Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Weihenstephaner - Vitus

Bottle pours a hazy gold color with a significant white head and fair lacing.

Aromas of malty, bready and light fruityness.  Subtle toffee notes with dried grass undertones.

Flavors of lager yeast, subtle banana and straw notes.  Bitter maltyness with light tropical undertones.

Rated = 5

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Dogfish Head - Life and Limb

Pours a crisp clear light amber color with a significant white head and fair lacing.

Aromas of hops, apricot and malts.

Flavors of bitter apricot, subtle toffee notes and tropical fruit.

The Finish;  Light fruityness, lager and subtle belgium flavors.  Nice malty overtones carry the lighter flavors through.

Rated = 7

Monday, March 4, 2013

Grand Teton Brewing - Black Cauldron Imperial Stout

Bottle pours black with a brown head and fair lacing.

Aromas of toasted malts, cherries and dates.  Coffee and chocolate undertones.

Flavors of chocolate, figs and cherries.  Subtle notes of coffee, dates and hops.

The Finish;  it started out reminiscent to an irish stout,  then the dark fruit flavors come in and help it to barely achieve the imperial stout status.  Very enjoyable throughout.

Rated = 8

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Marin Brewing - White Knuckle IPA

Draft poured a hazy amber color with a white head and great lacing.

Aromas of citrus, apricot and subtle tropical notes.  Light toffee notes with subtle candy undertones.

Flavors of grapefruit, caramel and bitter malts.  Dry tropical and floral notes.

The Finish - Bitter up front with a strong citrus presence.  Subtle malty caramel flavors midway through with a nice dose of dry hops in the back end.

Rated = 9

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

North Coast Brewing - 2013 Old Stock Ale

Bottle poured a dark amber color, almost brown.  Minimal tan head with fair lacing.

Aromas are of damp grains, subtle caramel and candy notes.  Fresh light hop undertones with floral hints.

Flavors are bitter caramel and candy overtones with a boozyness that dosent over power the flavors.  There are some light fruity flavors of tangerine, dates and cherries.

The Finish;  This appears to be a really good year for this beer.  Varied, subtle flavors throughout of malts and hops with a great boozy body.

Rated = 10

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Oaskar Blues - GUBNA Imperial IPA

Can poured a slightly hazy yellow color with a white head and minimal lacing.

Aromas are citrus and tropical fruit with subtle sweet malty notes and candy undertones.

Flavors are of grapefruit, tapioca, apricot and spicy hop notes.  Hints of candy with a solid malt body.

Rated = 9

Ballast Point - Sea Monster Imperial Stout

Bottle poured black with a light brown head if fair lacing.

Aromas of coffee and fruity hops.  Hints of caramel and toasted malts.

Flavors are fruity and bitter, with notes of coffee, fig and dates. 

Rated = 9

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Uncommon Brewers - Baltic Porter

Can poured black with a significant light brown head that settled quickly into fair lacing.

Aromas are smokey with fig and liquorice up front.   Subtle woody notes with hints of chocolate.

Flavors are of dark fruit...fig, dates, berries and a significant hit of anise.  Nice body with good hop flavors.

The Finish;  all the flavors work well together but the anise stands out throughout the beer. 

Rated = 8

Dogfish Head - 90 Minute Imperial IPA

Bottle pours a clear amber color with a significant white head that settles out fairly quickly to a nice lacing.

Malty aromas with hints of caramel.  Hops hang out just under the malts with hints of citrus and apricot.

Flavors of bitter citrus and tropical fruits.  Subtle candy notes with malty undertones.

The Finish;  Bitter and dry fruityness with malty undertones.  Caramel flavors linger, with the toung feeling shocked by the hops.

Rated = 8

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Buffalo Bill's Brewery - Alimony Ale IPA

Bottle pours simi clear amber color with an insignificant white head and minimal lacing.

Aromas of hoppy citrus and caramel malts.

Flavors of bitter malts and dry hoppyness.  Strong grapefruit notes with undertones of apricot.  Subtle malts.

The Finish;  First time having this beer I didn't care much for it.  This review is on the second and third beer...a week after the first beer.  I like it more this time...solid hops with a nice malt body, strong citrus flavors with undertones of tropical fruit.  Subtle notes of toffee and caramel.

Rated = 7

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

New Albion Brewing - New Albion Ale

Bottle pours a clear gold color with a solid white head with good lacing.

Aromas of hops and earthy tones.

Flavors of light malts and bitter hops.  Slight nuttyness with sour grapefruit notes with a subtle hint of butter.

The Finish;  Light and crisp across the toung, sour light fruit notes with a light smattering of earthy grains.

Rate = 7 (I battled with this, it really deserves an 8 or 9 for hitting the style nicely...but I'm not partial to the lighter style ales)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Ninkasi Breweing - Imperial High Gravity Stout

Bottle pours black with a light brown head of fine bubbles and fair lacing.

Aromas are hoppy, with light toasted malts.  Subtle fig, raisin and caramel.

Flavors of cherries, fig, chocolate and hops.  Mildly bitter maltyness with significant dry hoppyness.

The Finish;  Dark fruit flavors with a nice hop balance up front.  Malts and hoppy midway through.  Subtle bitter dark fruit finish.

Rate = 9

Coronado Breweing - Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

Bottle pours black with a brown head and fair lacing.

Hoppy aromas with malty undertones and subtle dark fruit notes.

Flavors are bitter toasted malts with coffee.  Light hop flavors with hints of fig, dates and chocolate.

The Finish;  Malty coffee stout with good hop balance.  Bitter and dry throughout with dark fruit undertones that hang on the toung for awhile.

Rate = 7

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Fuller's - ESB

Bottle poured a clear amber color with an off white head with fair lacing.

Aromas are primarily malty with with hints of hops.  Subtle toffee notes.

Flavors are of bitter malts, with subtle toffee and nutty notes.  Tapers off to a slight dry hoppyness.

Rate = 7

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Ale Smith - Old Numbskull Barleywine

Bottle pours a slightly hazy amber color with an off white head and excellent lacing.

Aromas are malty and boozy.  Carmel and toffee notes with a solid bright hoppy sensation to the nose.

Flavors are toffee and brown sugar with a boozy warmth.  Light citrus notes with some tropical notes.

The Finish;  Solid Barleywine...big malty flavors with a good dry and bitter hit of hops.  Nice boozyness...very nicely balanced throughout.

Rate = 10

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Great Divide - Espresso Oak Age Yeti

Draft poured black with a dark brown head and great lacing.

Aromas of coffee, chocolate and roasted malts with very subtle notes of hops.

Flavors are strong coffee...reminiscent to a mocha with the hint of vanilla and chocolate.  Bitter with subtle citrus notes. 

The Finish;  Enjoyed in Inglewood, CO at Great Northern....hit it right with happy hour $2.50 for a 10oz  glass.  Big coffee stout, solid malts with subtle hoppy undertones.

Rate = 10

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Stone - Double Bastard Ale

Bottle poured a rich copper color tan head with great lacing.

Aromas of carmel, citrus and light fruit notes.

Flavors are of bitter sweet carmel and dry subtly sweet grapefruit.  Hints of light fruit subtly appear throughout with notes of candy.

The Finish;  Solid body (malty), great citrus flavors are reminiscent to tangerine, grapefruit and lime  with hints of apricot.  Carmel and toffee notes with candy (joly rancher) undertones.

Rate = 10

Saturday, February 9, 2013

North Coast Brewing - Old Stock Ale Otsuchi 2012

Bottle pours a very deep clear amber color with a light brown head and minimal lacing, viscosity though...creeps down the glass.

Aromas are malty, spiced toffee, light rich wood notes.  Subtle hop notes, berries and caramel with a hint of honey.

Flavors are of caramel, vanilla, light citrus and bitter...lightly toasted malts.  Alcohol is slightly notable with hints of wood.

The Finish;  Very subtle flavors work together throughout.  Solid ale...a lot a flavors that I can't connect with.

Rate = 9

BRASAle Smith - Yule Smith

Bottle pours a clear rich amber color with a solid tan head and great lacing.

Aromas are malty, spicy hops, subtle notes of bread and sweet toffee notes.

Bitter sweet citrus and toffee flavors.  Notes of apricot, grapefruit and hints if toasted bread.

The Finish;  Solid balance of malts and hops.  Bitter sweet and dry all the way to the end.  Subtle fruity and toffee notes throughout.

Rate = 9

Friday, February 8, 2013

Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino Nest, Espresso Stout

Bottle pored black with a brown head that settle well with great lacing.

Aromas of coffee, chocolate and hops with hints of dark fruit.

Flavors are espresso with roasted maltyness, dry, bitter chocolate and fruit notes with spicy hoppyness.

The Finish - It is what they say it is on the label.  Big strong coffee flavors with a nice blend of malts and hops to bring it all together.

Rate = 9