#149: Surly Brewing Company » Coffee Bender (Brown Ale)

Surly's Bender slammed with coffee...

The Brewery: Surly Brewing (Brooklyn Center, MN)
The Brew:  Coffee Bender (Brown Ale)
Availability: Cans & draft
ABV: 5.5% | IBUs: 45
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home

The Story? Fish and Chips and a Brown Ale! Well, not your typical Brown. Surly brewed this Bender with Guatemalan Finca Vista Hermosa Full City Roast and developed a cold extraction process to intensify the coffee aroma and flavor for a complex brew that still comes in at the session-level.

The Beer? This tall boy pours out dark brown with a touch of ruby color, topped with minimal off-white head up top and followed by a big nose full of malts, coffee and milk. All of the aromas come of clean, wet and eludes to a highly drinkable brew.

Coffee Bender delivers bitter, dark, and earthy flavors amidst a deluge of chocolate, finishing deep and roasty. The smooth, creamy mouthfeel and prickly carbonation is highly complimentary. This really is smack between a coffee and a Brown Ale.

Overall, thanks to Surly for making Brown Ales interesting again! I'm thoroughly enjoying this trip through their line-up and constantly impressed by the nuanced, rather than extreme, approached throughout all their offerings I've enjoyed so far.  

#148: Stone Brewing » Old Guardian Barley Wine (2012)

Stone's Old Guardian from last year emerges from the cellar...

The Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
The Brew:  Old Guardian Barley Wine (2012)
Availability:  Draft, 22 oz bottles (Classic, seasonal)
ABV: 11.6% | IBUs: 80
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? After getting a chance to see the Doctor Who' 50th Anniversary Spectacular in the theater on Monday and finally having a warm house to come home to, my partner and I were in a bit of a celebratory mood.

While I'm not as much of a fan of winter commutes as I used to be, I do look forward to one of my favorite seasonal styles - Barleywines. I grabbed this one from the cellar, let it cool a bit further and cracked into this delicious year-in-waiting brew.

The Beer? Old Guardian pours out a hazy, murky amber color with just a bit more than a ring of lacy head. Already, there's plenty of boozy raisin notes backed by big malts, an inviting earthiness, and hints of coco. This should be a great ride.

Flavor-wise, there is a straight-up honey finish, which is quite enjoyable. Smooth and chewy mouthfeel and despite the aging, has still retained pleasant hop character.

I prefer my barleywines on the English-style, less bitter side of things, which is why I aimed to age this one, that started out at an IBU of 80. And I'm glad I did.

In addition to the distinct honey notes on the finish, Old Guardian is a complex journey through golden and purple raisins, agave candy, and sugared grapefruit. Undeterred by the 11.6% ABV, the ester and booze notes are well hidden and isn't as much of a sipper as I'd imagined.

All in all, a sweet, smooth, and creamy experience all around. A creamy, malt-wallop with mild, balanced bitterness. Looking forward to the 2013 Smoked version that remains cellared.

#147: Shmaltz Brewing Co. » He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. on Rye

8 malts and 7 hops aged on Rye...

The Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. on Rye
Availability: Bottles
ABV:  10% | IBUs: ?
Rating:  9.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Nathaniel Square Corner Store

The Story? Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. is one of my favorite offerings from Shmaltz, who offer two variations, a Rye barrel-aged variation and St. Lenny's Belgian-style. The origianal is a fantastic palate-blaster, let's see what some time and rye do do this one.

We missed getting this one in Ithaca to the best of my knowledge, so I was stoked to pick this up passing through in Rochester.

The Beer? Huge rye aromas augmented by strong raisin notes plume from the glass even before the pour is completed. This barrel aged RIPA settles still, murky brown with just a touch of lace.

The taste? Delicious. Big malts dominate where the intense hop bitterness has softened from the non-barrel version. Loads of raisin flavors are prominent alongside smooth whiskey, rye toast, caramel, and burnt sugar. A distinctive sweetness builds with firm notes of honey, fruitcake, and fig. The mouthfeel is thick and full-bodied, but never syrupy sweet.

Overall, an excellent variation. While the hoppy, manic bitterness of the original all reserved and rolled off, R.I.P.A. on Rye still packs a hell of a punch with big malts and booziness.

#146: Dark Horse » Crooked Tree IPA

My first Dark Horse...

The Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Co. (Marshall, MI)
The Brew: Crooked Tree IPA
Availability: 6-pack, draft
ABV: 6%
Rating: 9/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? I popped down to The Westy for Draft Night after round two of Man vs. Boiler was a favorable success. I'm usually excited for Draft Night regardless (New England's Galaxy was still on too), but a shot at a Rate Beer Bros 100 beer from a brewery I haven't sampled anything from yet, is even more cause for commotion.

The Beer? Crooked Tree kicks off with a thick, lacy white head over a hazy, amber-orange body. Plenty inviting with swirling grapefruit, pine, and floral nose.

First sip yields smooth carbonation and a big staying bitterness. Rich, drying hop flavors of grapefruit pith and rind dominate with a chewy mouthfeel. Hints of tangerine join the cast as well with a solid earthiness that keeps the fruit flavors in check.

Despite the burly, West-Coast bitterness and initial chewiness of the mouthfeel, this one drinks far faster than expected. There's a bit of a juicy nature to it halfway through as it hits stride, while never loosing it's pine and resin fueled lengthy finish.

Overall, hop-head - put this one on your radar for sure. Anyone else, proceed with caution.

#145: Southern Tier Brewing Co. » Old Man (Winter Ale)

When Old Man Winter comes a knockin'...

The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: Old Man (Winter Ale)
Availability: 6-pack, draft (Seasonal)
ABV: 7.0%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's Sunday, 21° outside and 48° inside. The boiler is in round two of replacement parts for the day, having been down since Friday night. After keeping myself warm, feverishly cleaning up the house in preparation for Thanksgiving guests (after earlier being showered with safety glass from a display shower door, but that's a completely different story), I figured it was time for a drink, cartoons, and a blanket.

I reached for a bottle of Old Man, Southern Tier's winter ale, which seemed terribly appropriate. I vaguely remember drinking this almost exclusively for a week or so around this time last year and have some fond memories of those festitives. It's one of my go-to winter warmers when I want a robust, drinkable seasonal, that packs a bit of a buzz and doesn't remind me of licking a holiday tree or potpourri.

The Beer? Old Man pours out a deep, amber with a finger of head, leaving a nice ring of lace. The nose is full of citrus and spices and the body goes down wet, with a mildly boozy finish. There's lots of toasted malts packed in this out with just the right touch of hop bitterness.

I like how full bodied this one is, while still being so drinkable. It starts with a creamy mouthfeel -while still refreshing - full of tangerine hop notes and caramel sweetness, all dried in the finish with herbal notes and that warming, ester finish I'm pursuing tonight.

Overall, this seasonal has great balance for a winter seasonal, firmly walking alongside Southern Tier's quality, hop-centric offerings, but packed with malts and winter spices that never gets too velvety or overspiced.

#144: Victory Brewing » Red Thunder (Baltic Porter in Red Wine Barrels)

Baltic, barreled...

The Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)
The Brew: Red Thunder (Baltic Porter aged in Red Wine Barrels)
Availability: Bottles
ABV: 8.5%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Victory's Baltic Thunder, Baltic Porter is a brew I always keep an eye out for. A style whose roots date back to the 18th century and which is enjoying some resurgence. When my partner and I visited Victory, I left a bit broken hearted as they had kicked the keg and stated they were no longer going to offer 22 oz. bottles.

I'd tried Red Thunder, Baltic Thunder's distinguished cousin, during a bottle share last year, but hadn't seen it since. Over the summer, Victory announced Red Thunder would return. I immediately put in a request down at Fingerlakes Beverage, which was happily fulfilled.

The Beer? Served in a broad wine-glass, Red Thunder is jet black with a minimal amount of mocha head - quite similar in appearance to it's unaged cousin. The nose is as well - wet, chocolate, mild alcohol, the slighted herbal notes, but all with a hint of oak and red fruit.

Down the hatch, it's creamy with a chewy mouthfeel. It's warming and quite robust. This complex ponderer is a slow burner. Red Thunder starts out cool, wet, and creamy, but a bit transparent at first. Slowly, it builds with black and green pepper notes, becoming more earthy coupled with cooling hints of licorice, followed by chocolate and milk, even finding a mild blackberry tartness in its second serving. The finish is quite long, very satisfying, and holds a bit of booze heat. A great beer for a cold night.

I'm impressed how they built on their Baltic Porter offering, enough so where you weren't just buying the same thing, but with enough balance and resolve to not loose what makes that beer so enjoyable.

Overall, a deep, wet brew with drying, velvet notes. A wonderful take on rare style for this age.

#143: Rogue Ales » Brutal IPA

A classic from Rogue...

The Brewery: Rogue Ales (Newport, OR)
The Brew: Brutal IPA (formerly Brutal Bitter Ale)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (22oz. Bombers)
ABV: 8.5% // IBU: 59
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? Round two with Michael Stark and crew improvising and it's time for more good chats and a classic from Rogue.

The Beer? Brutal is served up as translucent, light amber with a tuft of fluffy, white head that has a bit of lace and decent staying power. Deep floral and pine aromas with malt touches are present in the nose. The whole aroma is quite raw.

For the taste, when you say "Brutal IPA", this is not what expected. Imperial Bitter or ESB seem more the case. Brutal has an old-school feel to with with plenty of complexity - strong bitterness, lots of caramel, esters, but not the citrus bomb you may expect from most "brutals" these days.

Herbal, pine, and some breadiness appear further through while the intense dryness builds along with the heavy mouthfeel. Roasted notes are in there too, but the malts never get sweet.

Overall, a classic bitter beer and a good starting point for complex intensity that isn't overhopped. Likely not a true "Brutal IPA" in most peoples books these days, but cheers to standing out.

#142: New England Brewing Co. » Galaxy Pale Ale

Brewed with a Galaxy from far, far away...

The Brewery: New England Brewing (Woodbridge, CT)
The Brew:  Galaxy Pale Ale
Availability: Draft Only
ABV: 4.8%
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? After a lengthy work day, productive rehearsal, and another meeting about the water damage repairs at the house, it was time to meet up with my partner for a drink. My friend Michael Stark has been on residency at The Westy this fall, but I've been too swamped to catch a single solo or collaborative set.

Lucky for me, he had a special line-up this week including one of my own bandmates. An evening of good conversation, fantastic improv, and hoppy beer? Sign me up.

While I've made it through New England's Sea Hag and Gandhi Bot, this was the first time I've run across their Pale Ale. Galaxy is their first beer in a series of single hop releases, brewed exclusively with Galaxy hops from New Zealand. These NZ hops have been getting a good amount of buzz of late and for good reason.

The Beer? I'm served up a mug of Galaxy and it's a opaque, deep yellow with a thin wisp of white head. The nose wastes no time flaunting voluminous passion fruit, citrus, and tangy grapefruit aromas with lemon and orange zest. So far, this brew is quite enticing and the fist sip does not disappoint.

Galaxy is gracious on it's feet with only 4.8% and a light body and goes down easy with a plethora of hop complexity, zest, and excitement. Notes of kumquat and grapefruit are apparent throughout and close with a wonderfully dry finish and pleasant mouthcoat. I'm almost hesitant to get another beer after this. Wow!

One of the best showcases of New Zealand hops I've run across yet. Highly recommended.

#141: Rock Art Brewery » Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout (2012)

One last pumpkin...

The Brewery: Rock Art Brewing (Morrisville, VT)
The Brew: Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout (2012)
Availability: 22oz bottles
ABV:  8.0%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Rock Art Brewery

The Story? One last bottle remains from our visit to Rock Art earlier this fall. We made it through a handful of pumpkin beers this last year, but this one seemed to want to wait a little longer. Rock Art was offering both their 2013 and 2012 batch when we visited. I was intrigued to see how this one would age.

The Beer? This pumpkin pours out opaque, dark brown - almost black with a quickly fading, fizzy, mocha head and a mild nose of pumpkin and spruce. It appears still at first glance, but the carbonation is instead just tiny and prickly.

There's a certain bite to this one. It's dark and drying with slight esters in the finish. Taste-wise, it's more yam than pumpkin coupled with earthy herbal notes and roasted malts. Wood notes and a distinct herbal coolness builds along with a mild touch of coffee. There's a decent amount going on, but none of the flavors are particularly powerful.

Overall, a deep, bright seasonal brew. Enjoyable, but a bit unremarkable for the somewhat atypical ingredients.

#140: Green Flash Brewing Co. » Green Bullet (Triple IPA)

Green Flash 9th Anniversary offering hits seasonal rotation...

The Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
The Brew: Green Bullet (Triple IPA)
Availability: 12 oz. & 650 mL Bottles
ABV:  10.1
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Back in 2011, Green Bullet was Green Flash's celebratory, 9th anniversary beer, which was met with fan acclaim and a bit of cult status. For 2013, this Triple IPA is available throughout the U.S., having been bottled for the first time.

The beer takes it's moniker from its namesake, one of two New Zealand hop varieties used in the brew. If you like single and double IPAs, why not keep going, right?

The Beer? I poured Green Bullet into my favorite wide-mouth wine glass (I really need to get a tulip glass) to a hazy, translucent caramel appearance and as slim amount of white head.

Bright citrus, candy sugars, lemon, and grapefruit are notable in the nose, which is more earthy than bitter. Alternatively, the taste is highly bitter. Tart, lemony, grass bitterness dominates with a parching finish.

Pungent, piney, and spicy - this triple delivers along with plenty of boozy esters that don't hide the 10.1%. All that said, it's highly enjoyable the whole way through the glass and never tiresome.

Overall, a solid hop-bomb that's worth checking out.

#139: B. Nektar Meadery » Evil Genius (IPA-Style Mead)

Mead madness...

The Brewery: B. Nektar Meadery (Ferndale, MI)
The Brew: Evil Genius (IPA-Style Mead)
Availability: Bottles / Draft
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 7/10
Location: Home

The Story? While this blog is dedicated to beer, I do like to venture to the fringe where brewing methods blur the lines with other beverages.I'd heard about B. Nektar initially from their Necromangocon (Mango/Pepper mead), but have been without an opportunity to try anything from their line until my friend Beth gifted me a bottle from their travels to Maine.

Evil Genius is an interesting elixir, created with Chinook, Cluster, and Cascade hops in addition to local Michigan, wildflower honey. Interestingly, B. Nektar uses hop oil in addition to dry hopping for their preferred flavor profile. While I've imbibed my share of mead (including a friend's incredible basil mead creation), I'm not 100% what I'm diving into.

The Beer Mead? The nose opens, reminiscent of an ice wine with soft notes of honey, muscat grape, and mild citrus. In appearance, Evil Genius looks like what you'd expect from a mead - pale yellow and seems still.

The taste is refreshing, but dry with soft carbonation. There's a faint hop bitterness present and a touch of hop spice which grows through the glass. A well-balanced concoction, this mead never gets sweet or syrupy. Distinct lychee flavors along with subtle peach and other white fruits are notable.

Overall, a creative mead. I was expecting a bit more hops, but they seem to be more for balance than hop-flavor as we know them. Worth consuming, but not as extreme as the labeling might suggest.

Quicky! Thistly Cross Whisky Cask Cider

Thistly Cross Cider Whisky Cask (UK) 6.5%

My partner picked this one up to go with a fantastic meal in. It's aged in ex-Glengassaugh whisky casks and comes off dry and refreshing with plenty of elegant apple, vanilla, oak notes and subtle complexity.

#137: Freigeist Bierkultur » Abraxxxas (Berliner Weisse)

Old German stiles continue to be revitalized...

The Brewery: Freigeist Bierkultur
The Brew: Abraxxxas (Berliner Weisse)
Availability: Draft and bottles
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Last year, Freigeist Bierkultur launched to critical and beer fan acclaim, even running out beer for a short time. Their line focuses on revitalizing Germany's traditional, and some times "lost", top-fermented beer recipes. I've seen their Altbier and Kolsh around, but have been the lookout for their Gose and Berliner Weisse as the place to start.

As previously mentioned, I'm a big Berliner Weisse fan and have been stoked on the number of breweries putting their spin on the classic German style. I was in to Fingerlakes Beverage to pick up something completely different and could not resist finally giving this one a shot.

The Beer? Abraxxxas rolls out with deep, unfiltered, translucent, dulled caramel coloring and minimal white head. The nose is a mild mixture of smooth smoke and slight tart grape.

On first sip, there's a pungent, puckering astringency that is wet up front coupled by a drying smoke finish and a touch of sourdough. Further through, notes of lemon, apple, mild cheese and meats emerge, coupled by golden raisin and other sweet fruits in the finish.

The sourness and prickly carbonation settles in quickly and becomes quite drinkable, in that distinctly Berliner Weisse way. An excellent paring of smoke wonderful ongoing, dry tartness. Towards the end of the bottle, the nose gets levels up the funk and yeast notes, even a hint of lime appears, for a strong, unique finish.

I'm looking forward to exploring all of Freigeist Bierkultur updated German traditional brews. This one nailed it for this blogger. Recommended.

#138 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. » Wookey Jack (Black Rye IPA)

Firestone's award-winning Black Ale...

The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)
The Brew: Wookey Jack (Black Rye IPA)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Reserve Series)
ABV: 8.3% | 80 IBUs
Rating: 9.1/10
Location: Home

The Story? For being just six months into this blog, I've felt pretty decent having discussed over 150 beers in that amount of time. But then, I back and realize some of my favorite breweries still haven't been covered yet and I know I still have a lot of ground to cover. Better start pouring!

Firestone is one of those that came to mind. I scoured my collection to see what I could post. I'm not pulling out their Double DBA, Parabola, or §ucaba anytime soon... but I found one of my birthday gift beers left, Firestone's Wookey Jack, Black Rye IPA. I used to be a sucker for a big, black bitter beer, but haven't ventured much down that road this year.


The Beer? Wookey Jack pours out jet black with a voluminous, fluffy, lacy mocha head followed by a spicy, high-resin and pine nose with slight tropical fruit notes.

For a high ABV and IBU beer, this goes down incredibly smooth, with a fantastic mouthfeel - creamy and wet up front, wrapped up with a drying, hoppy finish.

The hops are deep and spicy, but so well-balanced on Wookey Jack, settled in comfortably with mild esters, dark roasted malt, and caramelized sugar notes and low/mid level of carbonation.

Overall, this was was far more elegant than most Black IPAs and Rye IPAs I've run across. Recommended example of balance and composure in a full flavored beer.

#136: Canada Trip » Muskoka Mad Tom IPA, Great Lakes Miami Weiss, Lake Effect IPA, Winter Ale, Junction Conductors

Over the weekend, I trekked up to Ontario, Canada with my band Mouth To Mouth To Mouth for the second time this year. Last time around I had an enjoyable pass through several tastings of Canadian craft beers, but it still felt like I was missing the big flavors brews. Apart from a few moderate stand-outs, most of what I'd run across hung on the English side of drinkable, but shy on flavor.

We rolled up to Toronto on Friday night, in preparation for the fest we were playing on Saturday and were lucky enough to stay with my friends Adam and Miranda of Godstopper, who stayed with me in Ithaca less than a month prior.

During that stay, we partook in Ithaca's Box of Hops and Dogfish Punkin and Captain Lawrence's Pumpkin Ale. Afterwards, they vowed to show me the flavor-rich underbelly of Canadian craft brewing and boy, did they deliver!

Muskoka » Mad Tom IPA | ABV: 6.4% | IBU: 65 | Rating: 8.7
This IPA is on the mild side of bitter. Sweet and bitter grapefruit, smooth body, and soft carbonation makes this one an easy drinker and a great start to the evening. There's a nice touch of citrus pith in the finish as well. A solid IPA.

Great Lakes Brewery » Miami Weiss Wheat Ale (Etobicoke, ON) | ABV: 4.5% | Rating: 9/10
Miami Weiss really took the cake. This aromatic brew starts off with a big nose of passion fruit and smooth, soft hops. Great Lakes took a traditional German style and packed it full of Pacific Northwest hops for a surprisingly unique beer.

Lots of bread and fruit notes alongside firm, drinkable hop pine and resin flavors, presented with a hazy yellow body and nice mouthfeel. An easy high rating on this one.

Great Lakes Brewery » Lake Effect IPA (Etobicoke, ON) ABV: 7.0% | IBU: 70 | Rating:
This second offering from Great Lakes is packed with great, big hops. Fruity grapefruit aromas start things off, followed by a rush of big, bitter hop flavors in the taste. It's dry, with a pleasant tang in the finish.

Clean, crisp mouthfeel backed by grassy hop bitterness. This one never ventures in too fruity, staying on the darker, mature, dry side of IPAs.

Great Lakes Brewery » Winter Ale (Etobicoke, ON) | ABV: 6.2% | Rating:
I'll trust just about any winter warmer from our neighbors to the north. This special brew pours out dark ruby with a touch of white head. Elegant spices of cinnamon, orange peel, and ginger are present, along with a distinct sweetness and a touch of hop heat. It's smooth the whole way through and never succumbs to the overly-velvet or potpourri realm, which plagues many cold-weather offerings.

Junction Craft Brewery » Conductor's Craft Ale | ABV: 5.3% | Rating: 8.9/10
This tall-boy delivers a transparent amber body, topped with white head. Engaging and alluring would probably be my best two words for this one. Using 5 malts and 5 hops, Conductor's is malty and dry, but not particularly hoppy at first. Subtle, restrained hop flavors pass through pine, earth, lemon, toasted, and caramel stages further through the tastings. Mild esters and a touch of rye flavors compliment this compelling beer.

An impressive, well-crafted hybrid Pale.

#135: Founders Brewing Co. » Centennial (IPA)

I need to post more from Founders...

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Centennial (IPA)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Year-Round)
ABV: 7.2% | 65 IBUs
Rating: 9/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story? Despite Founders being one of my favorite U.S. breweries, I've only posted about them three times prior. I'm going to remedy that.

If you somehow haven't given their line a try, I'd highly suggest anything they put out. In my book, Founders has one of the best track records for putting out consistently high-quality brews. I've never had a single beer from them that I didn't enjoy or wasn't impressed by.

This one was a pleasant draft surprise stopping into Felecia's last week. '

The Beer? An earthy nose of soft, aromatic hops starts things off for this deep-amber hued brew. The taste starts off minerally, smooth and very drinkable. There's a touch of heat in the hop bitterness as well.

Bitter grapefruit flavors dominate taste, but never become overbearing, and are complimented by citrus pith and slight boozy esters. The bitterness swells on the sides of the tongue a quarter of the way through while the sweet malts begin to creep through. Further on, broader citrus flavors arise with notes of caramel and pepper.

A superb, readily available offering that sounds out amongst the thousands of IPAs.

#134: Brewery Ommegang » Art Of Darkness (Belgian Strong Ale)

10 months later...

The Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
The Brew:  Art Of Darkness
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 8.9%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home

The Story? It was around this time last year that I started actively aging beers. Thus, it seemed an appropriate time to start breaking into some that have been maturing since early this year and late last.

Art Of Darkness is a limited edition Belgian Strong Ale that gains all of it's flavor from barley, wheat malts, flaked oats, hops, and Ommegang's proprietary house yeast. No spices, fruit, nor secret ingredients here. Just pure beer experience.

Brewed in 2012 and released in January of 2013, this one has been hanging out for a good 10 months since release.

The Beer? Darkness kicks off with a lacy finger of mocha head and opaque, black body. The nose is alluring with inviting hops, green apple and lime aromas, and a thread of Muscat grape.

This Ommegang is quite wet up front, interesting for a Strong Ale, with a gradual mouth coat, and medium carbonation - just lively enough to allow all sorts of interesting flavors and aromas to breath.

Flavors of cola, sarsaparilla, and cherry weave through a firm body of yeast, oats, and dark, roasted malts. There's a touch of juicy, sourness to it. Just a bit, enough to provide an on-going wetness. The finish is quite boozy (and delicious), sufficient enough to add some faint vodka qualities to the flavor further through.

Overall, a great ride and worth the wait. I'm looking forward to more of Ommegang's limited line. Pick this early 2013 up if you still find it hanging around.

#133: Surly Brewing Co. Overratted! (IPA), Cynic (Saison), & Bender (Brown)

Let's get Surly...

The Brewery: Surly Brewing (Brooklyn Center, MN)
Availability: Cans & draft
Location: Home

Overrated! (West Coast-style IPA) ABV: 7.3% | IBUs: 69 | Rating: 9/10
This one kicks off with a big, dank nose and two fingers of foamy, lacy head stick around atop the bubbly, translucent body. A few more breaths in reveal a solid punch of citrus and grapefruit.

Mmmm... even the head is bitter. The body is downright smooth. Wildly aromatic, dry-hop fumes are ever present, but the taste is where the expert precision comes in. Restrained bitterness of lemon and pith, without the sourness of course, all teetering on the cliff of being overtly floral. All those big, West Coast style hops are held up by a firm scaffolding of malty sweetness and subtle carbonation.

It's impressive how smooth this one is for the hop volume. It continues through the full tall boy as it continues to get more and more citrusy. Nice.

Cynic (Saison/Farmhouse) ABV: 6.6% | IBUs: 33 | Rating:  9.2/10
As with Overrated! (inferring themselves as sell-outs), Cynic is equally self deprecating, introducing it as a  "fizzy yellow beer in a can". I initially expected this one to be more in the Pils direction, but instead was presented with a complex, farmehouse-style offering.

Cynic pours out like a Pilsner - all yellow, bubbly with a big white head. Another aromatic one from Surly, this time with plenty of wheat, Belgian yeast, and beautiful peach notes.

It goes down sweet with a touch of hop bitterness. Notes of honey, with a slight, dark earthiness snuck in there. Ever-present Belgian yeast notes dance with a touch of pepper and spice, but never gets too hot.

I keep coming back to the nose on this one and how Surly just nailed it. Light body, with just enough girth from the oats too.

There's something in the finish that's truly remarkable. A bit lost for words. Peach and apricot with the delicate yeast and carbonation levels are perfect and keeps it from getting too sweet. I could seriously drink this every day. Just a great beer.

Bender (Brown) ABV: 5.5% | IBUs: 45 | Rating: 9/10
This brown pours out with two fingers of fluffy, off-white head over a bubbly, cola-colored body. Long retention on the head, is worth noting. The nose is dark, toasted, with a touch of hop citrus.

Bender offers up another fabulously smooth Surly brew. Low carbonation, creamy mouthfeel, and it's all wonderfully refreshing. This is absolutely an "I just got home and need a beer" beer. Kudos.

Continuing on, it' a medium body, with coffee notes in the finish along with a slight coolness. Creamy, creamy, creamy is the word with this one - there's even a touch of actual cream notes and vanilla threaded through the middle.

A slight hop bitterness sneaks in the finish that is well-matched and well-ballanced with the pleasant coffee and coco notes.

It's hard for me to get excited or even enjoy many Brown Ales, but this one is doing it easily.

#132: Ithaca Beer Co. » Pale Ale (dry-hopped with Apollo)

Back down at Tap Night...

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew:  Pale Ale (dry-hopped with Apollo)
Availability: Cask Only (limited)
ABV: 5.7%
Rating: 8.8/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom

The Story? Since the epic water incident, it's been pretty hectic around here. But, Wednesday came around with no band practice and a night off with my partner, so we decided while our new shower was being put together, we'd enjoy a night out.

Wednesday night = cask night down at Ithaca Beer Taproom, so it was a pretty easy decision. Especially with the rabbit special they were offering. Yum.

This week was their year-round Pale Ale on cask, dry hopped with Apollo hops. Nice to see an big American hop that's not one of the easy staples being used.

The Beer? Two half-pints of Pale Apollo arrive, topped with fluffy white head and sporting a mostly opaque, unfiltered, golden-orange body. The nose is perky with bright notes of citrus and lemon that's a touch on the sweet side.

Into my mouth, this beer is super smooth. Enough so, to warrant extra u's in that "super". The taste is quite bright with obvious citrus punch, mid-level acidity, and high carbonation. There's a few hints of mango right up at the front of the sip to top off with a touch of the tropics. All that wrapped up with a slowly drying finish.

Overall, this one works very well. Higher carbonation than most cask ales, with bright, American stylings that are never muted. Keep it up.

#131: Public Works Ale » Knuckle-Buster IPA

What once was lost...

The Brewery: Public Works Ale (Baltimore, MD)
The Brew: Knuckle-Buster IPA
Availability: Draft, Bottle (year-round)
ABV: 7.0% | IBUs: 45
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: The Wine Source (Baltimore, MD) via LVL UP

The Story? Better late than never. Knuckle-Buster was a fantastic, shot-in-the-dark find when I was down in Baltimore back in May when this blog was just starting up and was to be review #016 or something to that effect.

Two bottles of this luscious IPA were tucked far in the back of the fridge the night of  my band's tour kick off show. In the afternoon when I returned from work, I noticed two, empty Public Works bottles on the counter... one of the bands crashing had cracked into them late the night before. Admittedly, I was pretty irate at the time, but in the end, why stress over things you can't do anything about.

I figured I'd be back in Baltimore... next year? @#$&!

Fast forward six months and I'd helped book our friends LVL UP for a show at Cornell University that took place last weekend. They just so happen to be driving up from (you guessed it) Baltimore the night before. I hit them up, asking if they'd be kind enough to pick me up a sixer and they graciously did just that. Cheers to those guys! Hooray beer!

The Beer? Knuckle-Buster pours out amber and ultra-transparent with a finger of white, fizzy head that fades into a slim ring of lace. I deeply inhale and savor the ample, citrus nose. I've been looking forward to this for some time.

My tongue is met by with an incredibly smooth mouthfeel and smooth bitter flavors which sweeten out into hints of coconut and crisp malts. There's a touch of orange back there in the finish as well. Notes of citrus pith and rind find their way into the initial sip between pine and subtle resin just long enough to appreciate, before it concludes sweet and smooth. Further in, a faint hop heat can be found tucked into that sublime finale.

It isn't as orange-citrus dominated in flavor as initially remember, but it's just as good.

This really is one of my favorite IPA finds of the spring. Knuckle-Buster is so crisp, clean, and drinkable, while still providing that American-IPA bitter punch. A well balanced, expertly crafted beer.

#130: Cigar City Brewing » Jai Alai (IPA)

Look what found its way up from Florida...

The Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)
The Brew: Jai Alai (IPA)
Availability: Cans, Draft, Bottle (year-round)
ABV: 7.5% | IBUs: 70
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's good to have friends in southern places. Since starting this blog over the summer, I've been more apt to express my enthusiasm of beer in public and it's paid off. Back in the fall, a lovely box of Surly cans showed up on my doorstep and just last week, a sixer of Cigar City Brewing's Jai Alai made it's way up from Florida thanks to my friend Ryan. Many thanks!

This is my first taste of Cigar City Brewing, since distribution is extremely limited outside of their home state.

What's behind the name? Jai Alai, a game native to the Basque region of Spain, is played on a court called a fronton. Jai Alai players attempt to catch a ball using a curved mitt whilst the ball travels at speeds up to 188mph. Proving they have a sense of humor the Spanish dubbed this game “the merry game.” Tampa was once home to a bustling Jai Alai fronton, but sadly all that remains of Jai Alai in the Tampa Bay area is this India Pale Ale that Cigar City brew in tribute to the merry game.

The Beer? Jai Alai pours out translucent, almost opaque amber with lots of lacy head and a juicy nose that's full of bright citrus, especially grapefruit, with a slight sweet hint of mango.

Down the hatch, it's nice and wet up front with a full body and plenty of hop-tastic bitterness. Flavors of pine, resin, tropical fruits, and caramel swirl around, leading to a hot hop finish.

I absolutely love how wet this one, being so bitter, and the hot & spicy finish is superb. There's a bit of citrus rind and tropical fruits up front as well that darken slowly into earthier flavors.

A truly wonderful hop experience and highly recommended where you can get your hands on it.

#129: Schlossbrauerei Au-Hallertau » Piwo Grodziskie (Grätzer Ale)

A historic rendition of a classic German sour smoked wheat ale...

The Brewery: Schlossbrauerei Au-Hallertau (Germany)
The Brew: Piwo Grodziskie (Grätzer Ale)
Availability: Bottles, Draft (Rotating)
ABV: 4.0%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Nathaniel Square Corner Store

The Story? Over the couple years, I've really enjoyed the resurgence of classic styles like Berliner Weisse and the resurrection of others like Gose, so I'm always keeping an eye out for other historic examples. While in Rochester pursuing the cold-case selection at Nathaniel Square Corner Store, the phrase "sour smoked wheat ale" stuck out amidst a field of old-German style font. I figured it was a promising start.

The official description reads: "Grodziskie or Grätzer is a Sour Smoked Wheat Ale that was brewed in the 1900s in East Prussia and dates back to as early as the 15th century. It was named after the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski or Grätz in German. Our historic version is brewed according to the German Purity Law with air-dried barley malt and beech smoked wheat malt and hopped with Perle and Saaz. A sour mash is created using the old and forgotten technique called Digerieren. Finally a three month aging and maturation process creates a complex sour, smoky and heavily hopped wheat ale."
My interest? Peaked.

A special cheers on this one to my friend Maciej, who is actually from Grodzisk.

The Beer? This Grätzer pours out bubbly, mostly-transparent, and copper with a finger of fizzy white head, that ended having a bit more lace than expected.

A clean and refreshing mouthfeel starts things off, with the smoke nicely sewn into mild tartness. The closest comparison I can come to is a muted, darker Berliner Weisse. Bready malts, cracked wheat set up a sturdy, semi-sweet backbone to support the touch of tang and breath of smoke. There's also a definite hop presence here - fresh, a bit of pine, and a welcoming, mild spice heat on the finish. The hop bitterness grows a tad, but never reaches any sort of American-style level.

If this one weren't close to $8 a bottle, I'd have my favorite new session beer. At 4% it's, again, quite refreshing, but there's just enough smoke and tartness in there that compells you to slow down and take in all the complexities. If you're looking for a juicy, astringent sour - this isn't your game. Piwo Grodziskie stays very much in the realm of reserved, subtle-flavored German beers.

A delightful, atypical ale that I wish had just a hint more flavor-bang for it's buck.

#128: De Struise Brouwers / 3 Floyds » Shark Pants (Belgian IPA)

De Struise Brouwers & 3 Floyds collaborate on hop insanity...

The Brewery: De Struise Brouwers (Belgium) / 3 Floyds (IN, U.S.A.)
The Brew: Shark Pants (Belgian IPA)
Availability: Draft, Bottle
ABV: 9.0% | IBUs: 260
Rating: 9/10
Location: Monk's Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)

The Story? Knowing I had to limit myself was a tough call with all the amazing brews on Monk's menu. However, De Struise offering on the menu caught my eye, due to my recent bushes with their Black Domination and Weltmerz. Looking further at Three Floyds involvement and a ludicrous 260 IBU, my decision became far easier.

This brew came into existence from De Struise's Urbain visiting Three Floyds Indiana brewery with their house yeast and is brewed in memory of 3F's friend and employee Rich Sheppard who passed in 2011.

The Beer? This, my first introduction to Three Floyds, collaboration or otherwise, sits with an almost opaque, amber-red body with zero head. The aroma is packed with hops as expected, with a touch of funkiness.

I'm far too excited to spend too much time on the nose of this one, so it's head-first into tons of hop power with a distinct, but mild sourness and plentiful boozy esters. Shark Pants is busting with a strong, full body, but despite the 200+ IBU, it's not a palate killer.

This beer is somewhat reminiscent of a heavy-hopped barleywine, but with much more going on. Belgian yeasts dance with hop citrus aside sugars, chocolate, alcohol heat and inferred bourbon flavors, that all tie together into a dry, earthy finish.

Overall, it's a hell of a beer. Recommended for anyone looking for a big, complex beer. Not one I'd hope to have on say, a weekly basis, but I'd never turn down an opportunity if it were presented. Solid, unique, full-flavored beer.

#127: Deschutes Brewery » Chainbreaker (White IPA)

My first visit to Philly's lauded, historic Monk's Cafe...

The Brewery: Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR)
The Brew: Chainbreaker (White IPA)
Availability: Draft, Bottle (year-round)
ABV: 5.6% | IBUs: 55
Rating: 9/10
Location: Monk's Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)

The Story? Before my road trips and vacations were beer-driven, they were concert driven. This trek down to one of my favorite U.S. metropolitan areas initiated from the desire to finally see one of my favorite experimental hardcore bands, Circle Takes The Square. I've also had my eye on getting down there to Monk's Cafe, for their extensive and oft-changing list of world-class beers. Two birds and so on... I was traveling on my own for a change and thus on my own time for beers and bands.

Despite my morning starting off with a minor flood of water from a broken shower which reached all the way to the basement, a brief white-out on the road, and typical inbound Philly traffic jams, my determined self arrived within standard deviation of my goal time.

Monk's Cafe was easy to find, just a block over from bustling 15th Street. Dark and cozy, there's a front bar and back bar, and thankfully you can order brews from either at either. With a table for one in the back bar and I order up a burger with ardennes-style ham & a nutty, Belgian cheese along with Deschutes Brewery's Chainbreaker White IPA.

Deschutes beers are only available in a few speckled locations east of the Mississippi, besides Illinois, so I usually jump at the chance to give one a try. My last bid on Deschutes yielded a glass of one of my new favorite beers.


The Beer? Chainbreaker is an American-Belgian hybrid, brewed with Belgian yeast and Cascade and Citra hops. My glass arrives, filled with the translucent, yellow brew with a finger of lacy head.

The alluring citrus nose invites me to dive right into this one and it's beautiful with the perfect level op hops. Mild, bitterness threaded with orange and sweet grapefruit augmented by a perfectly prickly Belgian-style carbonation, but not too much to be distracting.

Sweet, bready malts provide a wonderful backbone while modest, but highly complimentary herbal and floral flavors nod in. This is pretty much the perfect start to what should be a thrilling and stress-reducing escape.

#126: Bacchus Brewing » Harvest Ale (Fresh Hop Ale)

More fresh-hop goodness...

The Brewery: Bacchus (Dryden, NY)

The Brew: Harvest Ale (Fresh Hop Ale)

Availability: draft only (limited)

ABV: 5.5% // IBUs: 40-50 est.

Rating: 8.5/10

Location: Bandwagon Brew Pub

The Story? It's impossible to keep up on every beer, but there always a few I make a more concerted effort for. I'd been speaking with Bacchus Brewing's head brewer a week or so back, regarding how I'd missed out on their first fresh-hop ale. Richie informed me that there were still a couple kegs kicking around town and to keep my eyes pealed.

After a moving evening of seeing Elvis Costello perform solo, my partner and I ventured out for pint to wade in the wake of our recent experience. To my delight, there was "Bacchus Harvest Ale" staring back at me from the menu. Order up.

The Beer? This fresh-hopped ale starts off with an orange-amber body and cloud-like, fluffy white head with plenty of staying power and a bit of lace. The nose is somewhat transparent, with mild hops and a touch of fresh honey.

The body is quite smooth and drinkable, especially considering 30 lbs of hops went into this baby. A full, robust mouth of bitterness, smooths out into a malty finish. Bursts of pine and roasted malt, find their way to a smooth sweet finish. There's a lot going on in this one, with touches of citrus and hop heat, to the excellent finish brushed with white bread and a nod of pomegranate. The mouthfeel is mostly clean throughout with a slight moutcoat by the end of the glass.

Another solid brew from another local brewery that is high on my to-visit list. 

#125: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » CoHOPeration (Fresh Hop Ale)

Catching up on Hopshires latest offerings...

The Brewery: Hopshire Farm & Brewery (Freeville, NY)
The Brew:  CoHOPeration (Fresh Hop Ale)
Availability: Draft
ABV: 6.8% | IBUs: 60+
Rating: 8.6/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? It's been far too long (post #008) since I've talked about Hopshire Farm & Brewery, one of Central NY's latest craft breweries. As the name suggests, Hopshire is a family owned brewery dedicated to the use of locally grown ingredients in the creation of delicious beer.

CoHOPeration boasts hops from 30 local growers, dominated by Cascade with support from Centennial, Nugget, Williamette, Chinook, Cluster, Newport and some mystery hops (not joking). 40 pounds of hops were added to the boil, then Cascade and Centennial returned for dry-hopping.

The Beer? CoHOPeration presents itself clad in translucent amber, topped with a foamy, lacy white head. The expectantly hoppy, floral and grapefruit nose sews in an unexpected sweetness with mild notes of bubblegum and honey.

Nutty, bitter hop flavors burst with citrus and grapefruit coupled by roasted malt notes and a wonderful mouthfeel. There's a growing dryness in the finish as well that provides a pleasantly bitter mouthcoat.

Another great beer from this innovative local brewery, which embrace the old and new from their 19th century-stile New York hop kiln to their sand-insulated, water-cooled environmentally friendly brewery.

#124: Jack's Abby Brewing » Hoponius Union (IPL)

Jack's distinguished India Pale Lager...

The Brewery: Jack's Abby (Farmington, MA)
The Brew: Hoponius Union (IPL)
Availability: Bottles/Draft
ABV: 6.7% | IBUs: 65
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? Occasionally, there are those available beers that just seem to evade me. When The Westy received their first batch of kegs from Jack's Abby, the line began with JA's Oktoberfest, but they gave me a sneak peak and what was to come with Hoponius Union. Event with just a few sips, it was one of the best, non-Imperial/Double, hoppy beers I've had.

I proceeded to miss Hoponius Union on tap at least once, if not twice while being out of Ithaca. When I heard it was going back up, I made immediate plans to not miss it again, but almost did when my body proceeded to turn on me. A variety of prescription drugs later and despite a late start to the evening, we made it just in time to realize I'd forgotten my phone, which is my notepad and camera for this blog since I can't read my own handwritting. Well, at least this one is worth the extra work!

For those new to Jack's Abby, their entire line is lager-based, rejuvenating a major of beer family that has been tarnished by American adjuncts and the like, providing a new palate of flavorful, clean-tasting brews. Hoponius Union itself is like a traditional IPA but with a twist - it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods.

The Beer? Hoponius Union starts with a palpable, inviting nose of citrus & tropical fruits. The appearance is a glimmering, completely translucent amber body with touch of mid-level lacy head.

The taste is a true hop gem. Supported incredibly smooth mouthfeel, Hop Union is clean and refreshing with robust, piney, and bitter hops. There are some hints of orange and mango and a touch of floral, but never comes of as fruity or dipping in to west-coast overzealousness. Balance is the name of the game here, with nutty and biscuit malt notes amidst the hop oils and resin. All that is wrapped up with a mildly drying finish.

Overall, a must-try for a quality, drinkable and hoppy beer.

#123: Brewery Ommegang » Take The Black Stout

Second in Ommegang's Game Of Thrones series...

The Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
The Brew:  Take The Black Stout
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 7.0%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Nathaniel Square Corner Store

The Story? Like many, my partners and I are fans of Game of Thrones, enough so where if you brand a series of beer after it, we're probably going to want to buy all of them. Iron Throne was subtle, clean, and bit unremarkable initially, but its beauty bloomed with the richness of grains of paradise, which shown through as we headed towards the dredge of the bottle.

Initially, I thought I missed the boat on Take The Black as locally, it sold out. Luckily, I stumbled across a handful of bottles remaining in my adventures in Rochester. This one is brewed with licorice root and star anise.

The Beer? Take The Black pours out with a deep, dark brown body and light brown head. The nose is rich and offers an herbal coolness, along with roasted qualities and distinct milk notes.

I'd recommend letting this one settle a moment after pouring, there's a high, Champagne-level of carbonation present - too much for my palate, where it physically explodes the beer in your mouth before enjoying the full taste experience.

After letting the carbonation calm, the depth and complexity of this brew are revealed. It begins with a mild sweetness, a slight sting of anise in the finish, and an herbal exhale that reveal ester notes.

Smooth and creamy gives way to a growing dryness with chocolate; evolving further into bitter anise and clean hops, with a distinct spice heat. The finish was a stand out for me - herbal with biscuit notes that slowly dries and bitters.

Recommended for adventurous enthusiasts. I'd be interested to see how this one ages to see if the carbonation settles out at all, which was the main pitfall for me. Not your average stout by far and major points for creativity and balance of very complex flavors.

#122: NOLA Brewing Co. » Mechahopzilla (Imperial IPA)

One last taste of New Orleans...

The Brewery: New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (New Orleans, LA)
The Brew:  Hopitoulas (Imperial IPA)
Availability: 16 oz. cans / draft
ABV: 8.8%
Rating: 8/10

The Story? I had a couple cans of these left from the NOLA haul and realized it never made it to the blog. Time for beer and Sorry.

As an aside, NOLA were sued earlier this fall, for infringement on MechaGodzilla. No word yet what has transpired from that one yet. Enjoy it while it lasts?

The Beer? Mecha starts with a fluffy, lacy head and bubbly, deep amber body. The nose is full of big, green hops with heavy floral notes and hints of sugar and strawberry.

This Imperial IPA has a thick mouthfeel, but goes down smooth and it's overly bitter. There's plenty of resiny hops to go around, but they're woven with hints of strawberry a bit of earthiness.

Overall, a solid, enjoyable brew, but nothing overly groundbreaking in the wide world of Imperial IPAs.

#121: Stone Brewing » R&R Coconut IPA

From the minds of homebrewers Robert Masterson and Ryan Reschan...

The Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
The Brew:  R&R Coconut IPA
Availability:  Draft, 22 oz bottles (limited, brewed once)
ABV: 7.7%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? R&R Coconut IPA the result of a winning recipe at Stone’s AHA-sanctioned Spring 2013 Homebrew Competition. The innovative beer is brewed with 280 pounds of coconut and an unusual blend of hop varieties and is "guaranteed to taste like no IPA that's gone before".  Let's find out!

The Beer? R&R pours out as bubbly, translucent butterscotch with almost no head, even with a firm pour. The nose is sweet and dank with hops, like the coconut has taken the hop wallop and smoothed it over. Notes of magno and citrus are there as well.

The tasted is dense with bitter hops, but there's a crispness in the finish akin to coconut water along with a slight nuttiness and something else... a hint of tea, perhaps, amongst the resin. Additionally, R&R is far more well-carbonated than most Imperial IPAs, which further aids the crispness.

Some posts have lambasted this brew for not having enough coconut flavor. While it's true, you wont think someone accidentally dumped a piña colada in your beer, it doesn't necessarily mean the coconut wasn't effective. When I order good curry, I'm not thinking - "I love ordering curry because I'm in love with coconut milk". No I ordered it because I love curry. I also love IPAs.

The coconut has provided a richness and crispness and seems to bring out some nut, tea, and fruit notes that would otherwise be buried. I couldn't help but continually turn to my glass, stating  "This is really good." The coconut debate will rage on and we may never know exactly what Robert and Ryan were aiming for but, as far as the question - "Is it a good beer and worth it?" - absolutely.

#120: Southern Tier Brewing Co. » 2X Stout (Milk Stout)

A return to my first Milk Stout...

The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: 2X Stout (Milk Stout)
Availability: 6-pack, draft (Year-Round)
ABV: 7.5%
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Home

The Story? As previously admitted, I was predominately an IPA/Pale lover and it took me some time to come over to the dark site. If memory serves (which is somewhat of a stretch), Southern Tier's 2X Stout was my first milk stout. As we head towards the cooler months, these warming, dark favorites come to mind. 

This particular stout is brewed with ale yeast, two varieties of hops, three varieties of malts and lactose sugars. Also, if you find this on Nitro draft, do yourself a favor and check that out. 

The Beer? This 2X pours out with light brown fluffy head and jet black, opaque body. No light getting through this black gold. The nose if full of creamy, roasted malts and a touch of smoke.

2X goes down incredibly smooth with a full, creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. Deep, roasted flavors dance with notes of toffee and scorched coffee, with a distinct sweetness threaded through.

A solid, year-round, anytime Milk Stout.

#119: Wagner Valley Brewery » IPA

Local IPA adhering to German purity laws...

The Brewery: Wagner Valley Brewery (Lodi, NY)
The Brew:  IPA
Availability:  Bottles, draft (year-round)
ABV: 6.2%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? Wagner Valley Brewery launched in 1997, smack in the middle of wine country out here in Central NY. Wagner is unique in two ways - they've also been a winery since 1978 and their standard series of brews abides by German Purity Law.

Their IPA uses a blend of hops, including East Kent Goldings and Cascade and is dry-hopped with 2.5 lbs. of hops per barrel. Let's dig in.

The Beer? After a gentle pour, this IPA presents a fluffy, lacy off-white head atop of bright, transparent amber body. Dark, earthy, woody hops dominate the nose.

I take a refreshing mouthful back and am rewarded with deep, bitter flavors. Plenty of hops, but also complementary malty and burnt flavors. The hops are robust, dark, and not citrusy. The closest comparison which immediately comes to mind is Bronx Pale. Further through, toasted malt and resin-centric hop flavors take center stage.

Overall a solid, deep IPA with quality and depth. Recommended for all you locavores.

#118: McKenzie’s Hard Cider » Seasonal Reserve

Hard cider on a beer blog?

The Brewery: McKenzie’s Hard Cider (West Seneca, NY)
The Brew: Seasonal Reserve
Availability: Bottles, draft (seasonal)
ABV: 5.0%
Rating: 8.8/10
Location: Home

The Story? It takes a lot for me to like a hard cider. Don't get me wrong, I love apple cider. It's one of my favorite things about the fall and good hard cider along with it. It's just with Bellweather a few clicks from my home, some ciders can be a hard sell.

I remember a few years back when bottles of McKenzie’s began showing up at gatherings, I was impressed with the quality, flavor, and how they made my stomach feel afterwards (Woodchuck... I'm looking at you). No high-fructose corn syrup here either (Angry Orchard...)

I've had McKenzie’s Original and Black Cherry, but haven't explored their Seasonal Reserve. Bottoms up!

The Beer Cider? Reserve pours out a hazy gold hue with zero head. Even before picking up the glass, its aromatic nature is immediately apparent. Big notes of apple and cinnamon on the nose and soothing mulled-spice presence. This cider is nice and wet up front, drying out with a pleasant mouth coat of spices. I really enjoy the low level of carbonation and perfect dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Wet, velvety, spice but not overwhelming and very drinkable. Recommended if you're looking for a six-pack alternative.

#117: Brouwerij Verhaeghe » Duchesse De Bourgogne (Flanders Red Ale)

The Brewery: Brouwerij Verhaeghe (Belgium)
The Brew:  Duchesse De Bourgogne (Flanders Red Ale)
Availability:  Bottles, draft
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 9.4/10
Location: Victoire

The Story? Second Belgian down at Victoire! On first glance, I initially thought I read "Deschutes" Flanders Red Ale, which would have been fantastic. However, I haven't run across Duchesse De Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe on draft before, so that was equally exciting. This Flanders blends 8 and 18 month old beers, matured in oak casks.

The Beer? The fizzy head quickly dispersed, too fast for my camera in fact, but left a leggy ring and thin remnants atop the deep, translucent brown liquid. Sweet and sour notes on the nose are compelling, but subtle and the rest of the nose is otherwise transparent.

The taste is beautifully tart and effortlessly smooth. Flavors of cherry, passion fruit, mild apple, and hint of chocolate rise, meld, and settle. Duchesse De Bourgogne's shining point comes in the superb balance of sour and sweet. There's a distinct dark, sweet malt element to the beer along with sweet fruit notes that softens the sourness, but is never sugary. An oaky dryness builds further through the glass, claiming some of the aforementioned sweet aspects.

Overall a wonderful, complex ride through an excellent sour blend.

#116: Brooklyn Brewery » Cuvée La Boîte (Spiced Grand Cru)

My first visit to Victoire Belgian beer bar...

The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew:  Cuvée La Boîte (Spiced Grand Cru)
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 7.9%
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Victoire

The Story? Over the summer, while on tour, the owner of Ithaca's The Westy asked if I'd had a chance to swing by Victoire during our stop in Rochester. I hadn't. In fact, I hadn't even heard of it yet. A Belgian beer bar on East Ave?  I vowed not to miss that opportunity again. Having returned to my old stomping grounds this past weekend, I kept up that promise to myself. It's good to promise yourself good beer.

Victoire itself is tucked into the lower level, on a corner on East Ave's vibrant strip. One boastful parallel-park job later and I'm on my way in, noting the outdoor patio for when warm weather returns to Rochester. I was greeted by friendly staff and an elderly couple kindly scooched over to allow me ample access to the bar and a seat while a jazz band started up. A quick glance at the beer menu showed numerous familiar flagship and seasonal offerings from Belgian and Belgian-style staples such as Chimay, Duvel, Ommegang, Stillwater, Unibroue, Leffe, and DuPont, even Kwak and Rodenbach. For me, the Brooklyn Cuvee La Boite and Duchesse de Bourgogne were immediate stand-outs that I hadn't experienced yet.

Cuvee La Boite is part of Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster's Reserve series and is brewed in the Grand Cru tradition with Wildflower Honey, Lior’s unique blend of Mishmish N.33 (lemon, saffron, crystalized honey), fresh kaffir lime leaves, and rare Espe- lette peppers from the French Pyrénées. Wow.


The Beer? Cuvee La Boite serves up with a thick, white head of foam perched on cloudy, golden liquid. The nose is a complex menagerie of spices with subtle notes of lemon, honey, and yeast. Every scent and spice appears interwoven, relying on the others and is all about the bouquet sum rather than it's individual pieces.

I take a long first sip and immediately take note how incredibly smooth this is. At first the flavor is straightforward and typically Belgian, but in an instant, it blooms with all sorts of interesting characteristics.

The silky smooth mouthfeel is complemented by an amazing array of flavors - pepper, crème brûlée, mild banana, honey, honey comb, vanilla, wheat, with a slight touch of ester far off on the finish which coats the tongue nicely with all that spice.

Overall this is probably the smoothest beers I've ever enjoyed. The whole experience is elegant and sublime. A recommended reserve for the discerning enthusiast that won't break the bank.