Anderson Valley - Bourbon Barrel Stout

Thursday night. We're almost ready to party. I mean, almost ready to get some work done tomorrow.... Nah, who am I kidding? Tonight I'm drinking my April Beer of the Month.... in May.

 I know, I'm late again. But hey, it's only 2 days. No big deal. 

My April Beer of the Month is a new beer, or at least new to me, from Anderson Valley in Boonville, CA. This is their Bourbon Barrel Stout which comes in at 6.9% abv. According to the label this is a Malt beverage aged in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels. So of course, it's aged in bourbon barrels meaning, we're incredibly interested in this beer. Let's get into it and see if this beer is worth checking out.

The Bourbon Barrel Stout poured out pretty damn dark. I don't really see any color coming through or any colors around the bottom of the glass. This looks pitch black. There was a fluffy two finger head that was light brown/tan in color. The head didn't stick around very long and once it dissipated it didn't leave behind much lacing. Maybe a little but it's minimal at best. Let's get the nose.

First thing I pick up is a sweet vanilla. It's very nice. I'm getting some milk chocolate and some sweet caramel/toffee. According to the website they only aged this for 3 months in the barrels. So the complexity of the barrel characters might not be as pronounced as say a beer that's been aged for a year (Dark Days by Iron Fist). I'm not picking up a lot of roasted notes or espresso. Maybe they will show up in the taste. Overall, this is pretty sweet smelling and very inviting. No alcohol on the nose whatsoever (6.9% would be shocking really). Let's see how the BBS tastes.

Wow. So right away I'm getting a nice hit of Wild Turkey. Very bourbon-like even with a subtle burn. Lots of vanilla and sweetness. There's a slight breadiness, almost like a fresh baked bread. More vanilla, more of that Wild Turkey. I'm picking up a little bit of a coconut character most likely from the barrel. There's a slight roastiness on the back end. Not quite like an espresso but maybe a medium roast coffee. It's subtle and definitely lingers a bit. I'm getting more of that milk chocolate as well. This is a creamy beer and the oats definitely play off the Wild Turkey nicely. The Wild Turkey really shines in this beer. As I let it warm a bit more I'm getting more roasted coffee throughout the back end. It's definitely a bit better as it warms up.

So overall, this is pretty good. When I first tasted it I wasn't overly impressed. I didn't get a lot of flavors. As I let it warm a little bit the beer definitely came to life. I definitely get a lot of the Wild Turkey bourbon which is nice. If you're going to advertise that, make it shine. For 6.9% this is very easy to drink. It's medium to light bodied probably closer to light but not Rogue ales light. I'd say give this a try if you can find it. It's not bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to find it and for the price ($11) I'd say it's a little pricey.

On a side note, Anderson Valley is an awesome brewery, completely solar powered. Any brewery that runs entirely off solar or wind gets a thumbs up in my book. And to be honest, the other AVBC beers are good too. Check those out if you get them in your area.

Rating: B

Black Market Brewing Co - Rye IPA

Hey guys! Hope everyone is enjoying their weeks. I know I am. Why you ask? Because it's time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For those of you in the dark about this, it's the playoffs for the NHL. You don't know what the NHL is? Please leave my page.

No really. Go ahead. I'll wait.

OK! Now that they're gone let's get into another beer review. Tonight I'm drinking Rye IPA by Black Market Brewing Co out of Temecula, CA. Where the hell is Temecula? It's about an hour north of where I'm located, about an hour and a half north of San Diego. So yeah, it's somewhat local. Let's get into this one guys (and gals)!

The Rye IPA is 7.5% abv and poured out a really nice copper/amber color. There was a real nice 3 fingers of a rocky/fluffy white head with a ton of tiny white bubbles. The head stuck around for a few minutes and left behind a so-so lacing on the glass. This looks like a pretty standard IPA. No complaints there. Let's get the nose on the Rye IPA.

First thing I get on the nose is citrus. I know that's vague. Specifically, smells a lot like a tangerine. It's very sweet smelling initially. I'm picking up some of the rye. It's a little spicy and plays off the citrus very nicely. I'm getting quite a bit of a sweet malt character. Some sweet breads as well. As I go back a couple more times I'm picking up more tropical fruits. Lots of pineapple, papaya and some Mango. This is a really nice smelling IPA and that Rye is really peaking my interest. Enough talk, let's do some drinking.

Right away I'm noticing quite a bit of carbonation. So at least we've got carbonation! Immediately I pick up the Rye character and a nice hop bitterness. The rye is massive in this beer. Makes sense though, it is called Rye IPA. I'm picking up a lot of sweet malt characters. Quite a bit of caramel in the middle of the mouth. Not getting as much of the citrus as I got on the nose. I am however, picking up a bit of a peach character towards the sides of the mouth into the back end. It's sticky and a bit sugary. This beer finishes nice and dry. The mouth feel is medium. It's just a solid IPA with a nice Rye character throughout.

So overall, I like this beer quite a bit. This is the 3rd beer I've had from Black Market and so far, I've yet to be let down. This is a really easy drinking IPA. The Rye is really nice in this beer playing off those citrus notes we picked up on the nose and the hop bitterness we got right away from the initial taste. I'd suggest giving this one a try. It's solid. It's not mind blowing or ground breaking but an easy drinking, very enjoyable IPA. Definitely not like the typical So. Cal hop bombs. A nice change of pace.

Rating: B, bordering B+

Stone Brewing Co. - Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

It's finally Friday! I don't know about the rest of you but this weekend has been absolutely shitty. It seemed to have dragged on forever and it just seemed to be filled with a little bit extra bullshit. Clearly, someone wanted us to suffer this week.

But enough about the week! It's the weekend! Time to let loose. Time to crack open some beers and wake up tomorrow not knowing our own names or where we left our pants. OK. Maybe that's just me. Oh well.

So tonight I'm drinking another "odd year" release from Stone. One of my previous reviews was the Smoked Old Guardian. Tonight we've got the Espresso Imperial Russian Stout which is just like the name says. It's their awesome IRS brewed with Espresso. So let's get this opened and get into it!

The Espresso IRS comes in at 11% abv and poured out a pitch black color with a really creamy looking slightly mocha head. Not as dark as some but definitely not white or even off white. There was about 2 fingers worth and it's sticking around nicely. Once it starts to dissipate it leaves behind a really sticky lacing. This looks like a really nice russian stout. Let's get the nose.

First thing I notice on this beer is the espresso. It's very prominent up front. It's not over powering though but you can't miss it. Right behind that I'm getting some nice chocolate malt characters and some regular coffee. There's quite a bit of dark fruits here too. Most notably, figs and dates. I'm picking up more chocolate. Bitter dark chocolate, creamy milk chocolate, maybe some cocoa nibs too. I'm picking up a slight hint of alcohol. At 11% that's nothing surprising. This beer smells fantastic. Let's do some drinking guys.

Right away you get hit with espresso, just like the nose. It's rich and bitter. I like it a lot. That bitterness lingers throughout the entire mouth. Exactly how it should be. There's a creamy chocolate I'm picking up that does a nice job getting that bitterness all the way across the palate. I'm getting some darker chocolate in the middle of the mouth. Just a lot of espresso bitterness throughout. It's really nice. Back end I'm picking up some tobacco and dates. There's a slight nutty character at the back end. Sort of reminds me of a walnut flavor. It's pretty over powered by the espresso bitterness but as things settle I'm getting hints of that nutty character.

Overall, this is really nice. I've seen a few reviews on Youtube and read a few things here and there about people getting bottles that are very subtle on the espresso. Honestly, this bottle is not lacking the espresso at all. It really makes the Stone IRS a different beer. I'm a big fan of the regular IRS and this is right there with it. This is totally different though. The Espresso in my bottle just really transforms this beer. So needless to say, pick this up if you can find it. Shouldn't be too difficult.

Rating: A

Lagunitas Brewing Company - Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Hey gang!

It's Wednesday. Sitting around doing a whole lot of nothing. What better way to fill the time than drinking a good craft beer? Exactly, I can't think of anything either.

So tonight, I'm drinking one of the newer beers from Lagunitas. Tonight, I'm drinking their Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale! This is an American Strong Ale and it came in at 9.75%. So in other words, it's a big beer and in some other, other words, I'm looking forward to it. Let's get into it!

The Undercover poured out a really nice ruby red to mahogany color. There was about 2 fingers of a white head with a ton of tiny, tightly packed white bubbles. It's sticking around for quite a bit which is a little surprising for a bigger beer. There is a lot of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass, almost like a champagne. It's actually kind of cool to watch it. Overall, this looks like a really nice beer. Let's get the nose.

The first thing I get is a sweet character. Reminds me a lot of brown sugar or even a sugar cookie. It's really nice. I'm getting a nice spice character as well. Sort of belgianesque. Has a bit of a coriander tone to it. I'm picking up some nice bread like characters. I'm picking up some alcohol on the back end. It's over 9% so it's not a surprise to find it lingering around. This is a really interesting smelling beer and honestly, not what I was expecting. Let's get drinking!

This is nice. Right away there's a nice hop bitterness. It's not overpowering. It's not subtle. Definitely there. It's very nice. Behind that I'm getting that spice character. Coriander and maybe a slight all spice character. It compliments the hops nicely. No belgian yeast to speak of (which I'm fine with, not my favorite) but I was picking up some characteristics on the nose. I'm getting some tobacco like tones on the back end. It's kind of a nice way to finish off the beer. I'm not picking up any alcohol here which is kind of dangerous. I'm pretty sure this would creep up on you real quick and knock you on your ass.

So overall, the Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is really solid. I had read some comments over at Untappd with people comparing it to Arrogant Bastard. I don't really get that comparison. It's very different in my opinion. It's got some nice spice, some sweetness and a really enjoyable bitterness. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Lagunitas beer by any means, but it's really good. If you can find this in your area, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

Rating: A

Rough Draft Brewing Company - Eraser IPA

It's Sunday. Day before Monday. Day before we have to go back to work and deal with bullshit. Am I right? So what better way to forget about that factoid then to crack open a new beer and get some drinking in?

I picked this up about a week ago and am just now finally getting to it. Today I'm drinking Eraser IPA by Rough Draft Brewing Company which, surprise surprise, is located in San Diego. I've heard some decent things about this brewery so when I saw it in the local liquor store I decided to pick this one up. Let's get this beer poured and see how it stands up to other SD brews.

Eraser IPA comes in at 7% abv and pours out a very clear golden yellow color. There was about a finger to a finger and a half of a foamy white head that doesn't stick around for very long. Once it dissipates back into itself there's a bit of a sticky lacing left behind. It's not overly impressive but it's there at least. There's quite a bit of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass as well. Overall, looks like a pretty standard IPA. Let's get the nose.

The first thing I get on the nose is a subtle, sweet orange character. There's a slight sweet malt coming through behind the orange. I'm picking up some citrus peel as well. Again, it's subtle. There's an earthy hop I'm picking up but like everything else, it's light. Overall, this beer doesn't have a lot going on in the aroma. Let's see if the taste offers more.

Right away there's a pretty weak rush of orange and citrus coming through. I'm getting a little bit of that sweet malt. I'm picking up what really tastes a lot like a pilsner malt. I don't get a lot of bitterness, not much of a hop character. Not much of anything. It just tastes like a bitter pilsner. It's really underwhelming. Back of the mouth there's a little bit of bitterness, a little more of that orange citrus character. But really, that's about it. 

So overall, Eraser IPA by Rough Draft Brewing Company is pretty sub par. When you are a brewery in San Diego, an area known for hop bombs, you should at least have your IPA have some hop characters. Eraser IPA really doesn't. If I had this on draft and didn't know what it was, I'd guess this was at most, a Pale Ale. Calling this an IPA seems wrong. This is really one of the weaker IPA I've had and honestly, one of the worst I've had in a while. 

Rating: D

Knee Deep Brewing Co - Citra Extra Pale Ale

I know, I know, it's been a long time. I'm sorry.

I got a really nasty cold that's had me out of commission for a few weeks. I hadn't really been drinking beer in that time because for one, I couldn't taste much. Two, I've been busy with other things. I hope you'll understand.

But honestly, I don't care. I'm back with a beer I've never actually had tonight. Some of these reviews are beers I've had previously, but in this case, never had it. So needless to say, I'm pretty stoked.

Tonight I'm drinking Citra Extra Pale Ale by Knee Deep Brewing Co. Citra XPA is a 6% abv single hop ale. If the name of the beer didn't give it away, they used Citra hops! Lots of them. This is 45 ibu which isn't much but for a Pale it's probably higher than a lot. So enough of a pseudo introduction, let's get this beer poured and get into it!

Citra XPA pours out a very hazy golden yellow bordering on a copper color. The haze pretty much makes it so you can't see through the beer. Looks a lot like an IPA honestly. There wasn't much of a head on the pour. It was maybe a finger (being generous) of a foamy white head. It doesn't stick around very long and leaves behind a fairly weak lacing. Overall, it looks pretty standard. Nothing special here. Let's get the nose and hope it delivers.

The nose on the Citra XPA is really nice. Big, bright oranges and other citrus right away. Not a surprise there since they did use Citra hops. The oranges smell real fresh. Almost like a freshly peeled orange. There's a bit of a sugary note I'm getting. I'm smelling a little bit of an earthy, sort of fresh hop dankness. It's a bit subtle but it's there. Honestly, this is just citrus on top of citrus. Not a lot else going on here. Not a bad thing by any means.

Right away on the taste I get a hop bitterness. It's very much reminding me of an IPA. For 45 ibu it tastes a bit more bitter than that. That's followed up by a subtle bit of citrus. It's more of a bitter grapefruit, maybe some orange zest. I'm not getting a lot of that orange I picked up on the nose unfortunately. This beer finishes really dry. Very much more like a lighter IPA than a pale ale. As the taste lingers I'm picking up almost a bitter orange character, perhaps like the pith of an orange. But again, the taste doesn't fully follow the nose like I'd hoped.

So overall, this isn't bad. It's not as good as I'd hoped and I think part of that is how bitter this beer is. I was hoping for more citrus in the mouth but was left a bit disappointed. I'm not sure how old this bottle is and that could very well have a bit to do with it. I'd imagine fresh and from the source this beer is really good. The bottle I got, just ok.

Rating: C

Iron Fist Brewing Co - Dark Days

Oh blog, how I've missed you so much! It's not my fault I woke up on Saturday with an absolutely dreadful cold. One that I'm still slightly being bothered by. I don't know what happened. Honest!

So my wife is doing this beer of the month thing for me as I've mentioned a few times anyway. So since I was really miserable at the end of March, I couldn't really get into my March beer. I was really bummed about it. Not because it was time to drink beer, but because I could FINALLY get into a bottle of a beer I've been waiting to open for the last couple of months.

The March beer of the month is by a local (and by local I mean it's 2 blocks from my home) Vista brewery, Iron Fist Brewing Co. Tonight I'm drinking their Dark Days which is a 11.9% abv stout aged in bourbon barrels. So yeah, as you can tell just by the description, being bummed was warranted. But enough blabbering. I want to get to the point where I get to drink, so let's get this beast poured!

Dark Days pours out a completely pitch black. The name really fits the beer for sure. There was almost zero head on this thing. Maybe the absolute slightest dark brown head, but it was more of some bubbles than anything else. This thing looks like motor oil. Just absolutely viscus. I think it's safe to say that your average beer drinker is going to be terrified of this beer. And really, they should be.

The nose on the Dark Days is fantastic. HUGE bourbon right away. Several kinds of chocolate here too. Big dark chocolate, some sweeter milk chocolate, just more chocolate than I can really describe. There's a really nice raisin character too, I'd even say chocolate covered raisins. I'm picking up some more dark fruits but they're more subtle than the raisin. I'm getting a good bit of the barrel in the nose as well. I'm definitely getting a little alcohol on the nose here. It's blended in fairly nicely with the bourbon and chocolate characters, but it's definitely there. So enough smelling, let's embrace Dark Days!

Wow. This is a very good BBL stout. Right away there's big chocolate. Definitely more on the sweet side. There's the slightest hint of alcohol up front but it's quickly washed away by the chocolate. There is a HUGE, absolutely fucking MASSIVE amount of chocolate covered raisin in this beer. And you know what?It's delicious! The chocolate covered raisin coats the mouth. This is a thick beer. One thing I will say about Dark Days, it's incredibly smooth. Back end there's a nice sweetness, vanilla, oak, bourbon. It's really good BBL stout.

Overall, this is a very good BBL stout. Big chocolate, big raisin, big barrel characters.

Raiting: A-

I'd have liked to see a little carbonation in this beer. This bottle is entirely flat. It doesn't take away from the beer but I like just a slight bit of carbonation in my stouts. Reading a few things online it sounds like some have a little carbonation and others are in the same boat as me. I have another bottle that I plan on opening sometime in the future. Maybe next year. Maybe this year. Not sure.