#314: Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA)

(the westy: good for beer; bad for photo lighting)

Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA) | ABV: 10% | IBUs: 70

Bell's venerable Double India Pale Ale, Hopslam, gleefully permeated far further into Ithaca's beer depths this winter, hitting taps at several locations around town. I grabbed two sixers from Fingerlakes Beverage as last year (Bell's inaugural year distributing to NYS), but needed to experience this lauded brew fresh of the tap.

Hopslam serves up with a deep, translucent amber body, topped with two fingers of fluffy, bright white head. As with bottle pours, it's deeply aromatic, packed with a plethora of citrus rind from Simcoe dry-hopping.

Onto the palate, it's silky hop-heaven. Hot spice of rye and white pepper are deftly balanced with a touch of honey dipped sweetness, making this brew remarkably drinkable. Rich toffee and tropical fruit flavors swirl between citrus rind and pith notes, making this full-bodied brew a growing flavor experience.

Hands down one of my favorite beers, Hopslam was fantastic as always, this draft version boasting a bit sharper bitterness than bottles, making for a slower sipping tasting.

#311: Southern Tier Brewing » 2xPRESSO (Milk Stout)

Southern Tier Brewing » 2xPRESSO (Double Milk Stout w/ Coffee Beans & Lemon Peels) 
ABV: 7.5% | IBUs: 55

Southern Tier always manage to crank out robust, accessible craft beer at an entirely reasonable price. Their latest seasonal, 2xPRESSO quickly became one of my go-to seasonal favorites this winter.

2xPRESSO is Southern Tiers' 2XStout, brewed with espresso beans & lemon peels. It kicks off with a highly aromatic nose of milk and espresso, with a touch of lemon and clove. Onto the palate it's deep, rich, and creamy with a flicker of bright citrus, finishing dry, packed with roasted malts and pith.

Rich chocolate and coffee flavors swirl with a hint of rye and pepper, adding a hot, brightness to this deep and wonderfully complex brew.

#302: Ithaca Beer Co. » Daydreamer, Milkstache, Red Hot Rosie, Za Vas!, Cascazilla on Cherrywood

After a couple weeks of a nasty cold, my senses were back and it was time for beer tasting. Ithaca Beer were on a release rampage in 2014, racking in notable new releases, some hotly limited and others expanding their seasonal line. 2015 looks to be no different with the advent of Daydreamer, I-Beer's latest seasonal offering.

Daydreamer (Kölsch) | ABV: 7.0% 
Weighing in at a hefty 7%, this kölsch serves up with a bright, mineral nose, with aroma of firm, bitter euro-style hops, all threaded with sweet pineapple. The palate is washed in soft carbonation and full body, punctuated with smooth, mellow tropical fruit flavors. A zesty, drying finish caps it all off with a touch of spruce.

Milkstache (Nitro Milk Stout) | ABV: 5.2%
One of Ithaca Beer's few nitro offerings, this stout is brewed with lactose and serves up jet black with thick, creamy, off-white head. Sheer aromas of chocolate and vanilla ice cream rise up from darkness. It's especially creamy, but light on the mouthfeel, never getting too weighty or coating. A silky-soft, subtle stout with firm earthy, roasted, and cocoa powder flavors.

Red Hot Rosie (Chili Porter) | ABV: 5.8%
Now for something not-so-subtle. Brewed in honor of a departing employee, Red Hot Rosie is a porter packed with Morita Chile chipotle peppers. Unabashedly starting out with sharp chili aromas, Rosie keeps the balance with plenty of smoke and a touch of vegetable pepper notes. Onto the palate, this beer is HOT, stacked with sinus clearing action. It's full bodied porter base keeps in from spinning out of control, providing an earthy, smoky base with a touch of chocolate. The heat on this one though, definitely makes it a sipper, pairing well with the carrot/ginger soup I was savoring.

Za Vas! (Russian Imperial Stout) | ABV: 8.8%
I've run across some fairly massive Russian Imperials of late. Ithaca Beer's spin reels in the soaring ABV of recent takes on the style. Literally meaning, "To You!" is a cheers to the senses with an inviting nose of rich chocolaty aromas, backed by faint milk and earthy notes with a touch of bourbon. It's brighter than expected and lively carbonated. Flavors of chocolate, ripe plum, apple skin all swirl across the palate. A solid stout, hiding it's 8.8% well, with a perceived girth just over session.

Cascazilla aged on Cherrywood (Cask Red Ale) | ABV: 7.0%
I am skeptical and very picky when it comes to hoppy cask beers. For my palate, I've often found softening hop-forward styles on cask or nitro can loose some of the best aspects of the style.

That said, casking and aging one of Ithaca's flagship beers, Cascazilla on cherrywood was an excellent choice, it's silky, grassy nose easing my apprehension at first whiff, seemingly stacked with notably fresh hops. It's unexpectedly bright for a cask ale, but still deftly smooth with soft notes of pine, white pepper, and subtle red wine character, complimenting the dry, velvety mouthfeel and finish. I have to say, this is my favorite Cascazilla cask variation thus far.

#276: Crooked Stave » St. Bretta (Winter)

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project » St. Bretta Citrus Wildbeer (Winter)
ABV: 6.8% | Rating: 9.5/10

After a successful week of recording, wrapping up the initial legwork of booking for Big Day In and a four evening fest around the Ithaca International Film Fest, I was in the mood for something special. Shortly after grabbing  and uncapping this winter edition of St. Bretta from the beer fridge, it was immediately apparent I'd made the proper selection.

This 100% Brettanomyces wild bursts out of the gate with a fruity, funky nose. Ripe, fresh berries slam with orange, must, and that unmistakable Brett aroma. There's even a hint of green apple.

After several enticing whiffs, my palate is struck by incredible, piercing flavors of tart grape and kumquat. This winter edition is incredibly sparking and bright for a dark beer.

Robust sour cherry and big green apple notes rise further through along with shy notes of lemom and a lively, dry finish. A hands-down, goddamn great beer and a must find for another round.

#274: Left Hand Brewing » Wake Up Dead Nitro (Imperial Stout)

Left Hand Brewing » Wake Up Dead Nitro (Imperial Stout) 
ABV: 10.2% | IBU's: 45 | Rating: 9/10

As far as trends go, the current Nitro movement is an incredibly welcomed one, especially those gaining mass release in cans & bottles. Left Hand rocked the world with their Nitro Milk Stout in 2011 and last year they took it one step further with Sawtooth and the incredible Wake Up Dead Imperial Stout.

This skull nitro pours up jet black with a swirling nose of vanilla, cocoa, bourbon and amaretto. Boozy, roasted malt flavors follow with a full, silky mouthfeel. Big notes of chocolate and dried fruits, all sweet and sticking with an unabashed alcohol finish, but incredibly smooth.

A wonderful 12 oz for big, dark beer lovers.

#270: Bell's Brewing » The Oracle (DIPA)

Bell's Brewing » The Oracle (Double IPA) 
ABV: 10% | Rating: 9.3

I'd hate to try and fathom, much less try and count the number of IPAs or even Double IPA's being brewed at the moment. It's fairly astounding to see one style take off and soak in such far-stretching hype. At the epicenter though, is a plethora of amazing beer - which is why we're all hear anyway, right? Sometimes I complain or get beer-political about IPAs hype-dominance, but then I find another gem and shut rite up.

If anyone knows what they're doing with hop-forward beers... Bell's is on that list. Two Hearted, Hopslam, the aforementioned Mars, and now their seasonal summer DIPA, The Oracle makes it's way to the blog. Having Mars and The Oracle back-to-back, just shows how diverse the spectrum is on this particular brew style.

This time around, dry aromas of pine and biscuit kick things off followed up by complimentary, delightfully arid hop flavors. Resinous pine, chocked full of citrus rind and pith notes with a sprinkle of earthy threads sewn in.

An unapologetic, sipper of a hop-heads only beer that is highly enjoyable.

#224 Arcadia Brewing Company » B-Craft Black IPA

A curiously dark ale...

The Brewery: Arcadia Brewing Company (Battle Creek, MI)
The Brew: B-Craft Black IPA
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Rotating)
ABV: 8.5% | IBUs: 85
Rating: 8.3/10
Location: Home
Found: Gift!

After my Gose afternoon, I made a pact with myself to spend more of this spring & summer outside. At the next chance, I snagged two out-of-distro-range brews a good friend of mine picked up while he was in Michigan.

First up is the oddly-monikered B-Craft Black from Arcadia Brewing. This Black DIPA foams up nicely with a fluffy off-white head atop a dark-chocolate brown body.

Bold, roasted notes kick off the flavor run. Dry spices tease the palate complimented by strong esters, herbal and medicinal notes and just a thought of star anise. The bitter hops and roasted coffee malt notes are really fighting for attention in this one, which creates interesting overtones, like those listed above.

Overall, an undoubtedly dark, strong ale that makes no attempt to hide it's ABV. Tasty if not a bit left of different.

#223: Great Divide » Hibernation Ale (Old Ale)

Hibernation on a day out of hibernation...

The Brewery: Great Divide (CO)
The Brew: Hibernation Ale (Old Ale)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Seasonal)
ABV: 8.7%
Rating: 9.0/10
Location: Ithaca Coffee Co.

In mid-April, I was involved with a weekend emphasizing experimental music, starting with an event at Cornell, on through a "How-To" DIY electronics afternoon event, and closing with what would be our best Naked Noise event (drone improv for large ensemble) to date.

Once the DIY electronics event was underway, my partner & I needed to run a few errands and decided to pop into Ithaca Coffee Co. downtown for a refuel. Glad we did, as Hibernation is one of the few seasonals from Great Divide I haven't had the chance to enjoy just yet.

Hibernation starts out with a dark body, topped with fluffy ivory head. Hops, spice, and dark malt notes are all aptly present in the nose. The flavor is bitter with pleasant esters and firm alcohol bite in the finish. There's elements of bourbon, winter spice, hop spice and heat, and grapefruit pith all with thick mouthfeel.

Overall, a more biting, bitter Old Ale than many, but delicious non-the-less.

#197: Bell's Brewery » Hopslam Ale (Imperial IPA)

Hop legend hits Ithaca for the first time..

The Brewery: Bell's Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI)
The Brew: Hopslam Ale (Imperial IPA)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (Seasonal)
ABV: 10.0%%
Rating: 9.6/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? After jumping the gun on the release announcement (though the info was on good authority), Hopslam finally made it's way to Ithaca, NY for the first time. The lauded hop-forward, winter seasonal from Bell's is highly sought after, typically selling out in the week or two following release in most areas, occasionally tempting some to spark some controversy, attempting to by, say 400 bottles worth. Expedition Stout defied all expectations, would Bell's hoppy heavy-hitter do the same?

The Beer? Bubbly, transparent amber liquid pours out, forming a fizzy head with mild lacing. Strong tangerine and grapefruit aromas burst from the glass backed by bright, almost gin-like herbal notes, further complimented by soft wafts of vanilla and honey.

On first sip, it's immediately apparent this is an easy-down IPA, surprising, especially for what a big beer this is.

Bitter and biting flavors kick things off with a dry finish packed with potent grapefruit flavors and a mild hop heat. As with any big-hop Bell's, they haven't forgotten the malts. A sweet backbone, expertly balances the west-coast madness, while the whole package keeps the mouthfeel clean and delicious.

The flavor is quite pithy against the most juicy nose. Honey and biscuit appear on the front of each sip and then quickly vanish. It's a nice touch amidst the floral and beastly citrus flavors. There's even mild hibiscus & elderberry notes far in. The body get's a little chewy towards the end, reveling some of it's 10% girth, but never ceases to be bring and highly drinkable.

Overall, a recommended, well-balanced hop-head's dream that lives up to the hype, with some elegant flourishes, without getting uppity. 

#193: Lagunitas Brewing Co » Hairy Eyeball (American Strong Ale)

For when the sun is close, but couldn't feel farther away...

The Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
The Brew: Hairy Eyeball (American Strong Ale)
Availability: 22 oz. Bombers (seasonal)
ABV: 9.4% | IBU: 56.66
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? It's a Monday night, I've just gotten off work and I am determined to have a productive evening. I figure I'll throw up a batch of flyers around town, stop by The Enchanted Badger, and land at Ithaca Beer Co. for one of their 5-Barrel series I haven't had yet while dropping off a bit of paperwork. Nope. It's 5° F, snowing, and everything is closed. Well fine. I'll grab a bottle of Lagunita's perihelial release, The Hairy Eyeball Ale and make myself a big winter dinner.

I was a bit bummed to see this one only transition to bombers-only, having grown partial to the 6-Packs of yore, but 22 oz. is going to be PLENTY.

The Beer? Burly, malt aromas fume up from the glass with plentiful notes of raisin and red fruit, backed by a strong, roasted bouquet. To the eye, it's a dark, almost cola brown and transparent, crowned with a fluffy ivory head that sticks around.

Onto the palate, it wields a meaty, chewy mouthfeel. Red & tropical fruit notes are the first flavors to arrive making for a lovely, sweet and toasty first few sips. As remembered, this is godddamn good.

Strong and sweet, Eyeball grows with notes of grain and herbs emerging while revealing it's 9.4% gravity. Deftly complex, this is one hell of a tasty, drinkable, big meal beer. 

#188: Bell's Brewery » Bell's Special Double Cream Stout

The darkside is creamy...

The Brewery: Bell's Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI)
The Brew: Bell's Special Double Cream Stout
Availability: Draft & Bottles (Seasonal)
ABV: 6.1%
Rating: 8.6/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? I've been doing my best to keep up on Bell's seasonal offerings as they roate through, this first year distributing to NYS. This, their Special Double Cream Stout is a dairy-free and brewed with ten different specialty. I was in a dark malty mood and this sounded like it would just hit the spot.

The Beer? A thick, fluffy, lacy head foams up from Special Double's bubbly, jet-black body. Deep, roasted coffee notes dominate the nose with aromas of chocolate and milk.

Lively carbonation and a mouthfeel that gets silkier and chewier with each sip follows, with flavors of soft cocoa and espresso. Further through, there's distinct brownie flavors, slight burnt characteristics, mild alcohol heat and spice, and even inferred cinnamon on the finish.

Overall, Bell's Speacial Double is creamy, but drinkable, with adequate depth that fills out nicely into a warming winter seasonal.

#180: Founders Brewing » Harvest Ale

Juicy, hop goodness...

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Harvest Ale
Availability: Draft and bottles (Seasonal, Limited)
ABV: 7.6% | 70 IBUs
Rating: 9.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? I was on a bit of a Harvest Ale kick last year, but wasn't able to track down Founders when it was initially hit in the fall. Released only in October of each year, I thought I'd miss the boat, but this weekend proved otherwise and I'm sure glad for it!

The Beer? This Harvest pours our translucent golden straw with a quickly fading white head and minimal lacing. The nose is beautiful and full of rip, juicy orange aromas.

Down the hatch, Founders has nails it again with a smooth, long citrus flavor with just a touch of bitterness on the finish. Plentiful orange, tangerine, and sweet red grapefruit flavors are abound. There's a soft resin and pine that build on each other further through with soft esters in the finish. Toasted, bready malts say hello later on, but just enough to provide balance and support. This one really pulls you in and immerses you in hop glory. It's never floral, but there are soft oil and herb tucked within.

Overall, a wonderfully juicy take on the wet-hop, harvest style. Incredibly drinkable hop-nectar.

#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.

#177: Bell's Brewery » Expedition Stout 2013 (Russian Imperial Stout)

One of the best...

The Brewery: Bell's Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI)
The Brew: Expedition Stout (Russian Imperial Stout)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (Limited)
ABV: 10.5%
Rating: 9.8/10
Location: Home
Found: Chicago

The Story? Back in the fall of 2012, thanks to my cousin Alex, I had my first taste of Bell's. He had a bottle of Bell's monstrous Expedition Stout from traveling earlier in the year. Fast forward to March of 2013 and picked up a six-pack while in Chicago. This Russian Imperial Stout is meant to be aged and so, I cracked into two of them to share upon the return home, but the rest went to the cellar.

10 months later, I had to see how things were progressing.

The Beer? Thick, lacy, hot-coco colored head tops Expedition's deep, dark, opaque brown body. Alluring aromas of sweet chocolate, dark fruit, and even soft hop citrus follow.

Huge, creamy chocolate flavors swirl around - sweet and wet at first, but quickly drying into baking coco, booze, and espresso. The mouthfeel is straight silk and far lighter than it should be for a beer with this much girth.

Expedition is completely exquisite with notes of vanilla, toffee, and bourbon rising in the second sip. A firm, bitter finish starts early and continues to build on itself. Earthy notes fill in further through. This roasted, slow sipper demands to be savored and not just because of the sheer 10.5% ABV, which instead is well masked by the rich, luxurious flavors. Towards the end, faint nods of licorice, anise and other herbs, and black tea finish off this deep darkness of a beer.

Overall, one of the best beers Bell's produces on a yearly basis and one of, if not the best 12 oz Imperial Stout. Highly recommended.

#175: Founders Brewing Co. » Devil Dancer 2012 & 2013 (Triple IPA)

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Devil Dancer (Triple IPA)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Limited)
ABV: 12% | 112 IBUs

The Story? At the end of 2012, I'd realized I'd dragged my heals on picking up one of Founders boldest releases, Devil Dancer. But, low and behold, one lonely bottle remained at Ithaca Coffee Company. The neck label had somehow slipped off and adhered itself right over the barcode, which made the transaction a bit interesting. Arriving home, I felt there was something special about this bottle and decided to cellar it until the following year. Normally, I wouldn't age an IPA, but with such a high ABV and hop content, I figured it was worth a shot.

Flash forward to this past holiday season and my good friends at The Westy have a bottle of 2013 waiting for me. Time for a comparison to see how things change.

2012 | Rating: 9.4/10
The Beer: This Devil wastes no time kicking the gate down with a huge, pungent nose full of sweet raisin and fruitcake... and booze, of course. A ring of ivory head caps the deep, murky copper body.

Massive mouthfeel, dense body with plentiful flavors of dates and hot hops. Even with over a year of aging, firm hop bitterness is still present throughout. Awesomely boozy, silky, and sticky, heading into barleywine territory, but drier and more burly. All that wrapped up with a nice dry finish. Wonderful.

2013 | 9/10
The Beer: This year's Devil is similarly represented, but the ring of head is white and the body more of a murky light brown, neither having darkened with age yet. The nose is similar, but with more of the dry hop shining through and not nearly as pungent and boozy. Sweet raisin aromas are still quite present.

Flavor-wise, 2013 bursts out much brighter with a pine and resin finish. There's still distinct raisin notes and high malt and booze presence, but with more bitter and bright and less spice and depth.

Overall, fresh or aged, Devil Dancer is in the top of Founder's 12 oz. offerings, but in this bloggers opinion the aromas, spice, and sweeping complexity is worth the wait.

#173: Southern Tier Brewing Co. » 2XMAS (Spiced Beer)

Some holiday items are welcome to hang around past Xmas...

The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: 2XMAS (Spiced Beer)
Availability: 6-pack, draft (Seasonal)
ABV: 8.0%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? Considering we're in the single digits this week, here in Upstate NY anything warming is welcomed, Xmas-themed or otherwise. This regional late fall/winter staple is on my radar every year and I was more than obliged to discuss it when a bottle was sent my way.

The Beer? 2XMAS starts strong out of the gate with a big, wet nose of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It's appearance is surprisingly transparent (a wonderful red-amber hue) for a spice-packed brew with minimal, fizzy, cream color head that quickly dissipates with no lace.

The taste is full of smooth spice. Malty, but not too sweet. Flavors of clove, all spice, and cola are all present throughout, coupled by soft hops in the finish, which ends with soft spice and hop heat. There's a pleasant mouthcoat that is never overbearing or tiresome - not quite velvety, but it slowly lingers.

Overall, a solid, expertly well-balanced holiday offering from one of the most consistent breweries in Western NY.

#168: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Amber Glass (American Amber Ale)

Malty harvest ale from Hopshire... 

The Brewery: Hopshire Farm & Brewery (Freeville, NY)
The Brew:  Amber Glass ((Amber Ale)
Availability: Draft
ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: 35
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Ithaca Coffee Company (Triphammer)

The Story? After a long day of last minute holiday and paint shopping, my partner and I headed over to Ithaca Coffee Company for a pick-me-up. We planned on two rounds to rejuvenate with, so I eyed Triphammer's typically hefty offerings for a starter that would still allow me to accomplish our remaining errands. 

Earlier in the season, Hopshire issued two new offerings, 'Round Yon Virgil (spiced Brown Ale) and Amber Glass - an American style Amber brewed with whole, local Willamette and Cascade hops and New York barley malt and British amber. Granted, Amber Ale's aren't my favorite, but getting a disappointing brew from Hopshire seemed unlikely. 

The Beer? Bringing my beer to the table, I'm met with a firm malt nose that is roasted with a distinct coolness. 

Right off the bat, this is a very tasty beer. It's creaming, warming and quenching with just a hint of spice. Far more complex than most 5.0% Ambers I've run across. Notes of rosehips, pepper, orange zest, rosemary abound amidst smooth malts and toasty caramel finish. 

Overall, this is undoubtedly in the Top 5 Ambers I've ever enjoyed, if not one of the best singles. Kudos to Hopshire for taking an unassuming style to new heights. 

#151: 21st Amendment Brewery » Fireside Chat (Winter Spiced Ale)

Winter by the Fireside...

The Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery (San Francisco, CA)
The Brew: Fireside Chat (Winter Spiced Ale)
Availability: Cans & draft (seasonal)
ABV: 7.9% | IBUs: 45
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Now that it's past Thanksgiving and we've had our first winter storm advisory, I feel I can begin posting about winter seasonals. 21st Amendment's Fireside Chat was one spiced ale that stood out last year for me, but I was only able to grab one can of it, to my dismay.

With sleet, freezing rain, and snow barring down, depending where you were in town, it sounded like a good time for a night in with beers to warm us.

The Beer? Fireside Chat pours out with a deep, dark walnut body and off-white head. A big nose of allspice, clove, and nutmeg follows.

This winter warmer isn't holding back anything. The boldness of the aroma and appearance introduction continues through unabashed velvety mouthfeel and strong flavors of cinnamon and clove, closing with an arid finish. It's a bit sticky as well with subtle notes of molasses, herbs, and faint esters on the elongated finish.

Overall, not as sublime as I remember from last year, but a recommended holiday beer for sure. A great second or third beer in that will still pack a punch.

#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.

#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.