#294: Founders Brewing Co. » Big Lushious (Imperial Stout)

Founders Brewing Co. » Big Lushious (Imperial Stout) | ABV: 7.8%
Founders brings us Big Lushious for the winter edition of their Backstage Series - a stout brewed with chocolate & raspberries. On the eve of my almost-three-week break from my day job, I was anticipating the freedom of the following afternoon. Big Lushious seemed like a great beer to indulge with, while still retaining coherence in the morning.

This rich brew starts off with a decadent nose of succulent, chocolate covered raspberries and a hint of spice exuding from the dark, bubbly brown body and deep tan head.

Onto the palate, Big Lushious is silky and quite sweet. Big tart raspberry flavors rush through with a hint of cola, concluding with a wet finish. Further through, this beer becomes a sumptuous blend of port and raspberry truffles with subtle threads of cherry cola, red velvet cake, and chocolate syrup.

Big Lushious is a desert beer through and through and a lovely edition to sociable, warming ports & ice wines.

#293: Bell's Brewing » Venus: The Bringer of Peace (Blonde Ale)

Bell's Brewing » Venus (Blonde Ale w/ Honey, Apricot, Cardamom, & Vanilla) | ABV: 7.5%
Bell's second offering in their Planetary Series, Venus has been garnering some polarizing reviews. Somewhere in there there's a joke about what what humanity through the planet was like until we actually landed there, but it's a bit too early for that.

Curiously brewed with apricot, honey, over 60 lbs of hand cut vanilla beans and cardamom, it's a complex, adventurous, and atypical brew. At it's core, Peace Bringer is a Blonde Ale, but that's about as far as the thread of that style goes.

Unabashedly aromatic, Venus emits a big, sweet, nectar and juicy nose. Notes of elderberry, vanilla, stone fruit, and oranges swirl through the olfactory system.

Onto the palate, it's dry and puckering and far beyond just a beer at this point. Venus is dense and mildly astringent - tart, but not sour. Wielding a myriad of fruit (apricot nectar, blood orange, tangerine), herbal and spice flavors (the cardamom and vanilla gracefully dancing), this is a mouthful of a beer with a stacking mouthcoat.

Straight up, this is a fruit beer. A big bold fruit beer, akin to a younger sibling of Founders' Rübæus and Mango Magnifico. Not quite as refined as those brews, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.

A goddamn great beer aimed for those with a curious and adventurous palate. If you're looking for a strong ale or dimmur blonde, better look elsewhere, but for those looking to sip the fringe of craft brewing, grab this while you can.

#250: Shmaltz Brewery Co. » Visit & Tour (St. Lenny's, Slingshot, Rejewvenator 2014, Death Of..., Jewbelation Reborn)

Back in mid-July, my partner and I decided to skip out of town to Albany to visit friends and swing up to Clifton Park to visit the new Shmaltz Brewing Company site.

For those out of the loop, Shmaltz (and their He'Brew line) were a contract brewing company from 1996-2013 when they the launched this new site, with their aptly named Death of a Contract Brewer Black IPA.

The brewery itself is nestled in new industrial/commercial park among plenty of greenery and a few residential and business pockets. Inside, rustic barrels and tables - even a wonderful old door used as a table, are augmented by modern seating areas for an inviting, comfortable, and varied tasting room.

He'brew St. Lenny's (Belgian Rye IPA) ABV: 10% | Rating: 9.2
I've enjoyed this one before, but not on draft, and it does up the ante. St. Lenny's introduces itself with a big, hot nose of rye spice and malt sweetness emitting from a deep amber body and ivory head.

The rye / Belgian-style hybrid flourishes with expected elements of both styles, flecked by notes of cinnamon, sharp and bitter hops, pine, and even star anise, all delivered with prickly carbonation, concluding in a drying finish. Solid and worth seeking out above the bottle.

He'Brew David’s Slingshot (Hoppy American Lager) ABV: 5.5% | Rating: 8.7
This one took us both by surprise. Flavor-packed lagers are on the rise, but I wasn't expecting this from a summer offering.

Slingshot kicks off with a sharp hop nose full of rind, pith, and herbal pine. Onto the palate, it's a strong, dry, bitter beauty that's unabashed in flavor, but retaining a light, summer-ready body. Hints of sweet, raw coconut peak through bitter piney hops that distinctly lack typical citrus notes. The finish is delicious, building subtlety sweet notes of apricot.

He'Brew Rejewvenator Dubbel Doppel 2014 (Dubbel) ABV: 8.0% | Rating: 8.5
East meets west in this 2014 edition of Rejewvenator, combining Merlot and Concord grapes. This fruit dubbel serves up a dark amber with an ivory head that has just a touch of pink to it.

For a fruit beer, the nose is surprisingly transparent, but onto the tongue, it's a burst of hybrid flavors. Smooth, wine-like dark fruits play with a drinkable malt backbone that is midly dry and semi sweet through the mid & finish. Bright and vapory up front. Overall, one of my partners favorites of the day but a bit underwhelming for me personally. It's well balanced and crafted, just not quite my cup of tea.

(tour break)
After the first two rounds, we started chatting more in depth with the head taproom manager about Ithaca, a few places in upstate that may have some unique barrels, and general beer-geekery when he offered to take us on a tour of the new facility.

One of the key things I learned was that, while their Coney Island brand was sold to Boston Beer Co., they're still brewing it, including their barrel aged offerings. We got to see Terrapin Reunion collaboration magnums and barrels that were about to launch and learn more about what's coming next for Shmaltz.

It was of the more in-depth and knowledgeable tours we'd been on and he was quick to answer any question with quality, unscripted info. On our way in, we filled our glasses with some of their commemorative brew...

Death Of A Contract Brewer (Black IPA) ABV: 7% | Rating: 8.9
As expected, Death Of... serves up jet black with a tuft of head. The nose is green full of grassy hops. It's a robust Black IPA packed with plenty of roasted goodness, strong citrus hops, and some wonderful esters and just enough booze peaking through the veil. At $5 a piece, it was a steal so we grabbed four bottles.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn (Strong Ale) ABV: 17% | Rating: 9.1
And her we have the major reason I wanted to head to Shmaltz. Jewbelation has been one of my favorite insane-ABV brews for several years now and the chance for it on tap was a big draw. This 17th anniversary brew is 17 hops, 17 malts with a matching ABV.

Jewbelation pours up an opaque brown with a ring of head. A potent nose follows, full of vanilla, oak, and bourbon. The taste is an epic hop vs. malt battle, fueled by huge notes of boozy alcohol. It's sticky, silky body spawning notes of grape, ripe red fruits, and sweet vanilla all threaded with a hot booze and wrapped up in an arid finish that adds a touch of whiskey spice.

It's a booze of a beer and not for beginners or delicate palates. Two samples were the limit, so I got both and a bottle for the collection at home.
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Overall, a wonderful visit. Friendly, knowledgeable staff that we'll absolutely be visiting again. They stated the taps change daily (we'd just missed Reunion '14 going up the next day) so frequent visits sounds like they still be worthwhile and varied. It's worth noting at the time they only pour samples, but they're generous with rotating glassware you get to take home.

#239 New Belgium » Lips Of Faith: Pluot

New Belgium » Lips Of Faith: Pluot (Tripel) | ABV: 10.0% | Rating: 9/10
This high ABV fruit beer is fermented with Brettanomyces and New Belgian's house Belgian ale yeast. The result is yeasty aromas, threaded with champagne, lemon, and pluot notes and mild spice. The transparent, golden body is wears a rapidly fading, effervescent white head.

I'm a sucker for anything from the Lips of Faith series and in my opinion, this is a damn good fruit beer. Spicy booze heat stacks up with wonderful note of plum & apricot. It's quite dry, with a robust mouthfeel, fully of wine-like qualities on the finish and in the body. There's a touch of white grape notes and brilliant Belgian yeast flavors throughout.

We pushed this one to the edge of the Enjoy-By date, but still scores well as a hefty fruit Tripel to toss into a tulip.

#236: Bottle Share: Dogfish Aprihop, Freigeist Pimock, Pinkus Münster Alt, Tripel Karmeliet, Valeir Divers

Friends, good beer, and a bit of Adventure Time and a Michael Jackson, wtf $30M music video - wait what? Let's focus on the beer...

Dogfish Head » Aprihop (Fruit Beer) ABV: 7.0% | Rating: 9/10
Great place to start. It's delightfully light, hoppy with a touch of apricots throughout, finished with a pleasant, lingering bitterness. Nice mid-level ABV for a fruit beer too.

Braustelle » Freigeist Pimock (Hefeweizen) ABV: 5.3% | Rating: 8.5/10
This Weizen serves up with a lacy white head over a deep, caramel color body - akin to apple cider. Pimock goes down incredibly smooth with noses of apple, wheat, and yeast with a mild Euro pilsner bitterness and faint lemon notes. Not particularly malty or hoppy, just damn tasty take on an old-school style.

Brauerei Pinkus Mueller » Organic Münster Alt (Altbier) ABV: 5.1 | Rating: 9.1/10
Floral flavors kick this one off, followed by a mineral notes and mild yeast. Tiny, prickly carbonation and transparent body keep this one quite clean tasting along with herbal hoppiness and mild malt sweetness. A solid, classic brew for a hot day that wraps up with a touch of lemon in a mildly dry finish. Recommended for those looking for a break from the bombast of American craft style without sacrificing quality and complexity.

Brouwerij Bosteels » Tripel Karmeliet (Tripel) ABV: 8.4% | Rating: 9.5/10
A wonderfully inviting, peppery-banana nose plumes out into delightfully robust flavors of white pepper, spicy esters, and tasty fruit notes of mango and other tropical varieties. A sturdy, 3-grain body of barley, wheat, oat keeps this one strong the whole way through. Incredibly well-balanced, elegant and generous on the impact.

Brouwerij Contreras » Valeir Divers (Belgian Strong) ABV: 8.5% | Rating: 8.9/10
Introducing itself with a fragrant Belgian notes with hints of pear, Valier bursts onto our palates with lively carbonation. A beautiful bouquet of yeasts and cardamon showcase the first stip, sealed in a wonderfully dry finish. Lasting fruity, spicy notes linger long after the final sip - a great finisher.

#201: Bell's Brewery » Cherry Stout

A unique, dart/tart experience...

The Brewery: Bell's Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI)
The Brew: Bell's Cherry Stout
Availability: Draft & Bottles (Seasonal)
ABV: 7.0%
Rating: 9.1/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Going back a few weeks, I finally remembered to go out and pick up a true tulip glass (thanks to Ithaca Beer Taproom folks for the fine swag) and, of course, picked up a few bottles from around town to try it out.

The Beer? Bell's Cherry Stout is crafted with 100% Montmorency cherries, grown in Michigan. It pours out with a thick, dark-mocha head, foamy with plenty of lace topping opaque, jet black body. The nose is dark, fruity, and tart. All is oftly inviting so far.

The flavor is really where this one stands out - it's truly wonderful. Instead of upping the sweetness, as with many fruit-augmented brews, Bell's knocks it out of the park with this dark, tart brew. It's roasted and juicy, bursting with mildly sour cherry flavors, threaded with mild molasses and soft chocolate and coffee notes. A thick, chewy and silky mouthfeel backs this big one up.

Overall, a standout in Bell's line and a recommended brew for anyone looking for unique flavor that isn't gimmicky what-so-ever. Cheers!

#184: Dogfish Head Brewery » Kvasir (Grog / Fruit Beer)

Scandinavian inspired ancient hybrid ale...

The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Kvasir (Grog / Fruit Beer)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (limited)
ABV:  10.0% | IBUs: 13
Rating: 9.1/10
Location: Ithaca Ale House

The Story? After the riveting and moving performance from Neutral Milk Hotel's first tour date in 15 years and catching the final set of the Ithaca Underground harsh-noise show that was being run in my absence, it was time for my partner and I to grab a few pints with our friends from Holly, NY who had made the trek down for the night.

On paper, I'd be hard pressed to think there'd be something that would catch my draft-list eye than Ithaca's new Anniversary Sixteen and Brooklyn's Black Chocolate, but a shot at Dogfish Head's latest Ancient Ale, Kvasir on draft was an easy choice.

This this unique concoction takes inspiration from a 3,500‐year‐old Danish drinking vessel. Wheat, lingonberries, cranberries, myrica gale, yarrow, honey and birch syrup combine for an undoubtedly unique experience.

The Beer? Kvasir serves up in a 10 oz. glass, dressed in hazy orange body and ivory head, which quickly fades to a ring of lace. The nose is spiced with a faint hint of hop citrus and dominated by exotic fruit and herb notes.

The taste is delicious - dry, tart, and sweet. I'm so glad I picked this up. Hints of apple, soft wood and nut notes, and incredible spice and fruit flavors. Berries, cherries, slight pepper, and other, more exotic flavors that I've never run across in a beer or wine. Kvasir's 10% begins to show, but Dogfish Head does a great job masking it in this smooth grog.

Recommended for anyone looking for something easy and unique. Complex, new, and drinkable? Absolutely. Big thanks to the Ale House for having this one on tap.

#181: Dogfish Head Brewery » Piercing Pils (Czech Style Pilsner)

The Pear Pils makes it's way to bottles...

The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Piercing Pils (Czech Style Pilsner)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Seasonal)
ABV:  6.0% | IBUs: 35
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Back in October, Dogfish Head announced that Piercing Pils would be graduating from the limited draft line, becoming their new winter seasonal. As always, an interesting choice from the masters of Delaware, issuing a light-bodied style in the dead of winter. Chicory Stout was bumped back to the limited, draft-only line to make room.

Piercing Pils is another in the long line of Dogfish Head hybrids, brewed with pear juice, white pear tea, and Saaz hops. I'm a fan of high-quality Pilsners, a style that in the craft world takes somewhat of a back seat amongst many flavor-intense offerings, so I was exciting to hear Piercing was getting wide release.

The Beer? Piercing Pils pours out a golden, straw color with plenty of effervescence. It's a shade darker than most Pilsners and topped with a finger of fluffy, staying head. The nose is inviting, full of grassy hops, classic pilsner aromas, and just a touch of crisp tartness.

Now, to drink... and oh, the pear is just the perfect complimentor. The fruit juice softens that usual pilsner bitter bite just enough, along with a swift flip of sweetness on the finish. There's a mild, juicy tartness on the front of each sip that quickly fades into toasty malts. Flavors of bready yeasts and just a hint of sourdough creep in further through. The 6.0% ABV is a nice touch to give this Pils some weight.

Overall, highly drinkable, but not a slammer. Dogfish Head wins again with a unique, well-crafted, easy go-to alternative to heavy winter beers.

#178: Dogfish Head Brewery » Black & Blue (Belgian Fruit Beer)

An inspired fruit beer from Dogfish Head...

The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Black & Blue (Belgian Fruit Beer)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Limited)
ABV:  10.0% | IBUs: 25
Rating: 8.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Black & Blue is the first of four Dogfish Head Occasional Rarities that I'll be covering over the next week or so. Typically, fruit beers are not the first thing I grab for. Artificial flavoring or poor backbone choice (uninspired wheat beers, etc) are usually the big culpruit, but I never swear off a whole style.

Enter Dogfish Head, who as usual, like to do things their own way. B&B is Belgian-style golden ale fermented with black raspberries and blueberries - real berries; nothing fake here. It also, boasts a 10% ABV, which is one of the highest I've seen on a fruit beer. All signs point to enjoyable on my radar, so far...

The Beer? Black & Blue immediately releases fragrant aromas of sweet and sour berries while pouring. A finger of white head with a pinkish hue tops the hazy deep amber body. Strong blueberry notes dominate the nose on further breaths in.

The use of real fruit really pays off in this one. Rustic, juicy flavors are abound - smooth and refreshing, while tart, but not at all wild or funky. The Belgian Golden style is a good palate choice to allow the sweet blueberries and soft tartness of the blackberries to shine through, without getting overly sweet. There's a slight earthy aftertaste preceded by a slight dryness on the finish.

Overall, a solid beer, nothing terribly groundbreaking, but a must try for any fruit beer lover and recommended for any of your friends into the lighter side of wines and looking for a gateway into craft beer.