Beer Name: Double Trouble
Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
ABV: 9.4%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
Editor's note - I actually wrote this a couple weeks ago, but accidentally clicked to save the draft instead of publishing it. I'm sure that everything I wrote back then remains true. Otherwise I wouldn't have written it.
I have had good luck thus far with beer from Founders, so I'm hoping that continues with this hoppy offering. And if not, I've got a variety of other things in the fridge to take the sting away. I've learned that you never want to have no more beers in the house. It's a very sad state of affairs.
Double Trouble is a golden beer, much lighter than most other IPAs that I've encountered. It poured with about a finger and a half of fluffy white head that faded away very slowly leaving a heavy lacing pattern down most of the glass. As a double IPA, the aroma is packing a good amount of hops (citrusy ones if my nose is to be believed), but there's also some grainy malt sweetness. It's a nice aroma, which is a good sign.
The flavor of this beer follows very closely from the aroma. There is a whole lot of hops going on here, but there's also a good amount of bready caramel to help balance it out. The hops are pretty bitter, with a grapefruity quality to them. Each sip has some sweetness at the beginning, and the middle and end are where the hops shine through. There is some lingering bitterness in the aftertaste, but also a bit of sweet malt. There is a low carbonation, and the finish is a bit dry.
Final thought - This was a great beer. I imagine it would pair well with food, but it is enjoyable on its own as well. I'll have to check out Founders' other IPAs, just to have something a little less strong. If they're as good as this one, things will be good.
-Jon
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Mokah
Beer Name: Mokah
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 11.2%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: DOB was 4/12/12
Southern Tier likes to spell the names of their Blackwater beers in silly ways. They also like to ramp up the ABVs to extreme levels. Mokah is no exception to either of these rules.
Mokah is a very dark beer, pretty much solid black except for some dark red highlights around the edge of the glass when held up to a light. It had just a little bit of head, which surprised me. Maybe it has something to do with the extreme humidity or the way I poured it. Either way, there was only a minimal amount of head, although it lasted for a while. There is a very pleasant aroma of both chocolate and coffee, and no strong alcohol aromas despite the 11.2% this beer is packing.
It's over 80 degrees right now, so this beer warmed up in a hurry. Luckily, that was not an issue as the flavor remained pleasant throughout the entire glass. Most of each sip is a nice mix of lightly roasted chocolate and coffee flavors, with just a hint of bitterness at the finish. There is only a light carbonation to the beer, and there are no overpowering flavors, making it very easy to drink. The beer has a big mouthfeel, almost creamy, with some coffee flavors in the aftertaste that linger for a bit.
Final thought - This beer is quite delicious. It's also the strongest of the Blackwater beers, so keep that in mind if you're enjoying it. The chocolate and coffee combination works nicely, so it's actually like a dessert. Great stuff.
-Jon
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 11.2%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: DOB was 4/12/12
Southern Tier likes to spell the names of their Blackwater beers in silly ways. They also like to ramp up the ABVs to extreme levels. Mokah is no exception to either of these rules.
Mokah is a very dark beer, pretty much solid black except for some dark red highlights around the edge of the glass when held up to a light. It had just a little bit of head, which surprised me. Maybe it has something to do with the extreme humidity or the way I poured it. Either way, there was only a minimal amount of head, although it lasted for a while. There is a very pleasant aroma of both chocolate and coffee, and no strong alcohol aromas despite the 11.2% this beer is packing.
It's over 80 degrees right now, so this beer warmed up in a hurry. Luckily, that was not an issue as the flavor remained pleasant throughout the entire glass. Most of each sip is a nice mix of lightly roasted chocolate and coffee flavors, with just a hint of bitterness at the finish. There is only a light carbonation to the beer, and there are no overpowering flavors, making it very easy to drink. The beer has a big mouthfeel, almost creamy, with some coffee flavors in the aftertaste that linger for a bit.
Final thought - This beer is quite delicious. It's also the strongest of the Blackwater beers, so keep that in mind if you're enjoying it. The chocolate and coffee combination works nicely, so it's actually like a dessert. Great stuff.
-Jon
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Imperial Biscotti Break
Beer Name: Imperial Biscotti Break
Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
ABV: 11.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer was shamefully expensive, so it's probably a good thing that I had just returned a bunch of bottles and cans to help defray expenses. It had better be goddam delicious though.
Biscotti Break is a deep black beer with a caramel colored head that left a nice lacing pattern on my completely inappropriate glass. I've decided that if Kate lets me participate in our wedding registry, beer glassware is all I'm going to be looking for. There is a fantastic aroma of coffee, chocolate, a sweetness like caramel or something similar, and maybe some vanilla. It's quite nice.
There's a whole bunch of sweet flavors to this beer, with some very lightly bitter coffee to keep it from being too much. There's some dark chocolate and light chocolate, and some generally sweet malt as well. It was so flavorful that I had to slow myself down to keep from running out of beer too quickly. The beer has a nice roasted quality, but not too much as to seem burnt. It feels very thick and creamy, almost like a dessert, and there's just a hint of carbonation. The high alcohol is not really noticeable in the flavor in case you were worried.
Final thought - This beer was excellent! Sadly, it's also probably not going to be a frequent flier strictly due to the price. Otherwise I'd drink a bottle every week, and I would love each and every one of them.
-Jon
Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
ABV: 11.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer was shamefully expensive, so it's probably a good thing that I had just returned a bunch of bottles and cans to help defray expenses. It had better be goddam delicious though.
Biscotti Break is a deep black beer with a caramel colored head that left a nice lacing pattern on my completely inappropriate glass. I've decided that if Kate lets me participate in our wedding registry, beer glassware is all I'm going to be looking for. There is a fantastic aroma of coffee, chocolate, a sweetness like caramel or something similar, and maybe some vanilla. It's quite nice.
There's a whole bunch of sweet flavors to this beer, with some very lightly bitter coffee to keep it from being too much. There's some dark chocolate and light chocolate, and some generally sweet malt as well. It was so flavorful that I had to slow myself down to keep from running out of beer too quickly. The beer has a nice roasted quality, but not too much as to seem burnt. It feels very thick and creamy, almost like a dessert, and there's just a hint of carbonation. The high alcohol is not really noticeable in the flavor in case you were worried.
Final thought - This beer was excellent! Sadly, it's also probably not going to be a frequent flier strictly due to the price. Otherwise I'd drink a bottle every week, and I would love each and every one of them.
-Jon
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Graduation Ale
Beer Name: Graduation Ale
Brewery: Northampton Brewery
ABV: 5.6% (I think...)
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
A beer brewed with raspberries and strawberries? Sure, sign me up. From the name, I'm assuming this beer is brewed in late April or early May to coincide with college graduation.
Graduation Ale is an orange colored beer with a very thin head and almost no lacing. I find that to be par for the course for fruit beers, so I'm not going to stress about it. The raspberries and strawberries are both very noticeable in the aroma, which is very nice.
I think this is the first beer I've had that uses strawberries, and they are pleasantly surprising. The beer is very drinkable, with just enough carbonation to keep it from seeming like a juice and fruit flavors that are present but not overly sweet or sticky. There's also just a little bit of a bitterness in each sip that works as a nice balance. Very easy drinking from the first sip until the last.
Final thought - This was a good beer, and it is one I'll have to keep in mind in future trips to the Northampton Brewery. At least future trips that occur in the spring.
-Jon
Brewery: Northampton Brewery
ABV: 5.6% (I think...)
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
A beer brewed with raspberries and strawberries? Sure, sign me up. From the name, I'm assuming this beer is brewed in late April or early May to coincide with college graduation.
Graduation Ale is an orange colored beer with a very thin head and almost no lacing. I find that to be par for the course for fruit beers, so I'm not going to stress about it. The raspberries and strawberries are both very noticeable in the aroma, which is very nice.
I think this is the first beer I've had that uses strawberries, and they are pleasantly surprising. The beer is very drinkable, with just enough carbonation to keep it from seeming like a juice and fruit flavors that are present but not overly sweet or sticky. There's also just a little bit of a bitterness in each sip that works as a nice balance. Very easy drinking from the first sip until the last.
Final thought - This was a good beer, and it is one I'll have to keep in mind in future trips to the Northampton Brewery. At least future trips that occur in the spring.
-Jon
Friday, May 18, 2012
Black Mamba
Beer Name: Black Mamba
Brewery: Northampton Brewery
ABV: 3.8%
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer seemed like a nice choice to accompany my lunch, and I'm always down for a stout.
Black Mamba was a very dark beer that arrived with only a light head. This was gone in a few moments, leaving just a faint lacing pattern behind. There was a nice aroma of malty chocolate and bitter coffee. The aroma persisted for the whole glass, and it was very pleasant.
This beer felt very light with each sip, with a mouthfeel to match. It had some faint chocolate flavors, but for the most part the main taste was a bitter coffee. Not too bitter though. The beer was very lightly carbonated, and had a bitter finish without much aftertaste.
Final thought - This was a nice, enjoyable beer to drink with a nice meal. Too bad it's not listed on the brewery's website, which makes me think it's not going to be around for the long haul.
-Jon
Brewery: Northampton Brewery
ABV: 3.8%
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer seemed like a nice choice to accompany my lunch, and I'm always down for a stout.
Black Mamba was a very dark beer that arrived with only a light head. This was gone in a few moments, leaving just a faint lacing pattern behind. There was a nice aroma of malty chocolate and bitter coffee. The aroma persisted for the whole glass, and it was very pleasant.
This beer felt very light with each sip, with a mouthfeel to match. It had some faint chocolate flavors, but for the most part the main taste was a bitter coffee. Not too bitter though. The beer was very lightly carbonated, and had a bitter finish without much aftertaste.
Final thought - This was a nice, enjoyable beer to drink with a nice meal. Too bad it's not listed on the brewery's website, which makes me think it's not going to be around for the long haul.
-Jon
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Hop Stoopid
Beer Name: Hop Stoopid
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
ABV: 8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer has an interesting name, and that's good enough for me. Before I'd even poured it, Kate had decided she was going to spite taste it. She rated it as "it's not as bad as some others," so you can add that to my final thought if you'd like a wider range of opinions.
Hop Stoopid is a hazy beer with a golden orange color to it. I tried to get a nice head on it as I poured, but I didn't have any luck there. No real head or lacing to speak of for this one, which is slightly disappointing. I have come to expect some fluffy white tops on my Lagunitas IPAs, so I'm curious as to what happened this time. There's a pretty hoppy aroma to this one, with some grapefruit and a lot of pine. The hop aroma lasts for a while, and it keeps any malt from coming through.
This beer packs a bitter punch at first, but it's not overpoweringly bitter. Right at the beginning of each sip, it seems like it's going to be ridiculously bitter, but this fades away and ends with a bitter and malty finish. It's actually a lot maltier than the aroma suggested, and nicely drinkable. The flavor just seems to be missing something.
Final thought - I'd rather drink their everyday IPA, or Maximus. This beer was fine, but there wasn't anything about it that would put it above Lagunitas' other hoppy offerings. It's a good choice if you're looking for an IPA that isn't too citrusy.
-Jon
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
ABV: 8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
This beer has an interesting name, and that's good enough for me. Before I'd even poured it, Kate had decided she was going to spite taste it. She rated it as "it's not as bad as some others," so you can add that to my final thought if you'd like a wider range of opinions.
Hop Stoopid is a hazy beer with a golden orange color to it. I tried to get a nice head on it as I poured, but I didn't have any luck there. No real head or lacing to speak of for this one, which is slightly disappointing. I have come to expect some fluffy white tops on my Lagunitas IPAs, so I'm curious as to what happened this time. There's a pretty hoppy aroma to this one, with some grapefruit and a lot of pine. The hop aroma lasts for a while, and it keeps any malt from coming through.
This beer packs a bitter punch at first, but it's not overpoweringly bitter. Right at the beginning of each sip, it seems like it's going to be ridiculously bitter, but this fades away and ends with a bitter and malty finish. It's actually a lot maltier than the aroma suggested, and nicely drinkable. The flavor just seems to be missing something.
Final thought - I'd rather drink their everyday IPA, or Maximus. This beer was fine, but there wasn't anything about it that would put it above Lagunitas' other hoppy offerings. It's a good choice if you're looking for an IPA that isn't too citrusy.
-Jon
Friday, May 4, 2012
Speedway Stout
Beer Name: Speedway Stout
Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
ABV: 12%
Serving method: 750 mL bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
I feel pretty badly about drinking this beer out of a tumbler instead of its proper serving container, but I don't really have much of a choice. If you're thinking about getting me a gift for any reason, proper beer glassware is right at the top of the list. Also, I did not drink this entire bottle. That would have probably knocked me right on my butt, so I shared with Kate. She thinks it tastes like dessert if you're wondering.
Speedway Stout is an extremely dark beer, with some light ruby highlights around the edges. There's a bit of head, but it faded away pretty quickly. I think I could have poured it a little bit differently if I had wanted to foam this bad boy up, but I wasn't being as careful as I should have been at the time. It still left some lacing behind. There is a great aroma of chocolate here, but there isn't as much coffee as I was expecting after the bottle made a point of talking about using coffee beans. The aroma also has some roasted notes to it. It's very nice.
Each sip of this beer comes through packing a huge amount of flavor. The chocolate from the aroma is immediately noticeable, but it's not alone. There's some roasted malt, a bit of coffee, a faintly alcoholic taste, and something sweet like vanilla. The beer has a very thick, creamy feel to it, making it a definite beer for sipping slowly. At 12%, there's no reason to rush. Besides, the flavor is so nice as it warms, you don't want to finish too quickly. You'll miss out on lots of nice things. A light carbonation and sweet lingering finish round this one out.
Final thought - This beer is very tasty, but it's also a bit pricey. If you're looking for a good beer to celebrate . . . well, really anything. Birthdays, anniversaries, Flag Day, Cinco de Ocho, the Hobo Oscars, etc., they can all benefit from a little Speedway Stout. Good luck finding a bottle though, as apparently they are tough to come by.
-Jon
Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
ABV: 12%
Serving method: 750 mL bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
I feel pretty badly about drinking this beer out of a tumbler instead of its proper serving container, but I don't really have much of a choice. If you're thinking about getting me a gift for any reason, proper beer glassware is right at the top of the list. Also, I did not drink this entire bottle. That would have probably knocked me right on my butt, so I shared with Kate. She thinks it tastes like dessert if you're wondering.
Speedway Stout is an extremely dark beer, with some light ruby highlights around the edges. There's a bit of head, but it faded away pretty quickly. I think I could have poured it a little bit differently if I had wanted to foam this bad boy up, but I wasn't being as careful as I should have been at the time. It still left some lacing behind. There is a great aroma of chocolate here, but there isn't as much coffee as I was expecting after the bottle made a point of talking about using coffee beans. The aroma also has some roasted notes to it. It's very nice.
Each sip of this beer comes through packing a huge amount of flavor. The chocolate from the aroma is immediately noticeable, but it's not alone. There's some roasted malt, a bit of coffee, a faintly alcoholic taste, and something sweet like vanilla. The beer has a very thick, creamy feel to it, making it a definite beer for sipping slowly. At 12%, there's no reason to rush. Besides, the flavor is so nice as it warms, you don't want to finish too quickly. You'll miss out on lots of nice things. A light carbonation and sweet lingering finish round this one out.
Final thought - This beer is very tasty, but it's also a bit pricey. If you're looking for a good beer to celebrate . . . well, really anything. Birthdays, anniversaries, Flag Day, Cinco de Ocho, the Hobo Oscars, etc., they can all benefit from a little Speedway Stout. Good luck finding a bottle though, as apparently they are tough to come by.
-Jon
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Double Wide I.P.A.
Beer Name: Double Wide I.P.A.
Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.
ABV: 8.5%
Serving method: 750 mL bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Born sometime last year
After the adventure I had to go on to obtain this beer, it had better be delicious. I thought I grabbed a 4-pack of this over the weekend, but I had unfortunately gotten a 4-pack of Tank 7 that was deceptively put into a Double Wide marked case. I didn't like the Tank 7, although I'll admit I probably didn't give it a fair shot because I was so upset that I had gotten the wrong beer. I went back to return the 3 remaining bottles in exchange for the proper beer, but the IPA was all gone. Thankfully they let me trade them for this big guy instead. The only problem now is going to be getting the cork out of it. I am notoriously bad at dealing with corks.
Cut to 3 minutes later, and the bottle is open. Double Wide IPA is dark copper beer with some orange highlights. It pours with a bunch of head, over 2 fingers worth, which is appropriate according to whoever maintains Boulevard's website. Most of it fades away after a few minutes, leaving just enough behind to generate some lacing. The aroma here isn't as hoppy as I was expecting for a "double" IPA, but there are some earthy/florally hops to be smelled. It seems like there's a nice dose of malt in there as well.
Much like the aroma was hinting at, there is not an overwhelming hoppiness to this beer. There's a bit of bitterness at first, and then some malt to balance things out. As it finishes, there's a crisp bitter flavor that gives way to some sweetness that hangs on for just a few moments. The beer has a moderate carbonation, but it's still nicely drinkable.
Final thought - I hesitate to give a solid opinion on this beer since I should have consumed it about 3 months ago, but I'll do it anyway. The flavor of this beer isn't one of my favorites, but it's still nice and it's very easy drinking. I think I'll try to grab a more current bottle some time and see if that makes any difference.
-Jon
Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.
ABV: 8.5%
Serving method: 750 mL bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Born sometime last year
After the adventure I had to go on to obtain this beer, it had better be delicious. I thought I grabbed a 4-pack of this over the weekend, but I had unfortunately gotten a 4-pack of Tank 7 that was deceptively put into a Double Wide marked case. I didn't like the Tank 7, although I'll admit I probably didn't give it a fair shot because I was so upset that I had gotten the wrong beer. I went back to return the 3 remaining bottles in exchange for the proper beer, but the IPA was all gone. Thankfully they let me trade them for this big guy instead. The only problem now is going to be getting the cork out of it. I am notoriously bad at dealing with corks.
Cut to 3 minutes later, and the bottle is open. Double Wide IPA is dark copper beer with some orange highlights. It pours with a bunch of head, over 2 fingers worth, which is appropriate according to whoever maintains Boulevard's website. Most of it fades away after a few minutes, leaving just enough behind to generate some lacing. The aroma here isn't as hoppy as I was expecting for a "double" IPA, but there are some earthy/florally hops to be smelled. It seems like there's a nice dose of malt in there as well.
Much like the aroma was hinting at, there is not an overwhelming hoppiness to this beer. There's a bit of bitterness at first, and then some malt to balance things out. As it finishes, there's a crisp bitter flavor that gives way to some sweetness that hangs on for just a few moments. The beer has a moderate carbonation, but it's still nicely drinkable.
Final thought - I hesitate to give a solid opinion on this beer since I should have consumed it about 3 months ago, but I'll do it anyway. The flavor of this beer isn't one of my favorites, but it's still nice and it's very easy drinking. I think I'll try to grab a more current bottle some time and see if that makes any difference.
-Jon
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