#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.

#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.

#176: Left Hand Brewing » Twin Sisters (DIPA)

Left Hand's subtle double...

The Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmount, CO)
The Brew: Twin Sisters (DIPA)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (22oz.)
ABV: 9.6% | IBU: 77
Rating: 8/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story? I popped down to Felicia's over the weekend to meet up with the Artistic Director of the Ithaca International Fantastic Film Festival to discuss next fall's event. When I arrived, my partner was getting off of work early and relayed Left Hand's Twin Sisters had just been tapped two days prior.

The Beer? Served up in a half-pint glass because of the high ABV, Twin Sisters has a transparent brass body capped with a tuft of fluffy, white head.

For a Double IPA, this one treads softly and unassumingly. Smooth citrus flavors backed by well-balanced blend of sturdy hops and malt are preceded by a mostly transparent, but fresh nose. Cracked wheat; mild, ripe tropical fruit sweetness, and a touch of rind appear further in. The over 9% ABV is completely hidden. The whole thing has a bit of an old-school vibe to it; quality over flash.

Overall, not the most memorable of beers, but worth a go for anyone seeking balance over monstrous flavor. An interesting DIPA offering in the midst of the heavy hop wars.

#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.

#174: Ithaca Beer Co. » Excelsior! Anniversary Sixteen (Belgian Dark Ale)

Dark and mysterious for #16...

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew:  Excelsior! Anniversary Sixteen (Belgian Dark Ale)
Availability: Bottles, Draft (Limited)
ABV: 8.7%
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Ithaca Beer's Excelsior! series has really stuck a chord with me over the years. Their White Gold continues to be one of my favorite local releases and the Anniversary offerings have been deliciously consistent and drinkably unique.

Anniversary Sixteen hit shelves in early December (with a much-improved, more eye-catching label over previous Excelsior! releases) and I was quick to snatch up a bottle. The brew is a dark, Belgian inspired farmhouse ale brewed with local wildflower honey and a slew of quality malts and hops, including one of my '13 obsessions, Galaxy. Let's jump in.

The Beer? Sixteen pours out a deep, hazy cola color crowned with a fluffy, ivory head. A lightly roasted nose follows - dark, wet, and damp with slight sweet and fruit notes.

On first sip, I'm immediately aware of what IBC meant by "mysterious and complex". The flavor is captivating and a touch peculiar, starting off creamy, but finishing quite bright with a full, sticky mouthfeel and long mouth coat.

I initially pull vegetal flavors with tight, herbal notes and feel. There's a slight astringency, though not like a wild or sour ale. Additionally, there's a dark bitterness, that is more akin to high-end black tea or coffee.

Sixteen opens up further through, letting hints of citrus and dark fruit shine through along with honeycomb notes and a breath of sweet honey itself.

Overall Ithaca Beer delivers again with an adventurous and unique beer. A must-try for anyone seeking a complex brew that isn't easy to pin down to a specific style or flavor category. Again, kudos to the branding team for the new look.

#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.

#172: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. » Jefferson Stout (Cream Stout)

Sweet southern session...

The Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. (Kiln, MS)
The Brew: Jefferson Stout (Cream Stout)
Availability: Bottles, Mix 12-Pack, Draft
ABV: 4.65% | IBU: 22
Rating: 8.0
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? While I was in New Orleans in the fall, Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. caught my eye with their Southern Pecan Nut Brown and Jefferson Stout, brewed with sweet potatoes and lactose. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to give either a taste, but in late December, 12 and 6-packs of Lazy Magnolia began appearing in Ithaca for the first time. We picked up a box and went to town.

The Beer? Jefferson pours out jet black with a slim cap of off-white head. The nose is relatively transparent with some chocolate notes. The taste is unique, smooth, but bitter on the initial sip. A blooming bittersweet earthiness follows with notes of chocolate, coffee, milk, and just a touch of honey. This Sweet Potato Stout is light bodied, easily drinkable, and never gets too sweet. A bit different, but not revolutionary - nor is that what Lazy Magnolia is aiming for with this Southern Stout.

Thumbs up for equal parts creativity and accessibility.