Well, its been a while since I’ve posted a proper beer review, so here we go. I was in the beer store today and picked up a large selection of new and seasonal beers. Hopefully, over the next few weeks, i’ll get the opportunity to taste them and report back with my thoughts. By the way, if you are ever in the Denver area, you need to check out Mile High Wine and Spirits - it is on the verge of taking over as the best beer store around - at the moment, Mondo Vino still holds the title , but Mile High is now the top contender.

Anyway, here we go. I don’t have too much experience with Port Brewing Company, but so far the beers I have tasted from them are fantastic. This week, I’ll take down the Old Viscosity - a thick, dark beer that has been aged in bourbon barrels. It weighs in at a hefty 10% ABV and sounds too good to be true. The label actually refuses to categorize this beer, remaining aloof with descriptions like “it’s thick, as in my chest just grew a wool coat,” and “It’s dark and sludgy like the old 50w oozing from the crank of that old truck.”

As expected, it pours thick and dark, completely opaque, with a dense creamy head that vanished within seconds leaving behind a glass of blackness. The aroma isn’t quite as strong as I would have guessed - but it has a strong grain backbone, with sweet malty overtones. Hints of chocolate and vanilla prevail.

The taste is phenomenal. It’s thick and rich like chocolate/coffee syrup with a very subtle whiskey/bourbon aftertaste that hits a little bitter in the back of the tongue. The more I drink, the more that subtle whiskey flavor lingers and the alcohol warms the body. Overall, this is one heck of a beer. It could be called a dessert beer, as savoring each sip brings new insight and appreciation. Highly recommended.

ABV: 10.0%

Serving Type: 22 oz. bomber and snifter

Posted by mallen | 1 Comment »

Last night at The Falling Rock was awesome. Jozey and I were sitting outside on the porch enjoying some of the finest brew on the planet and we couldn’t have been happier. The atmosphere was relaxed though there was a buzz in the air and you could tell that people were there to check out the special releases. The presidential debate was playing on the big screen, but the focus was on the beer. Jozey and I had the opportunity to taste a handful of new selections. Here’s how it went down.

First up, I ordered the 2006 Odell’s Imperial Stout and Jozey went for the Full Sail Lupulin Ale. The Imperial Stout was covered yesterday, so I don’t need to review it, but suffice is to say that it was something special. I know this beer is from their small batch series and it tastes great in the bottle, but this was an entirely different animal. The two years of aging turned a good beer into a legend. If I was blindfolded, I would have bet my car that this thing were aged in a bourbon cask. It was awesome.

Meanwhile, Jozey was sipping the Full Sail Fresh Hop Lupulin Ale - part of the Brewmaster Reserve Series. This stinky brew is chock full of Mt Rainier, Cascade and Nugget Hops and the aroma was enough to make any hophead smile. As Full Sail’s Brewmaster John Harris says “The beer isall about hops. It’s wet hopped, kettle hopped, hop back hopped, wet hopped in the fermenter, and dry hopped in the fermenter with 135 pounds of hops per 24 barrel batch. That’s 5.62 pounds of hops per barrel! Expect a bold hop aroma of citrus and spice and a nice caramel flavor with a pronounced citrus character.” Yeah, that about sums it up.

Next up, I had to try the Lupulin Ale myself, and Jozey moved on to The Southern Sun’s Batch 1000. This one may have been the favorite of the night. Served in a half-pint, this thing blew us both away. I haven’t been able to find any info out on the ingredients, but it is obviously an IPA of enormous proportions. The aroma of stinky hops climbed up in my nose and never left. It was oily with hop resin and well balanced with a bitter and slightly malty finish. I have no doubt that this one is gonna win some awards this year at GABF - hopefully availability will increase afterward.

EDIT: I just got off the phone with one of the brewers at the Southern Sun and have a little more information on Batch 1000. It was brewed and named in celebration of their one thousandth batch. Its mostly comprised of 2 Row and Vienna Malt and is liberally hopped with Cascade, Ammarillo and Simcoe Hops. Batch 1000 has an initial gravity of 1.080 and a final of 1.100 yielding a powerful 9.3% ABV. Trust me, you’ll feel the effects of a half-pint. 

After that, I had to order one for myself, and Jozey moved on to New Belgium’s La Fleur Misseur which was brewed to celebrate NB’s 15th Anniversary. Described on the menu as “Pale” and “slighty funky” this one was all that and more. Not quite as sour as its better known cousin, Eric’s Ale, Jozey seemed to enjoy it. Served in a wine glass, it looked delicious.

That about wrapped up the evening for us. We were disappointed to learn that the cask conditioned Titan IPA was all gone, but that’s how it works around here. Some of the selections are only available for a matter of hours. So, as they say, the early bird gets the beer.

Posted by mallen | 3 Comments »

I am one class down and four to go till my quarter is over. I have another class in an hour so I should probably drink the Hop-15 before I go to class…

First off I really like the bottle, the label looks like it was printed on a home ink jet printer and then taped to the bottle.

The Hop-15 poured very smooth and is a nice rich carmel color. The head settled quickly to a nice thin film on top of this beautiful smelling beverage. Fruity and floral hop smells dominate my nose. The beer has an amazing citrus hop flavor that hits your mouth first. The bitter citrus quickly turns in to a mellow fruity hop flavor that hangs with you for a while. I really am loving this. It is still cold, but I am guessing that as it warms up the 10% abv will become a lot more noticeable.

It is like a strong, big IPA up front with a perfectly balanced fruity IPA flavor waiting in the shadows to attack.

This beer is a seasonal and if you ever see it in you would be a fool if you do not drop the $7 for the 22oz.

The Details:

22oz - 10% abv - $7

Posted by jon | 2 Comments »

Shit yeah. Got a box of four of these on my doorstep two days ago. It’s amazing I’ve waited this long to suck one down, but I knew it was gonna be special, and I wanted to find the right moment. This bad boy came direct from Michael Jackson’s beer of the month club, and I can’t wait to try this thing.

A year ago, I was lucky enough to get my hands on the first beer in this signature series. It was by far the best beer of the year. People were selling bottles of it for $300+ on ebay.

If you are not familiar with the series, it goes like this. American master brewer teams up with Dirk Naudts from De Proef - they combine talents, ingredients, and rare yeast strains to create a one of a kind masterpiece. Last year it was Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing and Lost Abbey in southern California, this year it’s Jason Perkins from Allagash. Hell, I can’t type anymore, and the bottle is getting warm, so lets start it up.

I pop the cork and out pours a cloudy, dirty, stinky, yeasty brew. The bubbly white head provides evidence of the high carbonation level. This thing is murky - no chunks yet, but unless you are used to dirty belgians, this thing might scare you away. 

The aroma is a thing of beauty. It’s definitely yeasty, but there are hints of the barnyard, alcohol, and bread. Also noted are some fruity hop highlights, a little citrus zest to top things off.

Damn. I say again, damn. A freaking amusement park for the mouth. Flavors coming in from all directions, it hits your tongue like an electric shock and then spreads to all corners of your mouth. It’s taken me almost a full glass to really get a handle on this thing. At first, I began to notice the pilsner malt, it’s strong, almost like an imperial pilsner, but, its soft like wheat beer. It also has a noticeably hop edge to it, thanks to the 4 month Saaz dry hop stage. This is truly a sophisticated beer from two of the masters of brewing.

As I’ve continued to enjoy this beer, there are some wonderful flavors evolving. Most notably is the presence of a sour flavor. This is a good thing. It’s not overwhelming, but just one of the many elements woven into the overall experience. What is amazing to me is that there are literally dozens of flavor elements going on here. And they all coexist in perfect harmony. It’s like a painting that from far away depicts a landscape, but up close is an incredible array of colors and brush strokes. This beer is the same. Overall, it tastes wonderful and complete, but as you begin to analyze the components, you realize how varied each is.

Amazing.

Wonderful.

A new level of beer.

Amongst the top 5 beers I’ve ever had.

ABV: 8.5%

Serving Type: 750 ml bomber and snifter

Posted by mallen | 2 Comments »

I just finished a 22-mile bike ride gaining about 2500 vertical feet and topping out at just under 7000 feet above sea level and boy am I thirsty. I should drink some water right now, but just last night I picked up my first bottle of Russian River Brewing Company. There’s no way in hell I’m drinking water right now. I’m going to try Pliny the Elder. Russian River’s double IPA, which I hear has a cult following.

This stuff looks like a perfect IPA with a nice reddish amber hue, a perfect lacy head, but forget about the looks. Smelling this thing brings an instant droooool. Perfectly sweet citrusy hops all over the place.

I just fished my entire glass before even writing about the taste. Maybe I should have let it warm a bit so see how the flavor changed, but the bottle tells me not to. Pliny tells me to “respect your elder: keep cold, drink fresh, do not age! Pliny the Elder is a historical figure, don’t make the beer inside this bottle one! Not a barley wine, do not age! Age your cheese, not your Pliny! Respect hops, consume fresh! If you must sit on eggs, not on Pliny! Do not save for a rainy day! Pliny is for savoring, not for saving! Consume Pliny fresh, or not at all!” Haa! That’s funny. I’m drunk. Should have had some water. This is a killer IPA. Get one.

ABV: 8.0%

Serving Type: 500 ml bomber and a super frickin fancy snifter

Posted by Jozey | No Comments »

Damn I love beer. Or do I? Is it the beer that I love or the culture of beer? Is it the taste, or is it the adventure of a new taste? Is it the appearance, or is it the image placed upon the bottle? 

It’s twofold I guess. I do indeed love the beverage and would certainly drink plenty of beer even if it were all nameless and served in identical natural bottles. Actually that might be nice. To open a beer without knowing what lay inside, whether it was bottled in California or Croatia. The taste experience would then come as a surprise. It’d be like onsighting the beer. No beta, no guidebook, no clue. Maybe sometimes you’d get shutdown with something out of your league. Maybe sometimes you’d get even more enjoyment out of something simple. But overall, the experience would be an expedition, you’d have to come prepared. Who knows, that first sip might yield a double hopped stinky west coast IPA, but then again, it might also reveal a smooth vanilla porta.

Tonight, I’m hangin out with this big ole double mountainberry wheat. And in contrast to what I was saying above, what makes this beer so exciting IS the fact that it has a name, label, and story to go along with it. After tasting the first beer in the 20th Anniversary series, I’ve had my sights set on tasting all four of them. So here I am with number 2 and the anticipation is killing me.

Like the first in the series, after you open this thing, you gotta let it sit. They just seem to be pretty active and you’ll save yourself some massive foam time if you wait a good 20 minutes after popin’ the top. Once this thing is ready though, you’re in for a treat. 

Crystal clear with a definite purple tinge, this beer obviously has a higher than average berry juice concentration. Delicious. Perfect summer day bbq beer if you ask me. Really its exactly what you would think it was. Wheat beer flavor, strong wheat at that, with a real nice proportion of mountain berry flavor. Its a nice marriage of flavors, wheaty and earthy with huckleberries, blueberries, and marionberries. Its not overwhelmingly fruity, and thankfully, its not too sweet. The malty wheat presence is what really keeps this beer grounded. fruity beer can be foo foo, but not in this case. kudos to the brewmaster. 

The hop note is slight and balanced as well. And with a 7.6% ABV, one of these will put you beyond blogging about beer. This thing kills the original mountainberry, not that i’ve ever had it, well maybe I have, i can’t remember, but i’m certain it kills it regardless.

ABV: 7.6%

Serving Type: Big Ass Bomber with a cork and wax

Posted by mallen | No Comments »

Just hanging out in my little house on top of the hill. The clouds are pink and the corn is smelling great as it roasts on the grill. Tried picking up a book, but can’t keep my mind from wandering to the realization that tomorrow will be my last day working at the best gear shop on the planet. This change is welcome, however I’ll be leaving the people who are most dear to me, so the feeling is bittersweet. I decide to rummage through the fridge to wrassle up a cold one and let my mind wander a bit more. I had completely forgotten about the first beer that I came across. Avery’s ‘Ale to the Chief’ is what I found. This is a Presidential Pale Ale to celebrate Inauguration Day on January 20, 2009. Since Inauguration Day will also be bringing a welcome change I thought it fitting due to my current situation. Besides, if you’re letting your mind wander you damn well better be drinking a good beer.

This crisp ale is trickling into my glass like a mandolin intro. Red and robust with a foamy white head that is lacing beautifully. There is a nice precession of bubbles rising to keep this head intact. This is what an IPA should look like.

She smells wonderful. There is a very modest bouquet of sweet hops. There is also a light sweetness coming from malt. None of this is obnoxious, unlike some of the “extreme” IPA’s that I’ve been trying lately.  This is a welcome change. Starting to think about my last day again, so lets drink this thing.

Sweet, then warm, then mellow dry hopped Cascade’s. Words just can’t describe how much I love beer and this ale is a perfect example as to why. This one is best when warmed up a bit. I will sure miss working with my friends, but thankfully there’s good beer to give us a reason to get back together and catch up. Time to eat some corn.

ABV: 8.75%

Posted by Jozey | No Comments »

 Here we have the Urthel Hop-it. As the story goes, “following a visit to the American Northwest in January, 2005, Hildegard returned to Belgium enthusiastic about of the different IPA’s (Indian Pale Ale) she had tasted. With her passion for barley, yeast and especially hops, she wanted to brew an IPA of her own. It had to be special, an hommage to hops in the style of American Craft Brewers, but with a real Flemish touch. Her touch!

The beer poured out ready to party. Full of carbonation and emitting a fresh aroma of hops and belgian yeast. The head was served up proudly and settled into a frothy labyrinth. Evidence of the bottle conditioning was ever present in the fine mist of particulates suspended within. 

The taste is like a double knife to the tongue. There’s a sharp belgian yeast note that pricks my tongue, and at the same time i’m hit with the bitterness of hops. These two predominent flavors blast forth like the lance of a knight charging on horseback. Ah, but then there is the initial aftertaste that is warm and malty, but this quickly reveals the alcohol content resulting in a lingering aftertaste. 

I don’t know. A part of me wants to give this beer a glowing review, but I have to admit that with all the belgian yeast/west coast hop beers i’ve had over the past year or so, they all seem to taste a little wrong to me. The combination of the two flavors doesn’t do it for me. The fight each other. There’s a battle over who’s the strongest? West Coast Hops vs. Belgian Yeast. It’s an aggressive style I think, and though bringing the best of both worlds together sure seems like a good idea. . . in this instance, there’s still some work to be done.

Posted by mallen | No Comments »

Well, I just reviewed the 11th anniversary, so what better way to follow than with the 12th anniversary.

This sucker looks badass. Black, like tar, with a chocolate head on top. The aroma is rich and malty with a definite dark chocolate note. No hop presence noted.

The taste is divine. Malty richness with a smooth chocolate body, backed by a solid bitterness - all combined into something not unlike carbonated chocolate milk. No, not yoohoo. Think Godiva chocolate milk. There may be a bit of a hop characteristic, but it blends so well with the bitter chocolate that it is hard to tell. I agree with fellow taster Josey that this one would definitely improve with some cellar time. It would likely grow smoother and even more drinkable.

While this beer may not be groundbreaking, it is definitely a fine pick and easily worthy of a spot within the Stone Allstar Lineup.

Posted by mallen | No Comments »

While visiting one of beerpusher’s favorite stores, I came across this beauty in the back cooler collecting dust. The 11th anniversary ale was released to the public back in September of 2007. I didn’t get a chance to try one out then, and looks like the Gods have smiled upon me by putting this bottle in my path.

This thing has got to be good. First its from Stone. Second it’s an IPA from Stone. Third, it’s a “Black” IPA from Stone. I mean, good God, Its hard to believe the beer selections these days. It just keeps getting better and better. 2008 is a great year for the beer connoisseur, and things don’t seem to be slowing down a bit.

It looks like a stout. For real. It pours out dark, thick and syrupy. There is just the faintest hint of light shining through this silky wonder. The head is dense, off white, and pocketed like an asteroid. What really blows me away is the fact that this gem stinks of hops. Yeah, I know it’s an IPA and it should stink of hops, but it looks like a stout, and my brain is trying to sort it all out. Given a closer sniff, indeed this is an IPA and the resinous hops have made their presence known.

The taste is magnificent. I don’t know how they are doing it, but Stone continues to make top-notch beer without exception. The mouthfeel is a bit more viscous than the average IPA, and I would image that this beer is loaded with malt, yet the flavor is dominated by the hops. It’s pretty incredible, I’d love to pour one of these bad boys for one of my buddies without telling them what it is, just to see them puzzle it out. It’s soo smooth, slightly roasted, yet bitter as hell. Very drinkable and very enjoyable.

If you can find one of these (I’ve only got one left aging in the cellar), buy it at all costs.

Serving Type:Bottle
ABV: 8.7% 

Posted by mallen | No Comments »