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.