:00

Mikkeller Barrel Aged Porter, poured into a pint glass from a 12.7oz bottle. This will be our first review of an import; and this one comes to us from Belgium. The story behind Mikkeller is that he is a Danish roaming brewer. He does not own his own facility and he actually uses other brewer's facilities to concoct his creations.

The appearance is of espresso: a very dark brown color with minimal head and lacing left behind. The viscosity is of used motor oil. This is so thick that if you tilt your glass it takes a good few seconds for the beer to make it's way back down the glass.

The aromas are reminiscent of coffee, chocolate, chili peppers, slight alcohol and slight oakiness.Being that this was aged in Speyside Scotch Whiskey barrels, there is definite smoky aroma that compliments the alcohol smell.

Above everything else that is going on in this complex porter, the taste is most dominated by smoky, chocolatey, chili peppery coffee flavor, with a semi-sweet finish that lingers mostly as a dark chocolate. With just a moderate ABV for a barrel aged ale and for as thick as it is this was highly drinkable and would go well with a nice slab of red meat.

If you are looking for a dark beer with more complexity than your standard porter, you should definitely give this one a try. There is just a ton of flavor in this one! Our score for style is a 9 and for personal preference also a 9.

Troegs | Flying Mouflan

2011-12-04T23:24:00.009-05:00

Troegs Flying Mouflan, poured into a pint glass from a 22oz bomber. This barleywine style ale is a dark ruby red with a frothy light amber head, the color is reminiscent of transmission fluid, yum!

The aroma is strong BOOZE and candied sugar, as you might expect from a 9.3% beer. Dark fruit and candy up front with little to no hops at all. The sticky sweetness from this beer is so strong it's almost sickening; completely typical of a barleywine. It's not for everybody, but those that love this style will not be disappointed.

The taste, like the nose, is strong sweet booze, dark fruit (raisins, plums, figs, etc.), darker sweet malts, and molasses. This beer is definitely a sipper, I dare anyone to chug this. The mouthfeel is heavy, syrupy, sticky, and lower in carbonation.

Cellaring this beer for a year or so might do wonders for the flavors to fully develop and mellow out, as the sweetness from the high ABV can be a bit much at times. That being said, the beer is still enjoyable if you take it easy and sip, or it will kick you in the ass. We give this one a 5/10, but for the style: 8.5/10. Not for the faint of heart (ie: Coors Light drinkers).

New Holland | The Poet Oatmeal Stout

2011-12-04T23:05:00.008-05:00

New Holland The Poet, poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle, this stout is pitch black with a frothy, one-finger tan head. Chunky bits of lacing are stuck all around the glass. Excellent head retention.

The aroma is full of toasted oats, semi-sweet chocolate, coffee; all things typical of a well made stout. Chocolate and oats are the most dominant in the aroma, but hints of very slight alcohol and roasted dark malts are also present.

The flavor starts out slightly dry with coffee and chocolate mixing together, followed by a mellow toasted oat and sweeter chocolate finish. This is a great, and highly drinkable representation of an oatmeal stout. Slightly lower ABV and smooth/complex dark malts add to the mystique of "The Poet." This is a beer Edgar Allen Poe would appreciate. If you're looking for a good stout, without venturing into the high alcohol content of Imperial Stouts, do not pass this one up. We give this an 8 out of 10, based on the style, 8/10.

Schlafly | Christmas Ale

2011-12-04T22:44:00.009-05:00

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. This Christmas ale pours a deep copper color with a minimal off-white head. Very slight lacing left on the glass after a short time. The nose is overpowered by the spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and coriander and orange peel). The sweet boozy smell of the high alcohol content (8%) is just detectible. Smells like your typical high end spiced holiday ale.

We both agree that this one smells better than it tastes. Once again as with the nose, the spices are at the forefront in the taste. The spices mask most of the hop taste, and the malts are now more detectable and rather sweet. Or is that the cinnamon and nutmeg? It's hard to tell.

This is a smooth drinker with low carbonation and leaves some what of a warming effect from the alcohol. If you are looking for a Christmas ale of this style you will not be let down. This type of seasonal ale is not our cup of tea... oops I meant beer. But if we had to compare it to other beers of this style, we would give it a 7 out of 10. Personally, 4/10. That being said, this would be a great beer to share a 6 pack with friends and family during the holidays. It's just not much of a session beer, and is a little too spicy for our liking.

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (Brown Shugga' Substitute)

2011-12-04T22:21:00.008-05:00

We were both very excited about this one. This ale is a first brew from one of our favorite breweries. Immediately upon smelling it we knew we were not going to be let down!

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, this ale has a pale amber color with a minimal foamy white head. Bits of sticky lacing are left on the glass after each sip. The aroma is incredibly hoppy....almost sticky with fresh sweet citrus fruit, floral, pine, and some sweet sugar, this beer has got it all. Wow!

This ale tastes like chewing on a bitter version of Juicy Fruit gum. The sweet citrus hops and the floral hops really come through separately but mesh together perfectly. There is a very slight hint of pale malts, but this one is pretty much completely dominated by hops. Offsetting the fruity up-front taste is a slightly bitter and dry piney finish. This brew really showcases the complexity of hops and how you can get many different flavors out of them. The balance between the hop flavors and bitterness is almost perfect. If you're a hop head looking for that blast of hop flavor, this is the right choice for you... tons of hops, but still insanely drinkable. Hurry up before it's gone! We give this ale a 9 out of 10 for both ratings. Very impressive.

Anderson Valley | Boont Amber Ale

2011-12-04T21:54:00.012-05:00

Upon pouring into the pint glass, (out of a can) this ale has a slightly hazy amber (hence the name amber ale) appearance. The color of the beer actually was quite similar to the color of the can. It started off with one finger's worth of off-white head which quickly receded. Very minimal lacing was left behind. The nose is reminiscent of sweet caramel, dried raisins and sugary dough. This is a very malt forward ale with not much hop intensity. The hops are detectable but are over powered by the maltiness.

This is a highly drinkable version of an amber ale. The taste has a very smooth mouth feel with bready/doughy malts. The hops didn't show through when smelling this brew, but they were more noticeable upon consumption. Not overly bitter with hints of floral and herbal notes. This ale wants to be more intense but it just doesn't quite make it over the hump.

Overall, this would make a good entry-level Amber Ale for someone not familiar with the style but is looking to try something new. Personally, 6/10, for the style, 6/10.