Ninkasi Brewing Company - Maiden The Shade

Welcome back everyone! Been a couple weeks since I blogged about beer so I figured tonight I'd change that. I'm drinking a beer tonight that I only bought because the font on the label is that of Iron Maiden, one of my favorite bands. Nothing wrong with that, right? I didn't think so.

So what am I drinking? Well, if you skipped the blog title, I'm drinking a special release from Ninkasi. I'm drinking their Maiden The Shade. This is a 6.8% abv "Specialty Ale" which from what I can gather, is really just an American IPA. I'm cool with that. Who doesn't love a good IPA? So without further distractions, let's get this one poured and I'll try to make sense and give you my thoughts on Maiden The Shade.

Maiden pours out a really striking golden color. Very radiant gold. This one is pretty hazy, can't really see through the glass. There's about a half finger of a bright white head with a lot of tiny white bubbles. The head doesn't stick around very long but leaves behind a fairly decent lacing. There's a bit of sediment in the glass which is no doubt adding to the haze factor we've got going on. Overall, this is a really nice looking beer. Let's get the nose.

First thing I get is some ripe peach, ripe mango like fruits. There's a sweetness here that I wouldn't normally expect from an IPA. Reminds me a lot of honey actually. It definitely cuts the bitter hope aroma you'd usually pick up from an American IPA. There's a little bit of a floral bitterness coming through but this beer is dominated by those peaches, the mango and definitely what I can only describe as honey. Very sweet smelling, not very bitter on the nose. This has me intrigued. Let's see how the Maiden tastes.

Right away, you get the IPA bitterness that's pretty much a guarantee in an American IPA. That carries across the palate from start to finish paving the way for that sweetness I got on the nose. Honey sweetness and some very trace amounts of peach. Sides of the palate you get some subtle sweetness, more of the peach. I get zero citrus on this beer. They used 7 different hops in this but nothing stands out in the way of hops. Just a big blast of bitterness. Maybe Cascade, sorta reminiscent of Sierra Nevada. Maiden finishes really dry leaving a lot of that hop bitterness lingering in it's wake. Sort of destroying anything else that I'd hope was going on.

So overall, Maiden The Shade isn't bad but I don't think it's anything incredible. I would have liked to get something else besides just hop bitterness here. While the beer smells pretty nice and looks amazing, the flavors on this just do nothing for me because really, they're not there for the most part. I think this could be good, maybe more fresh than what I"m drinking. Not sure on the age of this one. It's worth a shot to check out. I know a lot of hop heads would genuinely enjoy this. I'm just left wanting more.

Rating: C+

Ninkasi Brewing Company - Sleigh'r

Hey everyone! Been a long time since I posted a beer blog. Hell, it's been over a month! Quite a bit has gone on. Been real sick for all of November. Still not out of the woods. Also, just haven't been in the mood to blog. Kind of how things go I guess. The "need" to post a blog... sort of kills things sometimes.

But fear not, I'm back tonight with my November BOTM. That's right, I haven't forgotten about this. Tonight I'm drinking the winter seasonal from Ninkasi Brewing Company. Yep, I'm drinking Sleigh'r! Clearly a take on the band SLAYER (one of my personal favorites) and Santa's Sleigh.

This is a 7.2% Dark Double Alt Ale which I think pretty much means, winter warmer. I've been into these quite a bit this winter so I'm looking forward to this one. Hell, I've had it for a month now and just haven't had a chance to crack it open. So without any further delay, let's pop the top and I'll give you my thoughts on SLEIGH'R!!!

The Sleigh'r pours out a really dark mahogany to ruby red when held up to the light. Really nice color on this one. There's about a half finger of a frothy white head, probably not really white but it's not brown or even beige. The head doesn't stick around long, much like Santa... eating his cookies and vanishing. Son of a bitch... oh, sorry. Got side-tracked. This beer looks pretty nice. Let's get the nose.

I'm immediately hit with some winter spices. Nutmeg, a little bit of cinnamon, a little clove, maybe even a hint of coriander. Some sweet caramel and maybe the slightest touch of molasses.  There's some dark fruits here, namely some cherry, even a bit of an apple character. Those are playing off the nutmeg and clove pretty nicely. I'm picking up a bit of banana as well. Maybe a subtle hint of banana bread. This definitely has some hints of sugar cookie. Again, something Santa would definitely enjoy... if he wasn't skipping over my house... ugh, I did it again. Sorry. Sleigh'r smells pretty good, maybe a little more subtle than some of the other winter warmers I've had recently.

Interesting flavors up front on this one. I'm picking up a lot of the cherry and dark fruits, the hint of apple right up front. Sides of the mouth you get the sweetness from the caramel and the richness of the molasses. Middle of the mouth and back end of this beer you get the spices but they are very subtle. You get a nice smack of pine/spruce that I wasn't really getting on the nose. This beer finishes pretty dry and the pine lingers for a while. There's some of the nutmeg and coriander dancing around in the back as well. I'm picking up some alcohol as well, a bit of a rum perhaps. It's not overpowering but I'm definitely picking it up.

So overall, this is pretty good. For a winter type of beer I think it hits all the right notes that one would expect from a winter ale but nothing really jumps out and grabs you. I'd say it's a bit more balanced than a lot of the winter warmers that end up being pine bombs. I like those a lot too. I think this could use a little more malt sweetness, maybe some caramel to sort of cut the back end of this to cut the bitterness. But besides that, I like this and I'd say it's worth checking out, if only for the name along. Come on, SLEIGH'R!!!

Rating: B+

Firestone Walker - Velvet Merkin

Hello everyone! It's that time again. Not necessarily time to take over the world, but time to get another beer review up. This one also happens to be my October Beer of the Month. Yep, right on time with my monthly beer, I know! 

I'd have had this up earlier but I've been ill the last few days. So without further delay, tonight's beer is none other than the latest release from Firestone Walker. That's right, we're drinking Velvet Merkin, and 8.5% abv Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout. I'm pretty stoked to get this one and I'm really looking forward to trying it. So let's get this thing poured and I'll give you my thoughts on the Velvet Merkin.

This one pours out a pitch black. No light coming through at all. There's about a finger and a half of a beige head that's very foamy. Not a ton of retention time on this and honestly not a lot of lacing left behind. Sort of surprising on the lacing at least. This looks like a pretty standard stout. Nothing too crazy. Let's get the nose.

First thing I get is a lot of vanilla, lots and lots of it. Maybe more than any other beer I can recall in recent memory. Vanilla boozy notes. There's a lot of caramel sweetness. Lots of woody, oak qualities. You can definitely smell that this is a big bourbon barrel beer. Some nice toasty notes from those oats. There's some big milk chocolate and cocoa notes too. Big time vanilla and oak bomb here. I'm ready to see how this one tastes. Let's drink! 

Interesting. First thing I'm hit with is a big blast of vanilla and bourbon goodness. That immediately is erased by a tidal wave of oak. It's almost like I'm drinking the barrel itself. That sensation, flavor, note, basically plows through the entire palate. Sides of the mouth there's more oak, almost a charred wood flavor. A little bit of vanilla and a lot of a bourbon quality. Back end of this thing almost tastes like I just took a shot of bourbon. Lots of caramel and vanilla with a bit of an alcohol burn. This one definitely warms as it makes it's way down the chest. I don't get any of that chocolate/cocoa I caught a whiff of before we started drinking. 

This beer is also a little thin in the body. I know a lot of oatmeal stouts tend to be a little thinner than their imperial counterparts. However, this one is thinner than even some of the local oatmeal stouts. I'm kind of surprised in that regard. I was hoping a little bit for more body and I'm left wanting a little bit more in that department.

So overall, Velvet Merkin is good... but maybe not what I'd call great. The nose is awesome but those characters fall a little short while drinking. I sort of wish I'd given this a little more time to develop or mellow just to see what happens. I may pick up another just for that reason alone. Give this one a shot if you want. For $20 a bottle I'd consider this a touch pricey. Your call.

Rating: B+

Clown Shoes - Genghis Pecan

I don't know about you but I had a really rough work week. There's nothing I want more than to forget everything I did work wise this week and just zone out. Of course I'm going to help myself with some good beer and some good tunes. 

So tonight I'm drinking another Clown Shoes beer. I've really enjoyed what I've had so far from them and I'm hoping this one is no different. Tonight we've got Genghis Pecan which is a 7% abv Pecan Pie Porter. And yes, the label on this one is awesome just like all the others. But enough rambling and stalling, let's get this one poured and I'll give you my thoughts on the Genghis Pecan! 

Genghis pours out very dark almost pitch black. Maybe the slightest bit of mahogany/chocolate color around the bottom of the glass. There's about a finger of beige head, very fluffy. The head dissipates pretty quickly and leaves behind a very weak lacing. Almost none to speak of which is a bit surprising. Looks like a pretty standard porter honestly. Nothing new to report here. Let's get the nose.

Big pecan flavor on the nose. That's mixed in nicely with an almost cinnamon like spice note. A bit of brown sugar lingering in the background too.There's a nice graham cracker character here too. This is a pecan pie porter and honestly I think it gets the smell of a pecan pie pretty nicely. There's maybe the slightest hint of alcohol in the background. Honestly, pecan pie with a little bourbon is one of the best things ever so this has me very much intrigued. A really nice smelling porter, one that definitely smells like the style/name it's been given. I'm ready to do some drinking so let's do this! 

Surprisingly at first impression I'm not getting a lot of pecans. It's more of a buttery, pie crust like character. There's a little bit of a caramel sweetness, some brown sugar. None of that cinnamon spice I was getting on the nose. Sides of the mouth you do get the pecans but they are very subdued and muted. I was hoping for a little more in that regard. I'm going to let this warm a little and see how it's developed, if at all.

I've let this warm a bit and I'm still not getting a lot of the pecan, mostly just a buttery crust. This does remind me of a pie but maybe not a pecan pie. There's some boozy stickiness lingering in the back of the palate. Slightly nutty so I guess that's where the pecans went. It's not that they're not here I just think they've taken a back seat to everything else.

So overall, Genghis Pecan is just OK. It's a good porter but for what is dubbed as a pecan pie porter I'm left wanting more, a lot more. If this was just a porter from Clown Shoes I'd be stoked and happy. Unfortunately, I think they've left a lot to be desired which is surprising. I've genuinely liked everything I've had from them, a lot. This just sort of falls short of the mark. It's probably a mark I'e set WAY too high but I'm accepting of that. I'd drink this again but I don't know I'd want to pay the $8 or $9 I did. So, good porter, so-so execution.

Rating: C+

New Belgium Brewing - Cascara Quad

Hey guys! It’s time for another beer review. Did you think I’d forgotten about the blog? Eh, maybe just a little. Kind of trying to figure out what I want to do with the blog going forward. But that’s a discussion for another post down the road.

Tonight I’m drinking a new beer. Yeah, surprising I know! I’ve had this one stashed away for a little bit, maybe 6 months or so. I think I bought it back in late March or even early April. Tonight’s beer is part of the Lips of Faith series from New Belgium, this is their Cascara Quad, a 10% abv Quad brewed with date with coffee cherries added. Honestly not sure what a coffee cherry is but I’m a little intrigued. Not a huge fan of Belgian style beers but I’ve been kind of dabbling a little with Quads this year. Had some good ones and I have high hopes for this one. Let’s get this poured out and I’ll give you my thoughts.

The Cascara pours out incredibly murky. It’s a mix of a brown with some slight reddish-brown hues. Reminds me a bit of some dirty watered down coffee to be completely honest. It’s definitely a nasty looking beer. There’s about a finger of a bright white foamy head that doesn’t linger for very long and leaves behind a pretty thick lacing. Let’s get the nose.

First thing I pick up is a massive amount of dates. Very nutty and sweet. Lots of dark fruits. Lots of cherry, fig, some plums as well. There’s a slight sourness I’m picking up that reminds me a lot of a plum skin. Tons of sweet caramel, lots of sugars too. There’s some sweet breads here, definitely getting those Belgian quad characteristics. There’s a slight alcohol note on the nose that’s not over powering but it’s there, lingering and creeping up on everything good this beer has offered so far. Yeah, I’d say this smells pretty good. Definitely not what I was expecting just simply based on looking at this thing. I’m ready to see how it tastes so let’s do this!

Right away I pick up a bit of that nutty character I was getting on the nose. That’s immediately washed away by those very ripe, dark fruits. The plums, figs, and even some cherry. I’ve never had a coffee cherry but I’m guessing these are what I’m getting a lot of. You get those Belgian bready notes on the sides of the palate along with some big caramel sweetness. This beer is surprisingly bitter and you pick up a bit of that bitterness throughout the mouth. This quad finishes pretty dry, not like an IPA but almost like a wine. There’s almost a syrupy after taste as I let everything kind of linger. Very different than what I’d expect from a Quad.

 

So overall, I don’t hate this but I’m not sure I really like it. I’ve had far better Quads both locally and from breweries across the country. This doesn’t really have a lot going on that catches my attention. If I had to describe it in a single word I’d probably use the word underwhelming. I want to get more from this and I want to really like this a lot. But unfortunately, I think it falls short of being “good” and it falls way short of being a beer I pay another visit to down the line. I’d say if you were thinking of picking this up you may want to skip it and get a good Quad rather than something that’s just OK at best.

Rating: C-

Stone Brewing Co - Suede Imperial Porter

Evening all! Hope everyone is enjoying their week. Wednesday night and the wife has taken over the TV. I need to occupy myself so I figure it's as good a time as any to post a new review. Makes sense, right?

Tonight I'm drinking the latest collaboration beer from Stone Brewing Co. This is their Suede an Imperial Porter brewed in collaboration with 10 Barrel brewing and Blue Jacket brewing featuring Calendula Flowers, Jasmine and Honey. I'm sorry, what? An Imperial Porter with what I can only describe as tea spices? Interesting to say the least... and maybe slightly odd sounding. This is 9.6% abv so at least it's not lacking in that the department. Coming from Stone, that's not a surprise in the least. So let's get Suede poured and I'll give you my thoughts.

Suede pours out incredibly dark pretty much pitch black. If I hold my phone light up to it I'm maybe seeing a little bit of a dark brown... but it's so dark I'd call it black. Yeah, this beer is black. There's about a finger of a foamy, frothy beige head which I got after a pretty vigorous pour, more vigorous than I usually pour. It dissipates pretty quickly and leaves behind a very thick lacing. Incredibly sticky looking and slightly soapy. This looks like pretty straight forward Imperial Porter. Let's get the nose.

Big roast coming through right away. Some cocoa nibs, dark chocolate following right behind. But right after that I get a big blast of earthy floral characters. Those flowers are surprisingly present and holding their own on the nose. There's the slightest bit of spice as well. Maybe from the Jasmine. I'm also getting a sweetness that's most likely from the honey. It's doing a nice job of cutting that roasty note I picked up at first impression. This is a very good smelling porter and these additions of calendula, jasmine and honey have me intrigued. Only one thing left to do!

Right away I get that floral sort of earthy bitterness. It has to be from the flowers and whatever hops they used in this. Coupled with the Jasmine the beer is definitely not what I expected. The spices and floral notes really linger on the front and middle of the palate. Sides of the palate I'm getting some sweetness but very subtle. Back end of this I get a blast of those dark chocolates and bitter chocolate I got on the nose. They don't linger very long. The lingering taste I get more than anything is jasmine. Very tea like. Very subtle and smooth. Honestly if I closed my eyes I'd think I might be drinking tea! The longer I let the flavors linger I pick up more honey sweetness and a lot more tea character. So interesting!

So overall, I like this a lot. It's not what I was expecting at all from this latest collaboration from Stone. I was expecting a big, sort of in your face porter and I'm really left looking for that. This is really jasmine, calendula, honey forward. More so than I would have ever guessed. I can honestly say I've never had a beer like this. There's no hint of that 9.6% that the bottle boasts which makes this a pretty dangerous drinking beer. Body wise this reminds me a lot of an English porter. Not like a lot of the imperial porters brewed here in the states. Get this if you can. It's worth it.

Rating: A

Ninkasi Brewing Company - Tricerahops Double IPA

Evening everyone! Hope you're having a good week. It's actually raining here in San Diego tonight. That has nothing to do with tonight's beer, I just figured it was somewhat newsworthy. It IS San Diego after all, the land of 75 and sunny year round. But enough bragging.

It's a new beer tonight for me. I've never had this one and I'm really looking forward to trying this one. Tonight I'm drinking Tricerahops from Ninkasi Brewing out of Eugene Oregon. Tricerahops is a Double IPA coming in at 8.8% abv. So pretty big DIPA and I'm quite all right with that. So let's get this one opened and I'll let you know my thoughts on the Tricerahops (awesome name btw).

Tricerahops pours out a beautiful golden color, slightly copper maybe with some hints of orange. This beer is crystal clear, no haze whatsoever. There's about a finger to maybe just a tad more than a finger of fluffy white head which dissipates very quickly. There's a nice web-like lacing left behind. A decent amount of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass which is nice to see. Not sure when this was bottled but at least this tells me we're not looking at a flat beer. Always a plus! Let's get the nose.

Big fruit notes. Big pear, peaches, a bit of a sticky peach sweetness. Quite a bit of orange citrus, maybe even a mandarin orange going on here. There's a nice bit of floral shining through behind that initial blast of fruits. There's a good hop bitterness too, smells very fresh, slightly dank but not dank in the garlic/onion sense. Just a big hoppy, bitter beer. Smells wonderful. Let's see how Tricerahops tastes! 

Honestly this follows the nose very well. First thing I notice is a real nice bitter hop character, very floral and slightly earthy. That initial bitterness is followed up by a lot of those fruits; pears, peach, orange citrus, and surprisingly a bit of an apple. Not an overly sweet apple, slightly bitter. Sides of the palate you get the fruits and some sweet caramel kind of notes. Back end of this beer, this finishes incredibly dry. One of the more drying DIPA I can remember having in recent months. No alcohol from that 8.8% at all. Not even a warming sensation as it goes down. Really easy drinking DIPA. 

So overall, I'm really digging the Tricerahops. I went into this not expecting much but I'm definitely surprised by how good and balanced this beer is. It's not a big time hop bomb. The hops are certainly present but not kicking you in the teeth like a majority of DIPA are these days. I'd honestly have never guessed this was a DIPA. It's mellow but in a very pleasing way. I'd recommend this one for sure. Easy drinking, flavorful, reasonably priced. If I had to have a complaint I'd just say it's a little easy on the bitterness for a DIPA. I'm used to the big in your face palate destroyers and this is not one of them. So that's it. That's my only knock and it's minor at that.

Rating: A-

Here's a video of my wife trying Tricerahops. Requested by some of my friends. 

Uinta Brewing Co. - Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin

It's finally the weekend! Seriously, this has been the week from hell for me work wise. I'm ready to unwind. I'm ready to kick back and do nothing. I'm ready to get some serious beer drinking done. That's right. Opening up some good stuff this weekend and I'm starting tonight with another beer from one of my personal favorites.

Tonight I'm drinking another beer from Uinta, their Crooked Line series to be exact. Tonight I've got their Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin which is a pumpkin beer (if you didn't know from the name already) aged in Oak Barrels. This one comes in at 10.31% abv (you know, Halloween) and this particular bottle is over a year old with a bottled date of 8/28/12. So, a little age on this one. Let's get it poured and I'll give you my thoughts on the Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin.

The OJIP pours out a really nice dark amber-ruby red-mahogany color. Lots of that ruby red on the bottom of the glass as it rounds up to the sides. There's about a finger and a half of a white, fluffy, billowy head. It doesn't stick around too long and leaves behind a very sticky and soapy lacing. There's a moderate amount of carbonation coming up from the sides and bottom of the glass. This looks like a real nice beer, definitely got the autumn colors going on. Let's get the nose.

Interestingly enough, the first thing I'm picking up is dark fruits. Plum, raisin, maybe some cherry kind of sweetness. There's some earthy kind of bitterness kind of tucked behind those fruits possibly even from those oak barrels. There's a bit of a yeasty ester and some breads. You get some brown sugar, nutmeg, some subtle cinnamon spices here. To be completely honest here, I'm not picking up a lot of pumpkin or gourd on the nose. If it's there I may just be missing it (as I'm typing this someone is outside smoking and it's kind of wafting into my room). With that said, let's see how the OJIP tastes. There's bound to be some pumpkin there.... I hope!

There we go! Right away you get sweet pumpkin. Really glad it's there. That pumpkin character coats the entire palate with it's richness. Right behind that initial blast of pumpkin you get those spices, lots of brown sugar, maybe even a bit of a buttery note. Sides of the palate you get a little more of the brown sugar, some of those dark fruits come through too. Back end of this you more creaminess, more pumpkin, sweet caramel shining through, little bit of earthy tones. As I let the flavors linger a bit and the beer warms a tad, those oak characters really start to make their appearance. Big woody notes. Really plays well off the pumpkin here.

So overall, this beer is pretty good. I'm still not sold on Pumpkin beers and this is really the 2nd one I've had this season with Fat Jack from a week or two ago being the other. Comparing the two I'd have to lean more towards the Fat Jack. It's a bit more balanced and a bit more true to what I'm looking for. Saying that, the Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin is solid, bordering on good. Really surprised not to get much pumpkin on the nose and I think that might be why the Fat Jack was a bit better for me. Either way, get this one if you can and give it a try. Chances are, the bottle you get will already have about a year on it.

Rating: B

AleSmith Brewing Company - Evil Dead Red Ale

Hey gang! Hard to believe it's already October. So like most of the first reviews of each month, it's time for my September BOTM beer my wife picked up for me. Pretty stoked for this one. Admittedly, I've had it once before on tap so I'm very interested in trying this one from the bottle.

So tonight I'm drinking the fall seasonal from AleSmith Brewing Company down in San Diego, this is their Evil Dead Red Ale which is a 6.66% abv red ale, or amber ale. One of the two. You can go ahead and pick. On tap this was fairly hop forward with some nice caramel malts keeping everything together. I very much enjoyed this on tap so I'm anxious to get this one poured into a glass. So with that said, enough babbling. Let's get this one opened up!

Evil Dead Red pours out a really dark amber color, bordering on a red/blood red. Holding this up to the light you definitely get the red colors shining through. There's a really fluffy and thick white head about a finger to a finger and a half worth. It sticks around for a while and leaves behind a really thick and sticky soap-like lacing. A good amount of carbonation streaming up the glass. Overall just a really nice looking red/amber ale. Let's get the nose.

Wow, right away a huge hit of citrus hops. Big grapefruit and maybe mandarin orange. Very sweet smelling, very fresh smelling. There's a bit of a sticky caramel malt shining through behind the initial blast of hops. This beer smells incredible! Really fresh hops, tons of citrus, and just more hops. Much more citrusy than I was expecting or what I remember. This is a pretty fresh bottle so I'm thinking that's a big factor. I'm ready to drink this one. Let's get to it! 

First thing are really fresh citrus hops. Lots of them. They really drive straight through the palate. Sides of the palate you get that caramel malts, lots of sweetness, some sugar, a bit of a bread-like, cake-like type of taste and similar mouth feel. Back end of the palate you get more caramel maybe even a hint of vanilla believe it or not. More of that citrus lingers throughout tap dancing on the tongue. As I sip on this some more the orange flavors really shine. Very juicy and sweet. This is a fantastic tasting beer! 

So overall, Evil Dead Red Ale from AleSmith Brewing Company is another winner. There's nothing wrong with this beer. I literally cannot say a single negative thing about this beer. It's so incredibly balanced. I'd even consider going as far as saying that Evil Dead Red is the BEST red ale I've ever had. If you can get this, you need to do so. It's amazing fresh so get it now and drink immediately. I don't remember this being as good as this on tap. If I see this again before it's out of the stores I'll be buying it. Do the same! 

Rating: A+

Ninkasi Brewing Company - Vanilla Oatis

Hey guys! It's Sunday night and I'm dreading going into work tomorrow. Yeah, I'd imagine a lot of you are in the same boat. So to ease the pain of working Monday morning I'm drinking a new beer that seems to have just made it's way to my area.

Tonight I'm drinking Vanilla Oatis from Ninkasi Brewing Company out of Eugene Oregon. This is a 7.2% abv Oatmeal Stout brewed with Vanilla. It was a little warm here today in San Diego so it's still not exactly stout weather but I really don't care. Let's get this one open and see how it is.

The Vanilla Oatis pours out pitch black in color which isn't surprising since this is a stout after all. There was about a fingers worth of a beige creamy looking head. The head is sticking around for a long time. In fact, there's still a nice little ring of beige/tan head still on top of the beer like a lid or cap. It's leaving behind a very thick and foamy lacing. This is a very nice looking oatmeal stout. Let's get the nose.

First thing I pick up is the Vanilla. Thankfully this is a beer with Vanilla that ACTUALLY smells like vanilla. It's not in the background, hidden behind a shitload of coffee. This is right there in your face. There's some roasted oat coming through behind the vanilla. I'm picking up some creme brulee like sweetness in here as well. It's not quite like a burned sugar but that richness you get from the creme is coming out in this very nicely. There's some subtle milk chocolate notes in here too. Really impressed by the nose on this one. Very stoked the vanilla is dominant. Only one thing left to do now.

There's an immediate blast of roast, like a roasted oat to be exact. That lends itself to a really nice, creamy mouth feel. Behind that is the vanilla. Very sweet and a perfect compliment to the creamy, roasted oats. Sides of the palate you get more of the vanilla and more of that creme brulee sort of feel. Sort of fluffy, sort of creamy, definitely a bit on the rich side. Back end of this beer sort of explodes into a bitter coffee experiment. This really brings the beer altogether. Definitely makes it more of a vanilla latte than it does a creme brulee. As the flavors linger a bit you get a lot of that bitter coffee, a bit of bitter chocolate, very earthy.

So overall, I'm really digging this beer. I vaguely remember having the regular Oatis years ago and wasn't all that impressed. But this is just really nice. I think where this one stands out is the vanilla. It is really up front and put out there. It's kind of surprising that they really nailed this. Not because Ninkasi is bad or anything, but from my experience a lot of breweries use the vanilla in the background, maybe as an after thought. Just used to that I guess. I'd give this one the nod if you're thinking about picking it up.

Rating: A

Samuel Adams - Fat Jack

Evening everyone! So Fall has finally arrived here in San Diego and I just so happen to have a fall type of beer in my fridge. I've never had this one and I'm really happy to have found it this year. I tried to get it last year and came up empty. 

So tonight I'm drinking Samuel Adams Fat Jack which is an 8.5% abv Double Pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin and spices. That's right! It's time for a Pumpkin beer! I'm going to throw this out right now, but I'm not a fan of pumpkin beers. I've never had one that has made me want to buy it again. I've had a few and they're OK but just not really my thing. But enough intro, let's get the Fat Jack poured and see if this is a Pumpkin beer I can fully endorse.

Fat Jack pours out a pretty clear ruby red color, maybe amber but definitely leaning more towards the red category. There's a nice little bit of a very steady carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass. There was about a finger of egg shell colored head, fairly foamy with a lot of tight white bubbles. It doesn't stick around too long and leaves behind a somewhat sea foam-esque lacing. This looks like a pretty nice beer, definitely reminiscent of fall with the red/amber tones. Let's get the nose.

First thing I get is brown sugar. Lots of sweet brown sugar. I'm picking up some nutmeg and some cinnamon. The cinnamon is a little on the subtle side. It's more hiding in the background, lurking, stalking.... you know it's there but it's not overbearing. A nice bit of pumpkin pie coming through as well. From the pumpkin filling to the buttery crust. There's also a little bit of dark fruits. Raisins and dates are present but very much in the background like the cinnamon. Some bread like characters here as well. Genuinely a really nice smelling pumpkin beer, very much reminds me of a slice of pumpkin pie. Only one thing left to do now. Let's drink! 

Wow. This follows the nose perfectly! Right away there's some sweet brown sugar on the front of the tongue. Immediately followed up with some creamy pumpkin pie filling with nutmeg, cinnamon and maybe even some vanilla, or vanilla cream. Sides of the palate you get more of that pumpkin, more brown sugar, a nice bit of a buttery crust. Back end of this you get a little burst of bitterness, some more spice, cinnamon is more noticeable here. As the flavors linger a bit you get the dark fruits especially the raisins. This is just a really nice, enjoyable pumpkin beer.

So overall, this beer is fantastic. I came into this expecting nothing. Honestly, I expected this to be OK and maybe a bit difficult to finish a full bottle. I was wrong. This is exactly what I want in a pumpkin beer. Good spices, nothing too overpowering, full pumpkin flavor, great mouth feel. It covers everything I look for in a pumpkin pie all while still keeping that integrity of being a beer. If that makes sense. Basically, this isn't a pumpkin syrup nightmare. Get this if you can. I think it's highly enjoyable and very much a fantastic early fall/late fall beer.

Rating :A

Left Coast Brewing Co - Hop Juice

Hey all! It's Tuesday night and I'm in the mood for something new. Well, I should rephrase that. This isn't exactly new. At least I don't think it is. I vaguely remember having this beer several years ago, back before I could appreciate good beer. I don't remember anything about this other than I've once tried it. 

What's that? What beer? Oh, tonight I'm drinking another beer from Left Coast Brewing out of San Clemente, CA. This is Hop Juice, a 9.7% abv Double IPA. Yep, still sticking with the hops here. C'mon, I'm in San Diego. Would you expect anything less?? 

So lets get the Hop Juice open and see if it's as good as I don't remember... 

Hop Juice pours out a really deep copper, rust, orange, amber color. Very much clear, not much haze at all. There was about a finger and a half of a very thick, fluffy looking white head. Lots of bubbles in here. The Hop Juice head doesn't linger around very long and leaves behind a very thick and sticky lacing. There's not a lot of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass. I'm guessing just based on looks that this is going to be a thick, heavy DIPA. Let's get the nose. 

Tons of syrupy peach sweetness. I mean, TONS! I'm also getting some mandarin orange, mango, papaya like fruits. There's a lot of caramel and malt sweetness. Very potent. Honestly, the nose is pretty much what I was expecting just from looking at this beer in the glass. Surprisingly, I'm not picking up a lot of hop bitterness so this might not be the freshest of bottles. There is some grass like qualities in the nose, like a wet grass kind of scent. It's more back end then anything else but to me, it's there. I'm ready to see if Hop Juice is worth it. Let's drink up! 

First thing I get is a somewhat subdued hop bitterness. It does a nice job of driving everything else through the palate though. Middle of the tongue is where you get hit with a heavy dose of IBUs. Sides of the palate you get that peach sweetness, mango and papaya. Back end of this you do get more bitterness, some fresh hop characteristics. Actually that's probably the wet grass sort of note I was picking up on the nose. There is some subtle bitter citrus lingering on the palate as well. The caramel-like sweetness is definitely present throughout. 

So overall, Hop Juice isn't bad... but I don't think it's really that great. This has a nice mouth feel, definitely on the thicker side of things. But it's not exactly balanced. I was hoping for more of a balanced DIPA and ended up with the stickier, syrupy sort of sweet DIPA. Again, it's not bad but I wouldn't really go out of my way to pick this up again. Certainly wouldn't turn it down if offered but it's one that otherwise I'd say is a pass. 

Rating: C+

Drake's Brewing - Denogginizer

Hey gang! Time for another beer review. I picked this one up the other day and decided to crack it open and see if it's really worth it. So tonight I'm drinking Denogginizer from Drake's Brewing out of San Leandro, CA. 

Denogginizer is an 9.75% abv Imperial IPA. This one is hopped up with a ton of Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo & Cascade hops. That's a lot of hops which are counter acted with some Munich and Crystal malts. Sounds like a pretty good, ramped up, DIPA. Let's see how this one looks.

The Denogginizer pours out a really nice copper color, bordering on a slightly rusty color. There's a real nice finger to maybe just a bit more than a finger, of a fluffy white head. Lots of bubbles on this one. Head has a decent retention time and leaves behind a fairly standard looking soapy-like lacing. There's a decent amount of carbonation in this one which is nice to see. Looks like a good one. Let's get the nose.

Wow, really interesting nose. Lots of sugary, caramel like sweetness. Doesn't immediately strike me as an IPA at all. There's an abundance of peach juice in this. Big sweet, overly ripe peaches. I'm picking up some nice Mandarin Orange like characters. Some nice sweet, bread or cake like body in the nose. Really not picking up a ton of bitterness in this because it's just so potent in the sweet malts. I'm intrigued. Time to do some drinking.

So first things first, there's a nice hop bitterness present right away at the front of the palate. But big surprise, this is immediately slammed to the ground by a ton of caramel sweetness. That paves the way for that hop bitterness to make it's way into the middle of the palate. Sides of the mouth you get that sugary sweetness, lots of peach syrup. Back end of this you get a lot of bitterness and some of that bready sort of cake like body. There's also more of that peach character, maybe even a bit of a rum-like flavor. For 9.5% you kind of get the alcohol but it's pretty well hidden. 

Overall, I'm liking the Denogginizer from Drake's. It's not like a typical DIPA I'm used to. Not much in the way of citrus. This is really more of a malty DIPA, big body, nice mouth feel. It's a little on the syrupy side for me though. I definitely am more in favor of the citrus bombs that lean more towards the juicy side of the spectrum. Despite that, I do like this and wouldn't say no to picking up more of this. I'll definitely pick up a few more Drake's in the future and see how the rest of their beers compare and stand up to this one.

Rating: B

The Bruery - Bryeian Batch 1000

Hey guys! Been a while since I've posted and I've got a whole lot of nothing going on. No better time than now to review a new beer. I've had this one for a couple of weeks now and I just haven't had the time to crack it open and do it justice.

So tonight I'm drinking another beer from The Bruery out of Placentia, CA. This is their Bryeian which is their Batch 1000 beer that is a Cascadian Dark Rye Ale/Black Rye IPA. The Bruery held a contest for home brewers to brew a beer with the winner being selected as the beer they'd make as their Batch 1000. Looking forward to this one so let's get it cracked open and I'll let you know what I think of Bryeian!

The Bryeian pours out a pitch black with a slightly tan head. There's no light whatsoever visible through the beer. There's about a 2 to 2 1/2 finger of that tan head with a somewhat decent retention time. It's leaving behind a pretty nice soapy, foamy lacing and hasn't fully dissipated back into the beer. This looks like a pretty standard black IPA. In other words, it looks pretty damn good. Let's get the nose.

First thing I get is a nice pine presence. There's a lot of hop bitterness as well. There's a slight bit of roast character trailing behind the pine and bitterness. The rye isn't as strong as I was expecting but it's there lending itself to some spice notes which in turn is helping to bring forth some subtle grapefruit citrus. As it warms ever so slightly I'm maybe picking up some caramel sweetness. This is a pretty decent smelling beer. Nothing too crazy though. Let's see how it tastes.

There's a nice little pop of bitterness that is immediately kicked out of the way by that rye spice. Middle of the palate there's a sweetness, slightly caramel, slightly creamy. Sides of the palate is where the bitter grapefruit and pine really sticks out. It really does a number on the palate. Back end of this beer there's a bit of bitterness, slightly drying beer but not too intense. Back end you get a bit of that roast character as well as maybe a slight bit of tobacco or espresso even. It's a pretty decent tasting, if not, safe beer.

So overall, I think this beer is OK. As I mentioned, it's a pretty safe beer with nothing really standing out over anything else. I was expecting a little bit more from The Bruery with this one but considering they don't make an Black IPA or even a regular IPA, I guess I shouldn't have expected a hop bomb. It's super easy to drink and for 7% ABV it's a genuinely easy drinking IPA. I think I paid about $8 for this one and honestly, for the size and price, it's not bad. If you're looking for a strong Black IPA, you'll want to skip this. If you're looking for something that's easy to drink and enjoyable, give this one a shot.

Rating: B

Uinta Brewing Co - Cockeyed Cooper

Hey guys! Hope everyone is enjoying their Tuesday night. I'm a little bummed because I head back to work tomorrow after a nice and long 4 day weekend. Tonight I'm drinking my August entry in my wife's beer of the month club and I'm really stoked for this one. I've been looking for it for quite sometime and managed to find a lot of these bottles at my local Cost Plus World Market.

Tonight I'm drinking another beer from Uinta's Crooked Line series. This is their Cockeyed Cooper which is a Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine. That's right, a bourbon barrel barley wine. It's been rather hot here in San Diego the last week or so but that's not going to stop me from enjoying this awesomeness. The Cockeyed Cooper is 11.1% and this particular bottle was bottled on 11/29/12 so, already got nearly a year in the bottle. Let's get this one poured and see how the Cockeyed Cooper tastes.



The CC came in a 750ml corked and caged bottle. There was a very audible pop and quite a bit of "steam" once I go the cork popped. It pours out a really beautiful mahogany color that when held up to the light reveals some really dark, blood red/ruby red hues along the sides and bottom of the glass. There's the slightest bit of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. There was a nice 2 fingers of a fluffy and thick khaki colored head that stuck around for quite a bit, leaving behind a pretty nice, web-like lacing. Just a really solid looking Barleywine. Let's get the nose.

Big Big Big burnt caramel and sugar sweetness. Almost like the top of a creme brulee dessert. There's a nice dark fruit character of raisin and fig. A TON of barrel character. Quite a bit of an oak woodiness. Lots of vanilla sweetness here. There's a noticeable chocolate covered raisin character as well. Of course there's a bit of a bourbon alcohol smell. No surprise there. This is just an awesome smelling beer. Let's see if this tastes anything like it smells.

Wow, this is incredible! First thing I get is that woody, oak-like character. That's intertwined with a really nice vanilla and a caramel sweetness. Middle of the mouth you get a little more woody character and some earthy, bitterness. Maybe even a little bit of a burnt flavor. Sides of the palate you get the dark fruits, those chocolate covered raisins and some more of that caramel sweetness. Back of the palate you get a nice bourbon burn, some more of that vanilla sweetness. A bit of the chocolate flavors coming through. Definitely a warming sensation as it makes it's way down the chest. There's a lot of oak, bourbon, vanilla playing with each other throughout this entire beer.

So overall, this is just an amazing beer. Definitely one to sip on. Definitely one I want to see what happens with some age. Fortunately for me, I have another bottle in my cellar cabinet so I'll get to experience that. This is just another solid effort from Uinta who to date, I've yet to have a bad beer from. If you can get this, check it out. Everything about this beer is a home run. Do yourself a favor, seek this out and purchase/trade for a bottle. You will not regret it if you like Barleywines, especially barrel aged offerings.

Rating: A+

Deschutes Brewery - Black Butte XXV

Hey gang! Time for another beer review. It's been a long week and I'm going to have a really, really long day tomorrow at work. So, wanting to forget that, I've decided to crack something open a little "early" if you would.

Tonight I'm drinking the 25th Birthday Reserve from Deschutes. That's right, I'm drinking the Black Butte XXV. Now I say "early" because this has a best after date of 6/10/14. Yeah, this beer is so legit they're telling you not to touch it for a year. Well, I laugh at their directions. But seriously, I've heard this is great now. So I picked up two bottles. One to sit on for a year and this one. So let's get this one opened. I'm seriously stoked to drink this.

The XXV is an 11.3% Imperial Porter brewed with dates, figs and cocoa nibs. Then if that wasn't enough, they put 50% into bourbon barrels and 12.5% received a little black currant treatment. Yep. Just a great sounding beer. Enough intro. Let's rock!

XXV poured out a nearly pitch black. I'm kidding, this beer is dark as night. Maybe the slightest bit of mahogany at the bottom of the glass but frankly, I think that's just my mind/eyes playing tricks on me. I poured pretty aggressively because honestly, I wanted to show this beer who was boss. The XXV responded by kicking me in the face with 2 fingers of khaki head, very fluffy with a lot of tight bubbles. A decent retention time leaves behind a really nice soapy lacing. This beer isn't fucking around. Let's get the nose.

Wow! First thing I get hit with is a massive amount of chocolate covered raisin and fig. Very rich smelling. The fig smells like it's been hit with a touch of booze. Oh, surprise! It's the bourbon coming through. Lots of vanilla and caramel sweetness. There's a little bit of alcohol on the nose which is doing it's best (and failing) to mask the tart black currants. That's right, you can smell the currants on the nose. It's subtle but plays really nicely off the chocolate, vanilla, caramel sweetness. There's a bit of a dark chocolate, almost bakers chocolate on the nose, probably from the nibs. Reminds me a bit of a piece of chocolate cake. Just a really, really great smelling beer. I'm ready to throw down. Let's do some drinking!

Yep. Follows the nose to a T. Big chocolate covered raisins. A lot of caramel sweetness, vanilla, booze, a nice sort of bourbon sweetness. A little bit of alcohol on the back end. You get a nice little pop of black currants on the sides of the palate and a bit on the back end. That cocoa nib character is a little more subdued than it is on the nose. You get a nice cocoa after taste but it's not really as noticeable anywhere else. But seriously, who gives a shit? Everything else going on with this beer is just a masterpiece. As it warms up I get a ton of date/fig character. Very chewy and sweet. The caramel and vanilla sweetness in this thing is really nice.

So overall, Black Butte XXV is simply amazing. Everything plays so well off each other in this. Even though there's a touch of alcohol it's not taking away from the beer. This beer is made to be consumed a little less than a year from now. I'd be interested to see how the black currants do with some age. They are noticeable throughout this beer. Will they provide more of a sour bite to the beer? Maybe. They could completely fade out. Either way, get two bottles of this. Drink one now. Drink one a year from now. So worth the price tag of $16. You won't be disappointed and honestly if you are, you might have some issues. Another awesome beer from Deschutes!

Rating: A+