Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

Stone is easily in my top 5 favorite breweries. I was hooked merely by seeing a beer labeled "Arrogant Bastard". Granted, this was when I was still a newbie to the craft brew world and was still foolishly led by names and labels. But, like every other beer Stone offers, Arrogant Bastard lives up to its name.

This brings us to a new release from Stone... and imperial stout brewed with anise, oak chips, and Belgian yeast. It pours jet black, with a brownish tinge around the edges and a moderate dark tan head. Aromas are very, very strong of anise and black licorice. There is also a slight oak and vanilla aroma, but I don't catch much roasted malt. After opening up a little bit, the aromas all meld to give a root beer quality to the aroma... very pleasing.

The licorice is not as strong in the flavor as the aroma. The mouthfeel is not a thick as a typical imperial stout and the carbonation is on the high end. Root beer once again comes to mind. Roasted malt and dark fruit linger in the background as well as a slight acidity that lives a little burn in the chest along with the alcohol.

It's certainly an interesting beer. I'd imagine setting this beer down for a few years would do a great deal of good in terms of blending the flavors more. This seems like a beer that will have its haters... but I enjoyed. Seek it out and see what you think. Prosit!

Ithaca Flower Power IPA

Due to an advantageous microclimate, New York's Finger Lakes are well-known for producing world-class wines. However, in the sleepy college town of Ithaca, wine isn't the first beverage of choice. Ask anyone on the street and they'll tell you that Ithaca Beer Company is where it's at. Opened in 1998, Ithaca Beer Company is now available in seven states and they recently were awarded two medals at the Great American Beer Fest. One of their highest rated beers is their Flower Power IPA.

Flower Power pours a honeylike golden color with a moderate white head. Aromas are of tropical fruits, Juicyfruit gum, wildflowers and pine. The predominent flavors are of pineapple, honey, grapefruit, orange, spruce and fresh-cut grass. Flower Power finishes both bitter and sweet thanks to herbaceous hop character and malt sweetness. It's very versatile as a "food beer," but it would best match-up with Indian cuisine with curry, gorgonzola cheese or a spicy conch chowder.

Port Brewing Company Old Viscosity

A few years ago a buddy of mine moved to the west coast. It was a very bitter-sweet moment for me. On one hand, I was losing one of my best buds. On the other, he was moving on to bigger and better things that would, in the end, make him happier. Of course, another positive was that fact that any visit meant some great coastal beer that was not available to me here in the Midwest.

Enter Port Brewing Company. No, not Pizza Port. However, Port is the result of Pizza Port's former director of brewing operations and a pal. Adding even more connections to this brewery, they set up camp in Stone's old brewing facility in San Marcos, CA.

Flash forward to 2006, and Port is a brewing. This particular brew is a very dark american strong ale coming in at 10% abv. The beer pours a very dark, opaque brownish/black with a thin tan head. The consistency is near motor oil. The nose gives off aromas of woody, roasted malts as well as chocolate, alcohol, and a slight bit of bourbon. The flavor is a mouthful with slight acidic tinge that leads to roasted malts, bourbon, chocolate, and a slight hoppy grapefruit quality in the finish. Very full bodied.

I was very impressed with Old Viscosity. Very near and imperial stout. Should I find myself on the west coast anytime soon, I will surely seek this brew out. I suggest you do as well.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre is a Belgian brown ale made with beet sugar, green raisins and Belgian yeast. In 2000, Malt Advocate Magazine named it "American Beer of the Year." First brewed in 1996 at their brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, this brew hit the store shelves in 1998.

Raison D'Etre pours a deep mahogany in color with a tan head and moderate carbonation. Aromas are of plum, toffee, spice and bread. Flavors of raisin, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses tickle the palate. The finish is long, sweet and complex due to sweet malt and Belgian yeast. Possible food pairings are steak, blue cheese and smoked sausage. At 8% alcohol by volume, this brew is potent and is definitely a sipper. Raison D'Etre is best enjoyed from a snifter glass at 50 degrees.

Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

Farmhouse ales, also known as Saisons, have had a long history as thirst-quenchers. Traced back to Wallonia, a French-speaking area of Belgium, Saisons were brewed for farm workers during the harvest. Once considered to be endangered as a beer style, Saisons have made a significant comeback due to growing interest in Belgian-style ales from beer enthusiasts worldwide. Smuttynose Brewing, out of the quaint seaside town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been making their Farmhouse ale since 2008.

Saisons are known for being funky, dry and crisp. The Farmhouse Ale pours a slightly hazy golden color with a rocky white head and significant carbonation. Aromas are of spice, banana, pepper and apple. It has pronounced flavors of sweet malt, lemon peel, coriander and terroir. The finish is a combination of honey-like sweetness and sour notes from the yeast. It is a bit bigger and sweeter than tradition Saisons, but that is due to it having a higher gravity (9.3% alcohol by volume.) It is a perfect pairing for jambalaya, spicy crab cakes or a fromage triple-creme.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Great Divide Brewing hit the ground running when they opened in 1994 in Denver. Within three months of brewing their very first batch of beer, Great Divide was awarded a medal at the Great American Beer Festival. From the moment they opened their doors, Great Divide has thoroughly dedicated itself to making "big beers." Some of these progressive, bold offerings have included wood-aged beers, barleywines, smoked ales and double India pale ales.

Hercules Double IPA is not a brew for Joe Sixpack. It is malty, sweet, bitter, potent and aromatic. A veritable cornucopia for the senses, this double IPA is unforgiving and forceful. The brew pours a very dark orange color and has an ample, off-white head with good carbonation. Aromas of orange peel, toffee, spruce and hazelnut will attack your olfactory system. It has flavors of Tootsie Roll, grapefruit, caramel and a hint of toasted vanilla bean. It finishes sweet at first, but the spiciness from the hops dries out the finish. At 10% alcohol by volume and 85IBUs, Hercules packs a real knock-out punch. Without a doubt, Hercules is one of the very best double India pale ales in the world.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, is a true Renaissance man in the craftbrew world. He has written multiple books on beer, appeared in two documentary films about beer and developed and starred in a series for the Discovery Channel ("Brew Masters") about his beloved brewery. Never one to rest on his laurels, Calagione has helped Dogfish Head redefine the craftbeer revolution with nearly every new release. Dogfish Head Festina Peche is "a refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse fermented with peaches."

Festina Peche pours a very cloudy light golden color with a moderate white head and high carbonation. The nose consists of aromas of tart citrus, apricot, wildflowers and bread. Flavors of peach and light sweet malt blend in with the natural tart flavors produced by lactobacillus bacteria, which is added into the fermentation vessels. The finish is light and dry with hints of peach and sourness. Festina Peche is a complimentary quaffer for a mixed greens salad with grilled chicken or a mild grilled fish.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Boston has a long and rich brewing history. I imagine that the colonists first began making beer a few minutes after landing on Plymouth Rock. By the mid-1980s, the East Coast microbrew movement had begun with Sam Adams (1984) and Harpoon Brewing (1986.) After traveling throughout Europe, Harpoon founders Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary decided to start up their own microbrewery to bring great beer to the good people of New England. Twenty-five years later, Harpoon still continues to push the envelope by creating new brews and introducing unique beer styles to the masses.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA is a substantial craftbrew. At 10% alcohol by volume and 120 IBUs, it packs a kick as well as some serious hoppiness. It pours a hazy orange color with a slight white head and good carbonation. Aromas of spicy pine and tropical fruits run rampant. The flavors of peach, orange, mango and pine mix with the caramel malt sweetness effortlessly. Massive quantities of potent American hops (Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinook and Centennial) balance the flavors with a crisp bitterness and create a lingering dry finish. Leviathan IPA is a perfect match for grilled lamb, creamy blue cheese or even creme brulee.

The Samuel Adams Conundrum

Way, way back in the late 19th century, Louis Koch devised himself a lager he rather fancied. It was a brew so liked, the recipe survived over a century as well as prohibition. Fast forward to 1984 and we have Jim Koch, the fifth generation, brewing himself up a batch of his family's beer in his kitchen. You've all seen the commercials; you all know what happens next.

Jim Koch with Samuel Adams, as well as a handful of other breweries such as Sierra Nevada and Redhook, helped to trail blaze what would become a revolution in American beer. Americans were shown what real beer was supposed to be. It didn't take too long for these craft/artisinal beers to take off in America. Today we are offered more beer options than we could have ever dreamed.

Even more so, Jim Koch flabbergasted beer enthusiasts with the introduction of Millennium and Utopias. Massive, monsters of a barelywine that came in at over 20% ABV and would put quite a dent in the beer drinker's wallet. It's beers like these, though, that many enthusiasts began to strongly appreciate and desire. That dent in the wallet didn't hurt so much once the brew was cracked and shared amongst friends... not to mention the buzz that 20% ABV can induce.

(I think even Sir Thomas More would approve)

Jim Koch was a renegade, and I have a lot of respect for the man. However, with as many groundbreaking beers as Samuel Adams has produced, they also produced some equally sub par beers as well. These beers just seem to lack any motivation or defining qualities. Beers that seem to stick out are the entire Imperial Series, Cranberry Lambic, the Longshot series, and especially the Cherry Wheat.

(What the fuck is dis shit??)

The Imperial and Longshot series are not bad beers by any stretch of the imagination. They just seem to be weak efforts at beers that could be incredibly good. Even more frustrating is the Longshot series. These are recipes created by homebrewers across that country. Samuel Adams purchases the recipes from winning homebrewers to release them in a mixed six pack. Most of the beers are just ho-hum and forgettable. Enjoyable, but in the end, forgettable. I can't help but wonder what the original recipe devised by the homebrewer actually tastes like.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing at Samuel Adam's Cincinnati brewery for a brewing position. The interview could not have been more fun or laid back. It mostly consisted of the brewers and I shooting the shit about what beers we would like to have with us if we were to be stranded on a desert island for life. We also got to talking about the beers Samuel Adams brews and they all shared the opinion that many lack in quality, and some they just flat out hate (looking at you Cherry Wheat). What confounds me further is Samuel Adams makes beers like Utopias, Millennium, Imperial Pislner, Boston Lager, etc. that are incredibly unique and tasty beers.

I'm not sure if I'm alone in feeling that Samuel Adams is starting to somewhat stray from their roots. I'm also in no way bashing Samuel Adams or saying they are selling out.... just making observations. There are plenty of breweries out there that produce beers that I forget the instant my glass is gone. However, these places do not have the reputation and expected standard Samuel Adams has. They brew bad beer, they disappear. Samuel Adams can get away with these bad brews. I just hope they don't become a habit and that more original goodness is still to come.

Note: I sincerely apologize for my horrible lack of photoshop skills.

North Peak Wanderer

With the current extreme brew "arms race" going on, the attitude "bigger is better" is the rallying cry for many microbreweries. A few craft breweries are going against the grain and are releasing low gravity session beers. A perfect example of this is Wanderer session India Pale Ale from North Peak Brewing Company (Traverse City, Michigan.) Summer is almost here and Wanderer is a good choice as a thirst-quencher, especially when compared to the watery domestic macrobrews.

It pours a golden, slightly copper color in the glass. Aromas of white grapefruit, grass and spicy herbaceous notes. The light malt gives it a slight sweetness, which is a pleasant balance to the mild citrus and pine flavors. Wanderer is light in body and mouthfeel. It could be described as a light IPA because it does come across thin, but that is exactly what makes it a perfect session ale. A good match for a backyard barbecue (especially hamburgers) or a mild English cheddar cheese. Wanderer is not the most interesting or complex microbrew around, but then again, it never set out to be that.

Goose Island Night Stalker

Goose Island Beer Company has held the title as "Chicago's favorite microbrewery" for quite some time. From their flagship brew Honkers Ale to their 312 Urban Wheat to their collection of Belgian-style ales, Goose Island has a brew that will tickle any discerning palate. Their Bourbon County Stout is a beer geek's best friend and is a brew that collectors covet from coast-to-coast. Using the same grain recipe as Bourbon County, Goose Island created Night Stalker, a velvety Imperial Stout.

Night Stalker pours darker than a steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. It is viscous, jet black and quite imposing in the glass. Aromas are of mocha, licorice, pipe tobacco and toasted vanilla beans. Night Stalker is dryhopped heavily with Simcoe hops, which adds a slight whiff of pine wreath. Rich, roasty flavors of sweet dark chocolate, caramel, espresso and molasses linger on the ridiculously long finish. It has a heavy mouthfeel and is quite tongue-coating. Night Stalker is an entire dessert in a bottle. I suggest pairing it with either an aged gouda, a few chocolate truffles or a heaping bowl of vanilla ice cream. Clocking in at a whopping 11.7% alcohol by volume, proceed with caution while savoring this belly bomb of a beer.

Two Brothers Cane and Ebel

In 1993, two brothers (Jim and Jason Ebel) opened up a homebrew supply store just outside of Chicago. Rather than being content with a retail store, they dreamt bigger and decided to open a microbrewery in 1996. Presently, Two Brothers Brewing Company offers a vast array of microbrews and artisanal/seasonal releases. Cane and Ebel originally was a Spring seasonal brew, but due to the popularity it garnered, Two Brothers decided to make it available all year long. Cane and Ebel is an American strong ale that proudly boasts that it is "a hopped up red rye ale."

It pours a reddish-orange color with with an off-white head and ample lacing. The brew has pungent aromas of fresh-cut grass, overripe oranges, pine and spicy green herbs. Flavors of caramel, toasted rye bread, almonds, spruce and grapefruit compliment the addition of Thai palm sugar, which adds hints of vanilla and a creamy mouthfeel. The finish is spicy and dry due to the hop bitterness and rye malt. At 7% alcohol by volume and 68 IBUs, Cane and Ebel is a refreshing brew that possesses a nice balance of bitterness and sweetness.

Brew Day!

We finally got back to the grind this weekend after too long of a gap between this brew and the success that was Gipple Tripel. This past weekend saw the creation of a beer yet to be named. The name is still a work in process, but the recipe is not... What we have concocted here is going to be a copacetically quaffable brew.
Using roughly a 50/50 mixture of pilsen and wheat malt, as well as a little Belgian biscuit, we lightly hopped this ale with Willamette and cascade hops. Once in the primary ferementer, we proceeded to add a behemoth amount of organic blueberry juice to give this brew a nice summer vibe.


(Brewette adding some bittering hops. First face on this blog I do believe.)


Finally a yeasty mixture of White Labs Cal ale yeast and Kolsch ale yeast were added to the carboy. It didn't take long for fermentation to kick off as this brew was bubbling after only about five hours. Currently she's chilling at a comfy 70 degrees F and will be ready to bottle in about a week. There may be a slight delay as secondary fermentation may be necessary in order to add even more blueberry... but that is to be determined...

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot

WTF?!? This is an abbreviation for a very well-known phrase, but in this occasion, it stands for Wilco Tango Foxtrot, an Imperial Brown Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company. Located in Petaluma, California, Lagunitas has a reputation for putting out hoppy ales in many styles ranging from India Pale Ales to Belgian-inspired brews. WTF is a seasonal release that is brewed in honor of the lagging economy and calls itself "a malty, robust, jobless recovery ale."

It pours a dark amber color with a frothy, bone-colored head. Aromas of burnt brown sugar, toasted bread and citrus. WTF has flavors of caramel, roasted nuts, cocoa, grapefruit and toffee. Its richness is balanced and complimented by grassy, citrusy hops, which give it a long and dry finish. At around 7.8% alcohol by volume, it packs a punch without any noticeable boozy properties.

Founders Double Trouble

"Go bold or go sober." This simple motto is our personal rallying cry. Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan was facing near bankruptcy just a few years ago. They started out making solid, ordinary beers, but these offerings had not really found them an audience. On the brink of a financial collapse, they decide to go bold and make the type of extreme brews that had originally inspired them to open a brewery. Since then, Founders has been a wild success.

Double Trouble is an Imperial India Pale Ale, which is code for "IPA on steroids." Need the stats? 9.4% alcohol by volume and 86 IBUs (a measurement of bitterness from the hops.) It pours a brilliant golden color with a foamy white head. Aromas of citrus, pine and peach are mouth-watering. The dominant flavors are of pink grapefruit and grass. I would venture that it is the sauvignon blanc of beers. Double Trouble is a perfect balance of sweet, tart and bitterness that is truly refreshing. The finish is long with the hop bitterness crackling on the back of your tongue. It is the perfect quaffer to match up with beef brisket, grilled lamb or a rich blue cheese. This is a seasonal release from Founders, so you better snag some while you can still find it.

Birra Moretti La Rossa

Hailing from just outside of Milan in Bergamo, Italy, Birra Moretti is one of Italy's most popular and respected breweries. It was founded in 1859 by Luigi Moretti and by the following year, his beers were available for purchase. The brewery was acquired by Heineken in 1996, which helped Birra Moretti distribute its products to over 40 countries. Their La Rossa is a doppelbock, which is a lager made with twice the amount of malted barley.

La Rossa pours a slightly hazy, rich vermilion with an ivory head in the glass. Aromas of brown sugar, roasted malts and caramel blend nicely together. Toffee, caramel and cherry flavors are counterbalanced by notes of spicy, herbal hop bitterness. The finish is moderately long with a malty sweetness. At 7.2% alcohol by volume, it is a substantial brew that is more of a sipper.

If you decide to pair this with food, La Rossa is a match for linguini with clams, roasted duck, Limberger cheese (if you are brave enough) or dark chocolate mousse.

Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Flying Dog Brewery was one of the first so-called microbreweries to break through during the craftbrew craze of the 1990s. Even from its humble beginnings as small brewpub in Aspen, Colorado, Flying Dog has strived to make high-quality ales for every palate. Often, that resulted with them to going rogue and creating some of the most extreme brews around. This is certainly the case with the series of "Wild Dog Releases," of which their Double Dog Pale Ale was their inaugural offering. In fact, this brew was so popular that Flying Dog brought it back by popular demand and permanently added it to their arsenal of beers.

Clocking in at a stunning 11.5% alcohol by volume, Double Dog is a big brew even by extreme brew standards. Translated: If you aren't careful, it will be an early bedtime for you. It is dark orange in color with a slight haze and typical carbonation. The aromas of astrigent pine and grapefruit are quite pronounced. Flavors of caramel, tart citrus (bitter orange peel) and raisin dominate throughout. It has a sweet, almost sticky mouthfeel that leads to a dry, boozy finish. At 85ibus, the bitterness is very noticeable. Almost a barleywine, Double Dog Pale ale will surely let you know that you are experiencing an extreme brew. A nice match with a blue cheese like Stilton.

Weyerbacker Sixteen

The description of Weyerbacher Sixteen on the label reads "Dark braggot ale brewed with honey." "What is the world is a braggot?" you may be wondering. A braggot is a variety of mead, which is a blanket term for anything brewed with honey and water. More specifically, a braggot is a brew made with honey and malted barley, sometimes with hops.

When I poured it, the first thing that I noticed was a hot, boozy aroma wafting from my glass. What had I gotten myself into? A brew that clocks in at a robust 10.5% alcohol by volume. It was at that moment that I made a mental note to myself to stay away from any open flames in order to prevent a fireball from shooting out from my mouth. After letting it open up for a few minutes, aromas of brown sugar, caramel, toasty bread, prunes and honey began to emerge. Most evident on the palate were flavors of figs, candied walnuts, raisins and maple syrup, which mingled effortlessly with the potent alcohol and honey backbone. The finish was extremely sweet with a slight bit of roastiness from the malt. I can honestly say that I have never tried anything quite like Weyerbacher Sixteen. I recommend buying a 4-pack while it is still available (hurry!!!) It is definitely worth a shot so you can check off braggot off of your "Beer Bucket List." Drink one now and cellar the other three bottles for 2 to 3 years (if you have the discipline and patience.)

Duck Rabbit Milk Stout

Founded in 2004, North Carolina's Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery is a bit late to the craftbrew movement. Duck Rabbit specializes in producing dark ales, which uniquely sets them apart from their competition. Their flagship beer is the highly-regarded and coveted Milk Stout. That particular style of beer is a twist on the traditional stout because of the addition of lactose sugar. The result is a sweeter, creamier beer with more body and a considerable silky mouthfeel.

The beer pours an inky, opaque black color that is complimented by a thick, creamy beige head. Aromatic notes of cocoa, espresso and campfire are vivid and abundant. Sweet, creamy flavors soon evolve into not-so-subtle hints of bitter coffee, baker's chocolate and burnt marshmellow. The finish is lengthy and smooth. A 5.7% alcohol by volume, it is much more of a "belly bomber" than a "liver bomber." Potential food pairings are with hearty North Carolina-style barbecue, a buttery aged cheddar or a generous slice of tiramisu.

Blowing Rock High Country Ale

Nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina comes Blowing Rock High Country Ale from Boone Brewing Company. It is an American-style pale ale, which means it is a hoppier version of the style originally developed by the British in the early 1700s. Pale ales first gained popularity as a "session ale," which is best described as "when you're drinking more than one."

The brew pours a clear, light amber color with an ivory head and moderate carbonation. Aromas of fresh-baked biscuits and sweet citrus are most evident with a slight whiff of honey. The flavor profile is dominated by light caramel and lemon flavors. Hop bitterness is counterbalanced by maltiness and a lingering, non-cloying residual sweetness on the finish.

It is a good match for burgers from the grill, a mild cheddar or as a thirst-quencher after mowing the lawn. An easy drinker, Blowing Rock High Country Ale will hit the spot when the mercury climbs north this summer.