Heineken

Heineken

Pale Lager

Origin: Holland

Alcohol: 5%

Calories: Who Cares?

Okay, let's make this short and sweet.  

You're probably asking why I'm reviewing Heineken when the majority of drinks I review are either new and/or random. Well, Heineken holds a special place in my heart for being both incredibly refreshing and incredibly bad at the same time.  I can never tell how it's going to hit my taste buds.  Sometimes I drink a nice, ice cold Heineken and it's perfectly thirst-quenching.  Other times I drink a Heineken and think, "What the Hell is this skunky shit?!"  Pardon my French and stuff... it's just how I feel.  When I drink a Heineken I either love it or hate it, there is no in between.  I really don't get it.  It's the only drink I've had that's like that, and believe me, I've had a lot of different drinks.

So, to describe Heineken we have the usual macro-beer suspects: it pours a clear, light straw color with an inch or so thick head that stays for a fair bit of time.  Granted, many of you probably just drink it straight from the bottle.  Fair enough, it's not like pouring Heineken into a glass is going to enhance it that much.  This isn't some fancy craft beer brewed with the resin of the single mummified hop found in Pharaoh Tittychewbacca's tomb, where the hidden flavor molecules are important... this is Heineken.  It smells like skunky, sweet malts and generic grain, like so many macro lager beers, especially those that come in green bottles (*Nerd Fact: Light changes the flavor of alcoholic beverages over time, faster in light green and clear bottles than brown).  Heineken tastes a lot how you'd expect: sweet, creamy malts, the usual pale lager airiness, and a skunky and sour bit of mild, grassy hops.

As far as macro lager beer goes, this isn't that bad.  I'd take this any day over Bud Light, Coors, or Miller.  However, it's still dreadfully boring.   But like I said earlier, sometimes it is surprisingly crisp and refreshing, other times the skunkiness is too much to handle.

Drink This: if you've never tried it.  One of the better macro beers, but still lacking compared to just about any craft beer.  But at least it comes in those little mini kegs.

Don't Drink This: if you're looking for something with depth and interesting flavor.  Go look elsewhere.  This is more of a session beer or a beer for hot weather.  Like I've said a couple times, I'm always really torn on Heineken... love it or hate it.

Cheers!                

Double Bastard Ale

Double Bastard Ale

2011 Release

American Strong Ale

Stone Brewing Co.

IBU's: "Classified" (100+?)

Alcohol: 10.5%

"Ye shall know the Bastard,

and the Bastard shall set you free."

It's crazy to think, but 101 reviews ago I reviewed the original Arrogant Bastard Ale, a perfectly balanced hoppy and malty, strong amber ale.  The original Arrogant Bastard maintains itself as one of my all-time favorite beers and I've probably gone through more bottles of it than any other single beer.  Stone Brewing make several variations on the Arrogant Bastard, with the oaked version being one of my favs, as well.  But, the big daddy of them all is this one, the Double Bastard.

Now, any reader of the beers reviews on this blog knows that I have a love for Stone Brewing Company out of California.  And even though I've only formally reviewed a handful of their beers, I've sampled over a dozen different brews and haven't had a bad tasting one from them yet.

So here we have the Double Bastard, a 10.5% ABV beast of a beer.  It pours a slightly darker amber than the standard Arrogant Bastard.  It has strong aromas of malty caramel, figs, and a massive amount of hops on par with a good India Pale Ale.  You take a sip and get thick, sweet toffee malts, dark raisins, pine, a touch of the high-proof alcohol, and a pleasantly long-lasting bitter hop finish that rivals just about any IPA out there.

This is everything I love about the original Arrogant Bastard Ale stepped up a couple notches.  It has pretty much the same flavor profile, but everything is stronger here.  Stronger malt, stronger hops, stronger alcohol.

This. beer. is. badass.

Drink This: if you want a malty, hoppy, beast of a sipping beer.  If you enjoy the standard Arrogant Bastard or like hoppy beers, give this is a try.  This is easily Stone's best beer and in my top 5 favorite beers, perhaps even top 3, of all-time...

Don't Drink This: if you are not worthy.         

 

Odell Brewing 90 Shilling Ale

90 Shilling Ale

Scottish-Style Ale

Odell Brewing Co.

IBU's: 27

Alcohol: 5.3%

Once upon a time there was a guy named Bob.  

Bob loved beer.

Bob's voice of reason (aka his wife) was out of town. 

Bob subsequently decided it would be a great idea to attend the 17th Annual (2011) Mountain Brewers' Beer Fest anyway.

Bob made a poor decision.

The Mountain Brewers' Beer Fest is an annually held event with 140 breweries, 1200 types of beer, and around 6700 people in attendance.  While that's not huge by the German Beer Fest standards, it's a pretty damn massive event for us people here out West.

And it wasn't like I was trying to taste every single beer there, but I may have gotten close...  Too bad my wife wasn't there to tell me to slow down and pace myself. 

For a frame of reference, here are some shots I took with my cellphone.  This first pic was right after I got to the Beer Fest.  (There were many huge tents such as this FYI)

   

Fast forward one hour and who in the hell knows how many beers later and here is another pic I took of the crowd:

See any difference?  That's right.  I got wasted.
Getting drunk wasn't my goal at all for the Beer Fest, but more a natural result of me wanting to try as many delicious craft beers as I could shove into my pie hole.  After all, you only pay the entrance fee and it's as many beers as you want after that for no additional charge.  It's a pretty sweet deal.

Naturally, I went from brewery to brewery, lap after lap, around through the tents.  Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) the lines for the really awesome beers were spectacularly short since most people like shitty, watery beer, even at a beer festival.  The first lap I tried as many porters, stouts, and barley wines as I could.  Very good stuff.  The second lap was all IPA's.  Still good, good stuff.  The third lap, well that's pretty much a blur. 

Then we tried to eat at TGIF's, which was stupid.  There's a picture I saw of my goofy drunk face chomping on a bread stick with one eye open.  Guess that's just how I roll.  Next thing I know, I'm laying next to a toilet puking on the tile floor.  Apparently I was confused about where my projectile vomit was supposed to go.  Why, oh why, did my wife have to be out of town?!  She's really the only person who reigns me in from being a complete idiot at times.          

Anyway one thing is for sure, in my drunken, craft beer guzzling delirium on a sunny, 90+ degree day, one beer stood out for whatever reason: 90 Shilling Ale.  I remember going back over and over again for the 90 Shilling Ale and it tasted awesome.  So naturally, a couple weeks later I start looking for Odell Brewing's 90 Shilling Ale... and guess what, I found it.

Now, Odell makes some freaking delicious IPA's, especially their Myrcenary Double IPA.  I assumed that 90 Shilling Ale, their flagship beer, would be just as good as their IPA's especially with my fond memory of it standing out at Beer Fest.  Well, guess what?  It's not.

90 Shilling Ale pours a caramel-amber color and has malty, nutty aromas.  You take a sip and get subdued toffee, light malts, and a finish that's reminiscent of mineral water.  There are no hops that I can taste.  This is supposed to be a Scottish-style ale, but guess what?  It's like a mass-marketed Americanized version of one.  You know what I call that?  BORING.  This is watery and marginally better than Bud Light.  Maybe this really was better out of a keg at Beer Fest, but from my memory this bottled version tastes totally different.

Bottom line, this beer tastes better when you're hammered and it's out of a keg. 
Sorry Odell, I will stick to your tasty IPA's.


Drink This: only from a keg when you're drunk at Beer Fest on a burning hot day.
Don't Drink This: if you dislike watery beers.  I don't understand how Odell's IPA's can be so delicious, yet their flagship beer is so... boring.        

Lagunitas Imperial Stout

 

Lagunitas Imperial Stout

IBU's: 72.45

Alcohol: 9.9%

Like I said when I reviewed Lagunitas Brewing's Hop Stoopid Ale, not all of Lagunitas regular beers are anything special.  They make several average brews (at least as far as craft beer is concerned), but fortunately they have a couple stand-out gems.  Hop Stoopid Ale is one, as is this one, the Imperial Stout.

Now, I've said it before and I will say it again here, I love Imperial Stouts.  Granted, since I've been on a quest to try as many as I can, I have had a couple not so great ones (many of which I still need to write up a formal review for), but for the most part, they continue to be my favorite style of beer.

So, here we have the California-based Lagunitas and their Imperial Stout.  This puppy is 9.9% alcohol and a moderate 72.45 IBU's (bitterness).  Neither the alcohol nor the bitterness rating is all that exceptional for an Imperial Stout, but hey, high numbers don't necessarily make it any better.  

The Lagunitas Imperial Stout pours pitch black with a moderately thick, tan head.  It's not as thick and creamy as something like Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout, but it's decent.  It smells of sweet, dark roasted malts, with hints of maple.  You take a sip and get notes of sweet raisins, licorice, and bittersweet chocolate.  The hops are virtually hidden here, but could just be playing into the bittersweet chocolate notes.  While the flavors here are good, they are a bit different than most Imperial Stouts in that any coffee/espresso notes are subdued, although the licorice/anise taste is unique.  Granted beers like Stone's Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout or Uinta's Labyrinth have anise is spades, whereas it's more subtle here.  Regardless, this is a good beer, but for an Imperial Stout it's bordering on boring to mediocre (even though it's one of Lagunitas' better brews).  Maybe I'm getting jaded and snobbish after tasting so many drinks, but sorry Lagunitas, I prefer your Hop Stoopid Ale...

Drink This: if you want a middle-of-the-road Imperial Stout.  Is it better than many beers out there? Hell yes... and I wouldn't pass this up if offered one.  But, in the realm of all Imperial Stouts, this remains mediocre.

Don't Drink This: if you want an in-your-face, hardcore Imperial Stout like one from Stone Brewing or Beer Valley's Black Flag.  Conversely, don't drink this if your drink of choice is Natural Light or something equally as vapid.   

Brother David's Triple

Brother David's Triple

Abbey Style Ale

Anderson Valley Brewing Co.

California

IBU's: 27

Alcohol: 10.0%

Belgian style beers can be a drastic change from the typical American-style watery lagers that sooooo many people seem to enjoy (or at least chug down while watching sports).  Even though they are virtually made with the same basic ingredients, they are oh so different.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company out of Boonville, California make their version of a Belgian tripel, a style of Trappist beer made with triple the amount of malt, hence the name.  Yeah, I know, it's not a very clever name, but Belgians don't care about being clever.  They care about making tasty beer.  This tripel is named after David Keene, the owner of the Tornado Pub in California, and that's him there on the label looking at his glorious glass of brew while dressed as a monk.  Apparently this guy really loves Belgian brews.  Go figure.   

Brother David's Triple pours a murky orange color.  It explodes with in-your-face aromas of banana, oranges, honey, clove, sweet malts, and some yeasty bread.  When I say the aromas explode, I mean it.  This brew has a ridiculously strong aroma, with the sweet scents typical of Belgian yeast, but maybe even more so than one would expect.  You take a sip and get overtly sweet toasted malts, candy sugar, and caramel followed by a mild touch of hops and more of the spices detected in the nose.  The impressive 10% alcohol stays fairly hidden, all things considered, but it's likely just hiding behind all the sweetness and over-the-top flavors. 

This brew is much sweeter than I'm used to with all the Stouts and IPA's I drink, and it's actually sweeter than most authentic Belgian beers I've had.  There's little in the way of finesse here, as this is obviously an Americanized Belgian style beer with strong upfront flavors.  This isn't the kind of beer I want to drink everyday, but damn if your tastebuds won't want to be blown away every once in awhile.  It's strong and tasty in an odd, odd way.  This is kind of like a dog that's so ugly it's cute.  So, even though it's unbalanced and really not my style, every now and then I crave another one... and it's kind of weirding me out.

Drink This: if you want an in-your-face Belgian style Tripel that's made in California.
Don't Drink This: if you don't like flavor and lots of it.  Or if you don't like sweet beers because this big boy is sweeeeeeet.         

Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout

 

Belgian Style Yeti

Imperial Stout

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver, Colorado

IBU's: 75

Alcohol: 9.5%

I know, I know, not another Imperial Stout!   But hey, I love 'em.  And most importantly, it's my blog so I do what I want!  Anyway, if you've read around this blog at all, it would be easy to realize that I like Imperial beers.  I've said it time and time again in many a beer review.  

For now, I'm looking at Great Divide Brewing Company's Belgian Style Yeti, an Imperial Stout with a respectable 9.5% alcohol.  Unfortunately I've never been able to try the standard Yeti Imperial Stout, yet here I am reviewing the Belgian version of it.  Oh well.  Maybe someone out there can send me one to review? They don't distribute in my state.  Sad, I know.  Anyway, Great Divide makes several variations on their Yeti brew including chocolate and espresso oak-aged versions.  This one is their Belgian version, which simply means it is brewed with Belgian yeast which gives it distinct fruit and spice notes.

The Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout pours thick, creamy, and black as tar.  It is actually so viscous that I had to pour improperly in order to get any sort of head to form.  If I poured like that with a normal beer, it would have swelled out of the glass and gone everywhere in a foamy mess.  As you can see from the pic, the head is a beige color, typical of many Imperial Stouts.  It has aromas of roasty malts, cocoa, and a distinct Belgian sweetness (raisins? plums?).  You take a sip and are greeted with velvety milk chocolate, dark malts, bittersweet cocoa, and more of the Belgian fruitiness, raisins, plums, cherries, a whole plethora of fruit, and a lingering spicy and boozy finish.  

This may be a tad sweeter than I normally like my Imperial Stouts, but it's an impressive and epic beer nonetheless.  I really enjoyed it, overall.  

I've had a Yeti sighting and I was impressed...

Drink This: if you want a thick, black, fruity Imperial Stout.  This really is a good combination of both the Imperial Stout and Belgian style brews.

Don't Drink This: if you're afraid of the Yeti...

    

Seeyoulator Doppelbock

Seeyoulator Doppelbock

Cedar-Aged Double Bock

Boulevard Brewing Co.

Alcohol: 8.5%

IBU's: 35

It seems like many, if not most, aged drinks are aged in oak including bourbon, scotch, stouts, and several other beers and liquors.  This makes sense considering the inherent sweetness and maple notes that oak gives beverages, but what about other woods?  After all, people use oak, as well as many other woods for smoking meat?  Hickory, mesquite, cedar, apple, peach, pecan, etc.  So, why not beer?  

Well, Boulevard Brewing Company out of Missouri makes one such beer, a cedar-aged Double Bock (Doppelbock) called Seeyoulator.  Sure, it's a silly name, but traditionally Doppelbocks had names that ended in "ator."  Don't ask me why, because, well, I don't know.  And I'm not sure that I care.  But hey, now you have a better chance of winning on Jeopardy.  You're welcome.  

Seeyoulator pours a dark orange/amber color with a good, frothy head.  It smells of sweet toffee malts, raisins, with hints of wood and spice in the background.  You sip and get tastes of roasted nuts, sweet malts, cloves, wheat bread, and a strong cedar finish.  The mouthfeel is perfectly thick and creamy.  

Don't get me wrong, this is a good, solid beer, but perhaps I am too accustomed to oak-aging.  The cedar notes in the finish throw me off.  The rest of the palette is just how I like beers, strong, malty and flavorful, then I start to taste wood notes, expecting an oaky sweetness, but get a bitter, odd cedar finish instead.  Oh well, it's still worthy trying, if nothing else, at least to try a cedar-aged beer.  Personally, as far as Double Bocks go (and some may find this heresy), I'd rather have Samuel Adams' Doppelbock.

Drink This: if you want to try a cedar-aged Double Bock.  It's a solid brew, the finish just confuses me.  Perhaps I just need to drink more cedar-aged beers. 

Don't Drink This: if you don't like wood-aged brews.  And honestly, this isn't a good introduction to the world of wood-aged brews if you've never had one.  I say start with a standard oak-aged beer and go from there.  

Left Hand Milk Stout

Left Hand Milk Stout

Left Hand Brewing Company

Alcohol: 6.0%

IBU's:25

When you think of stout-style beers, you rarely think of milk.  Milk and beer?  What the Hell, right?  Sounds like a trip to worship the Porcelain God waiting to happen, if you know what I mean.   

Well, believe it or not, there's a type of beer called a "Milk Stout" (a subtype of sweet stout).  Sweet stouts are beers that have unfermented sugars added to give the beer a different taste and body, and in this case, it's lactose.  Lactose, you know, the sugar that's in milk?  The one that most of the world's population (excluding many people of European decent) have a hard time digesting, causing stomach discomfort and gas.  Sounds like a party to me!  Hopefully those that are lactose-intolerant will see the word "Milk" on the label and avoid it.  But who is really going to think that beer has milk sugar in it?  

Got Milk Stout?

  

Anyway, Left Hand Brewing out of Colorado (who also make Wake Up Dead Imperial Stout, which has one of the coolest labels ever) make a Milk Stout.  It pours a deep, dark brown that verges on being coal black.  As you pour, there's a bit of that cool cascading of bubbles made famous by a well-known and admittedly boring Irish stout.  It has aromas of mild dark roasted barley, milk chocolate, and a touch of coffee.  You take a sip and get ...disappointed.  Okay, well that's not all you get, it smells good enough, but the taste is a let-down.  Sweet, roasty malts, and a bit of dark chocolate.  That's it.  It's very one-dimensional and has a short finish.  The mouthfeel was oddly thin, too.  I guess I was expecting a thicker, creamier texture from a milk stout.  But hey, not every beer can be super awesome.  This is a decent beer, yes, but nothing great.  So sad.

Drink This: if you want to try a mild, milk stout.  Like I said, it's decent, but actually fairly tame and boring.

Don't Drink This: if you're lactose-intolerant because you will not be a happy camper afterward.      

Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter

 

Black Butte Porter

Deschutes Brewery

American Porter

IBU's: 30

Alcohol: 5.2%

There are some beers that stand out as solid, classic examples of their style.  Of all the American Porters I have had, Black Butte Porter continues to stand tall as one of the best examples of the style. 

Deschutes Brewery out of Bend Oregon continues to put out many exceptionally tasty, well-made brews both with their standard line as well as with their seasonal and limited releases.  Somebody there must know what they're doing. 

Black Butte Porter is their flagship beer, and for good reason.  It pours a thick, yet somehow silky smooth coal black with a tremendously thick, creamy head.  The head froths up so thick and luscious, it almost looks like a rootbeer float.  But, where's my ice cream?  It has a medium-strong smell of sweet dark malts, semi-sweet chocolate, and a touch of freshly roasted coffee.  When you take a sip, it tastes a lot like it smells: mostly sweet malts and dark chocolate, with some vanilla and a lingering bit of hops in the end.  It is moderately creamy and thick, and really, really well-balanced in flavor.

Like I said, this continues to be one of the best examples of an American-style Porter.  It is the perfect balance for the style between dark roasted versus sweet flavors, with a good bit of hops in the finish.  

Drink This: if you want a well-balanced, perfectly delicious example of an American-style Porter. 

Don't Drink This: if you want a crazy and extreme brew.  This isn't trying to be anything over-the-top, rather it is trying to be exactly what it is... a great Porter.  Enjoy!     

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

 Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams)

IBU's: 50

Alcohol: 9.2%

 Like I've said before, I love Imperial Stouts.  There's something about sipping the thick, rich, dark roasted, chocolately, coffee-esque brews that makes me a happy, happy guy.  So naturally, the fact that Samuel Adams makes an Imperial Stout means I was certain to try it.  I have already reviewed two others in Samuel Adam's Imperial Series, their Double Bock and the Imperial White.  Each of which is totally different from one another, yet all really, really flavorful and tasty.  And as I've said before, that's pretty surprising coming from such a mainstream brewery.  I'm hoping to try their Wee Heavy, a Scotch-style Imperial Ale, in the near future, but we will see if that happens.

Anyway, for now we are looking at Samuel Adams' Imperial Stout.  This is a Russian-style Imperial Stout bottled at a respectable 9.2% alcohol and having a moderate 50 IBU's.  As far as bitterness goes for more extreme beers, this is rather mild.  And once again, the alcohol in my 4-pack was 9.2% whereas the label pic shows less, at 8.6%.  What the heck, Samuel Adams.  Was my 4-pack the older or newer recipe?  Guess it really doesn't matter that much, I'm just curious. 

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout pours a deep, deep brownish black, that's almost totally opaque with a thick, dark tan head.  Not the darkest beer, I've seen, but it's up there.  It's thickness is evident as it pours and you swirl it.  This Imperial Stout smells pretty subdued, with some dark roasted malts, and a bit of chocolate and perhaps dry licorice.  Hops are tucked away.  It tastes like lightly smoked dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, and a lingering bit of boozy alcohol.  The best part is the thick, creamy mouthfeel that really is quite wonderful and luscious... if you're into that sort of thing. 

In the world of craft brews, this is a pretty solid, classic-style Russian Imperial Stout.  It's not earth-shattering, or awe-inspiring, but it is very, very good... assuming you enjoy thick, dark, flavorful stouts.  Have I had better Imperial Stouts? Certainly.  Have I had worse?  Oh Hell yes.  Far too many.

Drink This: if you want a classic-style, good example of a Russian Imperial Stout.

Don't Drink This: if you want a hardcore, over-the-top Imperial Stout.  This is pretty standard and straight-forward for an Imperial Stout.  But even then, most pansy beer drinkers are going to think this is too strong and dark-roasted.  But hey, I think it's delicious.  They can stick with their Natural Light and Olde English 40's...  

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

 

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

Bourbon-Barrel Aged

American Strong Ale

Lexington Brewing Co.

IBU's: 15

Alcohol: 8.19%

Bourbon is probably my favorite spirit, overall.  And I LOVE me a good brew.  So, logically combining the two would make me a very happy boy.  Does it work?  How could it not?

Previously, I reviewed the standard Kentucky Ale from Lexington Brewing Company, an Irish Red/English Pale Ale hybrid.  This is that beer's big brother.  The standard is 5.34% alcohol, whereas this bad boy is 8.19%, placing it firmly in the American Strong Ale category.  According to the Lexington Brewing Company their Bourbon Barrel Ale is aged for up to six weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from the distilleries of Kentucky.  Anyone familiar with Jim's Beam's new bourbon, Devil's Cut, knows that the barrel wood still contains plenty of soaked in bourbon after it has been drained.  

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale pours a clear, copper color and makes a moderate head with some coaxing.  It smells like boozy bourbon, with lots of vanilla and oak, and a bit of sweet caramel malts.  The first sip caught me off-guard.  Whereas I've had several beers aged in oak or ex-bourbon barrels, they have all been porters or stouts, which makes the bourbon notes more hidden and subtle.  This is far from a stout, so when it hit my mouth I went, "What in the...?!"  Bourbon, bourbon, bourbon.  Lots of vanilla, lots of oak, some semi-sweet malts, with the classic Irish Red taste in the background.  Hops? Nope, not here.  Due to it not being a porter or stout, the bourbon goes from background subtlety to full-Monty foreground attack.  Okay, maybe it's not an attack, but this brew tastes like 80% moderately dry bourbon with the alcohol bite taken out, with lingering beer characteristics.  I bet the standard Kentucky Ale taste is hiding somewhere in there, but I can't hardly find it. 

Very, very unique and most definitely a sipper.  This beer has won several awards, likely because it's so unlike just about everything else.  I should have served it in a snifter or red wine glass instead of my usual mug, but alas, I was unprepared for what awaited me.

Drink This: if you want to try something extremely unique, assuming you enjoy bourbon and beer.

Don't Drink This: if you don't like bourbon or are an elitist who thinks only dark beers should be aged in oak.  This is very bourbon-forward and as such, could be an acquired taste perhaps.  I enjoyed it, but my wife didn't even like the smell.  But then again, she doesn't like beer or bourbon.  Go figure.  

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is worth trying, if at least just once.                         

 

Samuel Adams Imperial White

 Samuel Adams Imperial White

Belgian Witbier Brewed with Spices

Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams)

IBU's: 20

Alcohol: 10.3%

For some reason, I'm not generally a huge fan of wheat beers.  They're not bad, but they tend to all be too similar and sometimes a bit too bland.  Certainly there are a few standout breweries that can make tasty ones (Widmer Bros. for example).  So, when I saw that Samuel Adams had an Imperial White, I was a bit hesitant to try it.  Luckily for me, I did.

This Imperial White is another in Samuel Adams' Imperial Series which includes four different beers (Imperial White, Imperial Stout, Double Bock, and a Wee Heavy).  I previously reviewed the Double Bock, which is a malty glass of high ABV goodness.  Don't ask me why the label in the picture up top says 8.3% alcohol, my 4-pack were all 10.3%.  I do know they had made revisions to the recipes for the beers going into the Imperial Series.  The Double Bock went up a couple percent in alcohol, too, for its new iteration.  

The Imperial White pours a cloudy, dark gold, almost copper hue, which is actually a bit darker than most wheat beers.  It smells of strong, sweet malts, orangey citrus, and LOTS and LOTS of spices (coriander and nutmeg, among others).  You take a sip and you get an explosion of sweet malts, sweet citrus, moderate hops, and a mouthful of spice.  The 10.3% alcohol is present, but like the Double Bock, it actually helps cut through some of the maltiness and sweetness, giving it a unique balance.  It leaves a spiced, lingering, oddly citrusy aftertaste.  It sounds freaking crazy... and that's because it is.  Freaking crazy over-the-top delicious.   

I have to commend Samuel Adams for making something this flavorful and bold.  The Imperial White is probably the best overall wheat beer I've tried, and that's saying something because I have tried quite a few.  Over the top malts, over the top spices, and over the top alcohol, while somehow not becoming cloying... instead become AWESOME.
Don't ask me how come I like it so much, but I do.  I really, really do.

Drink This: if you want an over-the-top spiced wheat beer experience from a brewery that is mainstream, yet continues to release awesome craft beer-style brews.
Don't Drink This: if you are most people.  This is not a brew for everyone.  It is totally unique and almost doesn't taste like a wheat beer.  The spices, especially, will be much too strong for many.  It almost reminds me of a spiced Christmas Ale seeing as how heavily spiced it is.  

If you decide to try it, let me know.  I'm certain Samuel Adams Imperial White will be an extremely polarizing beer.  You will either hate it or love it.  
Cheers!       

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale

Imperial IPA

IBU's: 102

Alcohol: 8.0%

The Lagunitas Brewing Company is out of Petaluma, California and they make several really great brews.  Not all of their beers are super amazing, but when they get it right, they get it perfect.

One of Lagunitas Brewing's more famous beers is their Hop Stoopid Ale, an Imperial Pale Ale (bordering on an American Strong Ale due to the maltiness) with a respectable 8.0% ABV and a reported 102 IBU's (bitterness units).  Like I've said before, the research shows most people cannot taste anything different in IBU's past 100, but going above this does give the beers more aroma, and of course, some bragging rights.  If you look at the top of the label, it says "102 I.B.U.4.U."  Funny Lagunitas.  At least they don't take themselves too seriously.

 

Anyway, Hop Stoopid Ale pours a hazy, dark golden almost amber hue.  It smells deliciously hoptastic: strong, sweet, piney, grapefruity hops, hops, and more hops.  You take a sip and you are greeted with a thick, malty, hop bomb with a great depth of hop notes ranging from dry citrus peel to sweet pine notes.  It leaves a long-lasting bitterness in the finish that is dry enough to make you want another sip.  And then another.  And another.  This is what an Imperial IPA should taste like, without going completely overboard.  Hop Stoopid Ale isn't just a one note IPA.  It is complex, deep, and doubly delicious.  Drink it!

Drink This: if you want a thick, well-balanced, deeply hoppy, delicious, golden perfect example of an Imperial IPA.  This is for the IPA lovers.

Don't Drink This: if you aren't into hops.  Hop Stoopid Ale is hoptastic and will give rookies the bitter beer face.  But, boy oh boy, if you love hops, this is yummy stuff... 

            

Ninkasi Brewing Total Domination IPA

Total Domination IPA

Ninkasi Brewing Co.

IBU's: 65

Alcohol: 6.7%

Alright, so here's the deal, when a brewery gives a beer a badass name, I assume that... well, it's going to be one badass mother of a beer!  Why in the Hell would anyone give a beer an over-the-top name if the beer was anything but?  Seriously.  Maybe they are just trying to get fools (like me) who fall victim to cheesy names and silly gimmicks to buy it.  And yes, it worked.  I bought this beer.  Damn it.

This is Ninkasi Brewing Company's Total Domination IPA.  They are based out of Eugene, Oregon, blah, blah, blah.  Bottom line, I'm disappointed in this beer.  Can you tell?

Total Domination IPA pours a hazy dark golden hue with a decent head.  It actually looks like a good IPA should.  It's smell is rather muted, with a mild dose of dry hops and a bit of pine.  Tasting it gives way to a moderate amount of hops, some mild grain-taste, and a mild citrus peel ending.  

It's not bad, but it's just a regular old, generic-tasting India Pale Ale.  This is NOT something that should be called "Total Domination," more like "Total Average IPA."  I could let this beer get by with this name if there was something, or anything, totally dominating about it.  Maybe if the IBU's were 100+.  Maybe if the ABV was 10% or greater.  Maybe if it even had some decent label artwork.  But unfortunately no, it has none of the above.  Weak sauce. 

Drink This: if you want a boring, standard IPA with an extremely misleading name.

Don't Drink This: if you think this is going to "totally dominate" your tastebuds.  There's nothing bad tasting about this beer, but seriously, Total Domination IPA?  Sorry, but no.  Drink some Leafer Madness or Ruination if you want a totally dominating IPA...  

P.S. Ninkasi Brewing, if you do decide to make a new, actually dominating version of this beer, send one this way.  Because this one is disappointing and the name is a bunch of bull.  Have a nice day.    

Kentucky Ale

Kentucky Ale

English Pale Ale/Irish Red Ale Hybrid

Lexington Brewing Co.

IBU's: 16

Alcohol: 5.34%

 The Lexington Brewing Company out of Lexington, Kentucky are reportedly the only locally-brewed beer in that area.  Their primary beer is the Kentucky Ale, a hybrid between an English Pale Ale and an Irish Red Ale.  In addition to being brewed with barley malt, it is also brewed with a "pinch" of wheat malt, giving it further dimensions of character.  Lexington Brewing's other beers are the Kentucky Ale Light and a bourbon barrel-aged version of the Kentucky Ale that is higher in ABV.

Seeing as how the bottle says Kentucky Ale is a hybrid between an English Pale Ale and an Irish Red, I was excited since I've never had such a hybrid.  

Kentucky Ale pours a crystal clear, red amber color.  It smells like mild sweet malts with a slight background of hops.  Tasting it reveals some interesting characteristics.  Each sip tastes like a classic Irish Red at the start, sweet and malty caramel, but finishes tasting like a lighter English Pale Ale (English Pale Ales tend to be more mild than India Pale Ales, but similarly dry with hops being the dominant flavor).  This transition between the two flavors is very evident and well-done, making a very delicious marriage, combining the best parts of both styles.  I would say it still tends to lean more heavily on the Irish Red side of things, overall, but it really is a great twist on the style and considerably better than many similar beers.

Drink This: if you enjoy Irish Red Ales or English Pale Ales.  This really is a great hybrid between the two styles, and it's light enough that a person could drink quite a few in one sitting.

Don't Drink This: if you are looking for something dark and heavy, or over-the-top.  This is more mild, and as such, will appeal to a wider array of drinkers.  Many people would love this beer.  Good stuff!       

Black Cauldron Imperial Stout

Black Cauldron

Imperial Stout

Grand Teton Brewing Co.

IBU's: 43

Alcohol: 8.0%

Grand Teton Brewing Company out of Victor, Idaho makes several delicious beers.  If you aren't familiar with Victor, Idaho, it's a small town which had a population of 840 in 2000, with there being a total of population of 1,159 for the entire Teton County in 2007.  That's Idaho for ya'.  But at least it's close to the awesome Teton Mountains.  

Anyway, Grand Teton Brewing Co. makes a seasonally-released Imperial Porter called Black Cauldron.  I am reviewing last year's version which still had foil on the top of the bottle, which I've heard they discontinued this year.  I had stocked up over the winter.  

Black Cauldron pours a murky, deep, black with a rich, brown head.  It is thick, creamy, and rather intimidating to light beer drinkers.  Black Cauldron smells like dark roasted malts, coffee, and milk chocolate.  I take a sip and taste roasted maltiness, cocoa, and some nuts and dry caramel in the finish.  The higher alcohol is completely hidden within the other flavors.  It is superbly delicious and thick, while still being rather drinkable.  It's flavors are balanced without being so strong that you have to sip it.  You can certainly takes glorious gulps of this stuff.  It is a solid, well-done Imperial Stout.  Way to go, Idaho!

Drink This: if you want a well-balanced, yummy Imperial Stout.  

Don't Drink This: if you drink light beer.  Wait, no, you should drink this if you like light beer.  This could be your universe-expanding venture into dark beer territory.  This is solid stuff.        

Black Cauldron witches... making magically delicious beer.

Rogue Chipotle Ale

Rogue Chipotle Ale

Rogue Ales

IBUs: 35

Alcohol: 5.5%

Recently I reviewed Rogue's Brutal IPA, which was delicious, yes, but did not live up to its name.  Today, I'm reviewing Rogue's Chipotle Ale, an ale brewed with smoked jalapenos (aka. chipotles).  

When I purchased this bottle, I really had high hopes.  Like I've said before, Rogue makes some great beer so I was expecting this to not disappoint.  I had heard of chipotle and other pepper, or chile/hot beer in the past, but had yet to try one.  

Rogue's Chipotle Ale pours a hazy, amber red.  It actually smells quite good: moderate malts, some pepper notes, and hints of holiday spices.  Too bad it didn't taste as good as it smelled.  The taste was very, well, lackluster.  It had a mild maltiness, no discernible hops, and only a vague chipotle taste, which was presence mostly in the form of an odd bitter aftertaste.  If I had not known this was a chipotle ale, I probably wouldn't have guessed it.  Minus the weird ending bitterness, it's really quite an average ale.  Perhaps I had my hopes too high and expected upfront, in-your-face chipotle flavor with lingering cayenne-like heat.  That's too bad, because it had lots of potential, and from Rogue I was expecting more.  Maybe they will make an amped up version sometime; now that would likely be worth drinking.  For now I must search out a better chile/hot beer...

Drink This: if you want to waste some money on a beer you think is going to be flavorful.  Personally, I'd rather drink Rogue's Dead Guy Ale any day, even though that is still quite average by my standards.
Don't Drink This: if like me, you are hoping for a peppery, spicy, flavorful brew.                 

Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale

Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale

Beer Valley Brewing Co.

IBUs: 100+

Alcohol: 9%

Beer Valley Brewing Company out of Ontario, Oregon makes some mighty fine brew including one of my all-time favorites, Black Flag Imperial Stout.  That is one hardcore, delicious beer.  But, I digress. 

 

One of their newer beers, created in 2008, is Leafer Madness.  Yes, it's a cheesy name and a total play on the old phrase, but with the amount of hops in this, I will forgive them.  And yes, those are pictures of hops on the label.  Leafer Madness is an Imperial Pale Ale with 9% Alcohol and 100+ IBU's.  

 

Now, before I go further, let's go over the IBU's thing so I can make y'all a bit more educated.  IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a scale used by beer geeks and chemists to determine bitterness using a spectrophotometer and solvents.  Generally, the more IBU's, the more bitter.  Makes sense.  BUT, the more malt that is used in the brewing production, the more the hops will be tamed down and rounded out, which is why some Imperial Stouts can be 100+ IBU's and still not seem nearly as hoppy and bitter as some IPA's that are in the 80's.  So, why the normal cap at 100 IBU's?  That's because most people's tongue cannot detect anything above 100 IBU's in bitterness.  When a brewer goes above this, it is usually to create a much stronger  hop aroma.  And as we all know, smell plays a huge role in taste.  Some home brewers can often get IBU's over 200 in their India Pale Ales, but this requires a shitload of hops, making it expensive and almost redundant overkill.  Almost.  I bet the aromas are godly, though. 

 

Anyway, back to Leafer Madness.  It pours a hazy, dark yellow-orange color with a ridiculous amount of frothy, thick head despite my attempts to pour properly.  This thing smells like a hopbomb.  Hops, hops, and more hops, with a touch of pine in the background giving it an earthiness.  It tastes like crisp, bright hops and dry grapefruit.  There is only a slight touch of background sweetness as it really is quite dry.  The 9% alcohol hides well, making this a beer that could sneak up on you.  This one is hoppy, hoppy, hoppy, without being overkill somehow.  It's not the most well-rounded beer, but if you like your beers hoppy, crisp, and dry, give this one a try.  I enjoyed it.  It's not nearly as earth-shatteringly amazing as Black Flag, but it is mighty good.   

 

Drink This: if you like hops, hops, and more hops.

Don't Drink This: if you want to be able to taste your dinner while you drink it.  The hops will flood your palette and make food taste funny for a little while, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I'd rather have beer with flavor than a watery, forgettable, waste-of-my-time beverage.