Beer Reviews

[ross]

westvletern abt 12 (gold cap)

many of you may have heard of this beer, the supposed #1 ranking beer on any beer site, or magazine out there. the holy grail of the trappist ales. the..... well, alcohol bomb that is westy, is certainly a very good beer. but does it live up to its supposed hype?

i obtained a six pack of westy 12 via ebay about a year ago (priced at 100 (including shipping) it was not cheap, ~18 dollars a bottle (11.3oz)) and i drank one then, shipped 2 to some good friends of mine, and saved the other 3. last night i opened one with my friend to celebrate his graduation from college. it has been almost a year since i last got to try this beer. the beer is very dark brown, and it produces a large tan head, as well as a ton of sediment and yeast come flowing out of the bottle. the aroma on this beer is simply non existent. there is no other way to say this. the beer smells like, well, nothing. my friend agreed - so it wasnt just me. if you surround the top of the trappist glass and inhale you can somewhat pick up some dark fruits and sugars, but mostly you just get a burning smell of alcohol. the taste is sweet and full of fruits. there is plenty of carbonation, as is true with most belgian beers. there is also a very predominate alcohol note within this beer. this happens when the beer is too cold, so we let it warm some, and it was still there - just lessened somewhat. we then came to our conclusion of this beer. while, to me, this one is in the top 20 of about 1400 that i have drank, the overwhelming alcohol note really makes it something that (even if i could) i would not drink every day.

it is a very good beer - but if you want the same comparison, drink st bernardus 12. they are brewed very close to each other, and they use the same water when making their beers. this cannot touch rochefort 10 in my opinion, and the price and availability make it a no brainier to go with the rochefort or st bernardus any day over this one. this beer is no longer sold stateside, and if you want any you have to hit up someone on ebay, or go to belgium. it is almost more of a novelty factor of drinking this beer due to the poor distribution. there is no label on an actual bottle of westvleteren. the thing that denotes what beer it is is the cap. 10.2% abv. not my holy grail of beers.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Red Hook Sunrye Summer Ale

wasn't expecting to be blown away by this one by any means. red hook makes some decent beers, and in my quest to try just about every beer i can get my hands on, i felt i had to try it since i had never seen it before.

poured to a minimal head that disappeared rapidly, now there is just a tiny ring of foam around the edges of the glass. no lacing to be seen. even if you stir it up a bit, the bubbles just sink down the glass and rejoin the rest of the crew. smells fairly balanced as far as malts and hops go, i guess a tad more towards the hoppy bitter side. no other distinct smells of note. smells like an average ale. pretty light body, as to be expected from a summer ale. though not as light as most macro lagers. taste is alright, nothing special.. probably will be my last time having this beer..at least on my dime. taste has a mild hop bitterness with a tiny bit of malt flavor poking through.

overall, an easy drinking beer thats about as good as i expected. not bad if you are in a pinch for some beer to drink this summer, but i would try to find something else.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

mmmmm very good stuff! i didn't notice on the bottle it said that it's "..brewed with brewers licorice" i'm not a big licorice fan, luckily it is more of a background flavor in this beer. this is my first beer from bell's brewing co. and i had heard good things about them. i was at my parents and happened to find some over on that coast so i quickly added this to the variety 6 pack i was building. glad i did too...the only disappointing thing is that i still can't get any here, so i'll have to go over there again to get more or try their other beers.

the smell is very nice. roasted malts, coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and a hint of licorice at the tail end.

the taste is much of the same, roasted malts and coffee being the dominant flavors. i don't really notice the licorice as much at all. which means to me, it's just the right amount. enough to add to the flavor, but not enough for me to refer to this as "the licorice stout." :} fairly heavily bodied, though surprisingly easy to drink. theres a somewhat bitter aftertaste too it. not a bad thing really, just makes me want to drink more. i'll have to slow down though...this is the only one i bought.

i don't know what the distribution of this beer is like, but they sell it down here in florida, so i imagine its fairly widespread. if you like stouts, try this one for sure.

 

[Philipperv]

Red Horse Beer Philippines

This is a malt lager which i've developed a taste for over the years. I must admit that it's an acquired taste.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Allagash White

(note, i wrote this before i had the dubbel reserve i already posted about...just figured i'd dig up some previous reviews i posted elsewhere) this is some good beer! have heard good things about allagash, just never tried any of their beer. this one has pouring instructions on the side..its another beer that gets poured most of the way, then swirled to unsettle the yeast and pour it into the beer. obviously this is a cloudy beer. it has a nice head. i took the picture a little later and the head had dissipated some. smells good...not too yeasty smelling..smells like wheat, yeast, and maybe some fruit or something sweet. the taste is similar. easy drinking..nice smooth and balanced flavor. has a light sweet flavor to it..can also taste the wheat and a little yeast. nothing really is very dominant, just seems to work together for a solid witbier taste. i'm already looking forward to trying the other allagash thats available here.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Brother Thelonious (North Coast Brewing co.)

close up of the label since i thought it was kinda cool and you can't really see the details in the first picture.

the beer itself is very complex in flavor and smell. it was a corked bottle which didn't overflow with foam at first, but it started slowing spilling out after a few seconds. nice head on the beer but it doesn't stay as thick and gets pretty small actually. its a very dark red but doesn't look hazy. it smells fruity and yeasty overall..but there are other spices mixed in there as well that i can't really place. maybe a hint of alcohol.. (9%) the taste is even more complex. its similar..starts out more with the fruity part which mellows out and you can pick up on more of the yeast flavor. once again theres other flavors too here and there that i'm not sure what to liken them to. the flavor is a bit strong, but its very good. not something i would want to drink all night for sure. it was 7.99 for a 750ml bottle, not as expensive as some of the other large corked bottles, but i would say its up there with them in taste.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Lost coast brewing co. Great White

small head that disappeared. hazy golden color..the haze is because it's an unfiltered beer. the smell is somewhat faint..a light sweetness to a light wheat and yeast smell. have to really take a big sniff to get much of anything. taste is good...the sweetness really comes through in the taste. has a citrus flavor to it. the side of the bottle says this is because of "coriander and a secret blend of humboldt herbs" any lacing that appears sinks back to the surface level of the beer. the taste also, of course, has the typical wheat flavor. it's pretty well balanced though...i can barely taste the yeast, but the sweet citrus flavor and the wheat are fairly even..with no one flavor taking center stage. pretty light body. i could definitely drink a bunch of these while cooking on the grill in the afternoon.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Butte Creek Brewing Co. Organic Porter

butte creek brewing co. organic porter

well up until i had some beer from butte creek..i hadn't had an organic beer i liked. first i tried their ipa which was pretty good. i'd rather drink plenty of other ipas..but it was the first organic beer i would buy again. so i tried the porter which i'm having now.

not black..but a very dark amber..no lacing, thing head that turns into a tiny ring around the edge of the glass. a somewhat bitter malty smell dominates the nose. pretty smooth drinking with this one. carbonation is at a good level..not very noticeable. taste is good...malty with a tiny bit of hop bitterness to balance the flavor out. as with their ipa, it isn't near my favorite for the style..but certainly isn't near the bottom either. i'd say it's more towards the 75 mark out of 100. i think my least favorite porters were from eastern europe.

this is probably my favorite organic beer i've had so far. overall...very drinkable..not too heavily bodied, decent flavor..good enough to make people that aren't familiar with porters enjoy it..but not crazy enough to scare away people that haven't really developed a taste for them.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Acme California Pale Ale from North Coast Brewing Co.

hadn't really heard anything about this beer...just have been working through all the beers at this store i've been going to lately.

decent head at first..didn't last terribly long. a little lacing that doesn't stick around either. smell is lightly bittersweet a mix of malts and hops but not very potent. (perhaps my smelling is going..or else the last few beers i have had just weren't that strong smelling or don't contain anything really distinct smelling) taste is more of the same. nothing really stands out. mild sweetness at first that finishes with a subtle bitterness. pretty smooth and easy to drink though all around. not something that made me say "damn, i'll have to pick up more of this." probably won't as a matter of fact..unless the only other beers they haven't sold out of are ones i don't like.

north coast makes some pretty good beers though, and this is definitely worth a go..especially if you really like pale ales. i think i liked the acme IPA more.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Ommegang Abbey Ale

another delicious beer from ommegang. i hadn't tried any of there beers until recently, but i'm sure glad i did. one thing that is really nice is that it's some of the cheapest (price-wise) belgian style ale that i know of. certainly doesn't taste cheap though. nice pillowy head that simmers down to a fairly small head that remains throughout the rest of the beer. a nice deep amber color..too dark for me to tell how hazy it looks.

smells sweet..fruity but in a dark sort of way, yeasty, tad bit of malt in the background. i can barely notice a tinge of alcohol smell too it..though it is 8.5% ABV. hardly noticeable at all unless you are smelling for it i guess.

taste pretty much follows through where the smell leaves off. sweet and fruity with a tiny bit of bitterness. the 8.5% is lost in the flavor which is fine by me. finishes with a light but lingering sweet bitterness and some yeast.

very good stuff. i'm going to have to have a taste off with this vs. their hennepin....and for the hell of it..i might as well get their other beer too.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

i've been waiting to try this one for a while..but it's so expensive, i just put it off. ross recommended it, and it's my bday though, so i splurged. this stuff is 12 bucks a bottle at the only store i know of that carries it. there are cheaper beer stores around here though.

i poured it slowly sort of on accident..but it had a small head that turned into a small ring of head with a little lacing.

smells strong! this is a double stout and is 18% ABV! it smells of alcohol, and with backing roasted malt. the more i smell it, the less i smell the alcohol and notice the malt more along with maybe a hint of dark chocolate..but that is sort of at the end..and really dominated by the alcohol and malt.

the taste is similar, but the alcohol is very well hidden. especially considering how strong this stuff is. i can feel the alcohol at the end of each sip, but it isn't very present in the actual flavor. the flavor is malty, a bit more chocolaty than the smell, and also somewhat creamy. heavy bodied, yet surprisingly easy to drink considering it is the strongest beer i've ever had. also is somewhat sweet in the beginning.

in the end..this stuff is really good, but definitely not something i'd drink all the time, or even more than one of at a time. it's also too expensive for me to buy often...which is why this is the first time i've had it.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Ommegang Witte

gotta say right off the bat...this is my least favorite of the ommegang beers i've had so far. i don't not like the beer..but after really really liking their other beers, i was expecting more of the same kick ass beer.

pours fine, nice head that shrinks but remains throughout. light lacing. smell is dominated by wheat. not too much else to the smell really. maybe a little sweetness (i guess could be a somewhat citrus smell) towards the end. for being made with orange peel and coriander, you really can't tell by smelling this stuff. maybe a hint of it..then again, i've never smelled coriander on its own before.

taste is also dominated by wheat. thats fine...but i prefer to have a mixture of flavors in my wheat beers. a strong wheat flavor is also fine with me..just like to have a little more to it. pretty light as far as the body goes...which makes for a pretty easy to drink beer. taste finishes with a light somewhat lingering sweetness that seems to wind up tasting like wheat again.

if you really like witbier, or want to try all the ommegang, or even just want to try every beer you can get your hands on..definitely try it. for me..i think this could be the last witte i drink. again, it's not a bad beer really, just not my preference for this style.

of course, i can't wait to get my hands on some more of their other beers! i still loves me some ommegang.

 

[ross]

three floyds dreadnaught imperial IPA

well , there is my picture. sorry for all the random shit in the background, but you all know me well enough to know that i am pretty lazy at times. you can see what the beer looks like, so i feel no need to explain that one. the smell is pure hops. very heavy on what i would think to be simcoe hops. very grapefruity, full of an orange citrus smell, and grassy pine notes. tastes sweet and hoppy, no alcohol detected despite the 9.5%. fairly bitter, more bitter than your average double ipa. as with most double ipas- the reviews are short and sweet. there isnt much variation, but when you compare the taste this is the pinnacle of double ipas. this is rated in the top 10 on ratebeer, and probably on beeradvocate as well (though i cannot say for certain). this is the best double IPA i have ever drank - even at 10 dollars a bomber i think nothing of getting my friends to buy it for me and ship it down. it is a killer beer that would literally break me financially if i lived in indiana. great stuff, something that everyone should try at least once. this stuff takes 90 minute apart piece by piece. awesome beer.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

a little lighter in color than the photo. also had a small head that disappeared while i was waiting for my camera. accidentally had it on a setting for some low light pictures i was taking earlier and forgot to switch it back.

smells lightly fruity with a hint of alcohol/spice at the end.

tastes a little sweet, but also kind of bitter towards the end. personally, i am not really a fan of this stuff. then again, i'm not really into barleywine style ales. medium body. a little bit of lacing. similar elements from the smell also...a fruityness in the mix...seems like a lot is going on in the flavor that i'm having trouble dissecting. for how strong the flavor is, it doesn't stick around too long...but it does kind of linger. a light taste that is very much like the smell sticks around a little longer. but the overall flavor hits you then fades out.

in the end, this is the last time i plan on drinking the stuff..unless i later decide i like barleywine ales...then i'd give it another go.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Allagash Four

4 malts, 4 hops, and 4 fermentations = 10% belgian style quadruple ale

a nice ruby/amber colored ale. smells of yeast, a little bit of alcohol, sort of sweet and spicy. tastes great! not incredibly heavy like i'd have guessed. very smooth, i wouldn't guess this stuff was 10% ABV at all. the taste is sweet. not as much yeast coming through in the taste as with the smell. slightly malty, finishes with a little bitterness that lingers..i guess from the hops. minor lacing. i guess the alcohol might be noticeable in the end..the bitterness lingers on with a tiny bit of warmth. i like drinking the alcohol in beer, but i don't really care for it having much if any influence on the flavor. here it is very mild so it doesn't bother me at all. i've had less alcoholic beers that put me off because i could taste every bit of the alcohol in it. the sweetness makes me think of fruit but not citrus fruits or anything..more like grapes, raisins, etc. "dark fruits" i guess people say hah.

if you see this stuff, buy it! it's not cheap though...but its a limited production beer. they'll make more, but i think only so often, and possibly using a slightly different blend of ingredients. there is also a barrel aged four. i haven't seen it, but i would snap some up without question if i saw some. i'd say this could be my favorite from allagash i've tried..though so far i've only had their dubbel reserve and the white.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Great Divide Brewing Co. Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

looks like i haven't had any yet, but i couldn't fit it all in that snifter..so i had to drink some to fit the rest.

smells dark...decent amount of sweetness..but also dark...like raisins...but malty raisins. ha. bit of roasted malt to the smell. for 9.5% ABV, i can't say i can smell the alcohol. possibly a hint of caramel to the smell also.

tastes awesome. a bit of the oak flavor comes through.. lightly sweet maltyness dominates. pretty heavy stuff. i can't pick out the raisin or caramel as much in the taste as i could with the smell. seems the alcohol comes through a little more at the end, but still pretty well hidden. whole glass is covered in lacing so far. even some hints of dark chocolate.

i'd have to try the regular yeti is again (not just to compare, but because it is great!) hah but i think the regular yeti seems a bit easier to drink more of. this is great stuff. a bit more expensive than the regular yeti though. i'd probably stick with the regular because it is really good and less expensive. this is more of a sipping beer..which i'm going to go do now. i have a la gloria cubana maduro that i'm going to smoke while finishing this stuff.

 

[Pam]

Rogue Chocolate Stout

I first had this stout on tap, and I still think it's better on tap than from the bottle, but I'll take it anyway I can get it.

It pours black, with a thick tan-ish brown head that holds well. Wonderful chocolate malt aroma with a touch of an earthy under-note. The taste is chocolate with enough of a bitter note to keep it from being too sweet. Finishes with a hint of roasted malt or coffee. The mouth feel is slightly creamy but not heavy at all, it goes down smoothly.

The only discordant note is a very slight chemical taste that is in the bottled version but not on tap.

Another fine beer from Rogue.

 

[imaguitargod]

Oh no! Passow's been drinking…..agian.

Let me preface this review….I always think beer reviews should be done more than half way into the night of drinking….That way no one can blame your for your grammatical and spelling errors.

That being said, I've been pounding back some Mackeson XXX Tripple Stout. This is a VERY traditional English Triple Stout that is very much food….beer is food ya' know, right? The thickness of this beer is so outstanding that I could probably stick a spoon in it and the thing will stand straight for hours, unlike the person drinking it…

As far as taste, I would have to describe that area as a dark, chocolate sensation with a nice little finishing carbonation to seal the deal. For a Stout, Mackeson's has very little bitterness to it which makes it perfect for the IPA bitterness hating crowd out there (read: That's me!).

Now comes the unique part of this beer. Being that it is a traditional English beer, you need to drink it warm. There are extremely few beers that I would even begin to think about contemplating the rational behind trying to figure out the complexities involved in attempting to start to drink a beer warm. But this beer makes me do it every time, making it perfect for a long camping trip when you want to drink and not have to worry about stocking up on ice to keep your brew frosty.

And for those in the know, try to spot how many pyramids are on the label

 

[imaguitargod]

Follow Up Review

Just craked open Delirium Tremens by The Huyghe Brewery (Germany)......eh, it's alright I guess. A little bitter, kinda tastes like a heavier version of budweiser. GREAT bottle, label design, and name though.

A nice thing about this beer is that it is 8.5% ABV and for that amount, it isn't as heavy tasting as I expected. Not too bad of a beer, but for the price, I would rather purchase something else.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

they just started carrying this stuff at the store here recently...though they didn't put the price up right away so i held off. some of their beers are pretty expensive, so i wasn't sure. anyway, they finally got around to putting up the price and it wasn't so bad..$3.49 i think.

smells malty and sweet. kinda having trouble smelling anything right now though.. and i can smell the food i just heated up.

taste is malty but also with some dark fruit/sweetness, a slight hint of vanilla could also be part of the sweetness. can't say for sure that i can taste the maple they mention...but if i can, it's in the middle when the sweetness seems to peak. finishes with a lingering smokiness. for 11% ABV, i would say this is pretty smooth..a slight bit of alcohol warmth at the end.

i'm kind of hit and miss with these dfh beers. i like their ipas and the world wide stout was good..but i wasn't into the raison d' etre, midas touch, i'm not too crazy about this one either. i don't mind the dark/sweet taste up front..but i'm not liking the way it finishes up. the finish makes me think of rogue smoke ale, which i wasn't too pumped about either. only this is a little less up front than with the smoke ale. i guess the smoky flavor is the oak.

not bad, but not my style. i've had beers that were aged in oak barrels and have enjoyed them..but (not sure if this was aged, or if oak was just used somewhere along the lines) it doesn't seem to go over well with me here. i'd try one on tap, but as of right now, i am not planning on picking up any more of this stuff. worth a try though.