Beer Reviews

[xgrafcorex]

Terrapin All American Imperial Pilsner

excellent head retention...most of that head in the pic is still there. 8.1% ABV.

smell is interesting..malty first and foremost, smells very citrusy with a decent aroma of hops as well. can barely detect the alcohol if i give it a bit of a swirl and take a good strong sniff.

tastes not quite as good as it smells. seems to have the hops and citrus flavor up front which shifts towards a malty sweetness and finishes kinda dry. medium to medium light body..it is a pilsner..but then again it's a double/imperial pilsner. a certain degree of hop bitterness remains throughout the whole tasting. i guess that is where the dry finish is coming from.

good beer, especially considering it's a pilsner, but like other beers i've had from terrapin..it isn't amazing by any means. i'll still continue to try their other beers, as all of their beers are good, drinkable, and unique in one way or another. maybe my opinion of it will change as it warms up or i just drink more of it.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Otter Creek Copper Ale

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/119/434
this beer is supposed to be influenced by the german style altbier. which is a brew made with ale yeast but fermented in lagering conditions. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/86 ba doesn't mention the word lager..but i read it in my beer book...which also recommended this beer. so far i must say it is pretty good. my first otter creek beer..have another in the fridge, their octoberfest beer. has a mildly sweet malty flavor with a less noticeable hoppy flavor that starts up somewhere in the middle to give it a little balance. the sweet malt flavor gives off impressions of caramel.

the bottle says it uses 6 malts and 3 types of hops. no preservatives, and is not pasteurized.

has a medium body with a slightly dry finish..probably the hops i guess. smooth and easy to drink..would be a fine session beer. not earth-shattering in greatness, but a great everyday beer. would definitely drink it again, though i'm not in any rush to buy more. one day i will probably. for now, i'll probably work through their other beers that are available to me here. not sure how many others there are down here..

 

[xgrafcorex]

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel

franziskaner hefe-weisse dunkel. good stuff, a little less delicious as i was expecting..still a nice beer. seems people on BA like the regular hefe-weisse better. i'll be sure to try it. the dominant flavor was the yeast..gave it a good swirl towards the end then poured it in. also tasted some spices..the yeast and the wheat were foremost, but seemed to combine and give it a noticeable banana flavor.

would definitely have it again and will probably pick up the regular hefe-weisse tomorrow if i make it up to the store.

note..it's not quite that dark..was just the lighting situation and my flash combined.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale 2007

great beer! smells like pine and hops. that's about all i can smell..or at least all i can think of when i smell it.

taste echoes the smell. piney bitter hops dominate..detectable malt backbone keep it from being an all out hop assault. smooth as hell, with a dry finish. almost has a creamy taste too it as well as creamy feel.

would be an awesome session beer if it wasn't a special release. it's very likely i'll be picking up more of this stuff..especially since i'm not sure how long it will be available for.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale

could smell the blueberry a little bit when i poured it. definitely can smell it when i put my nose up to the glass! it smells sweet, like blueberries, with a touch of something else..hard to tell because of the presence of the blueberry smell..i think it might be a hoppy aroma.

it tastes mostly of blueberry, though it isn't as strong as the aroma. can taste more than just blueberry..though you aren't going to forget this is a blueberry ale. it is pretty sweet..underlying malt flavors give it a sort of bready finish. has a somewhat dry finish as well. pretty light in body, a little (not much) too much carbonation for me i guess...seems to make the beer less smooth overall. which could account for the dry finish. i can taste some hops in there also towards the end.

decent stuff, would drink it again..likely that i won't pick up any more though. just wanted to try it because i've had their "real ale" and it was good..not great, good enough to warrant trying their other offerings. the beer was mentioned in my book too, so i have been grabbing a couple from the book and a few that just catch my eye for whatever reason.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale

you'd be surprised to hear what it smells like. one guess..starts with an H. lightly piney..not as strong as other piney smelling beers. can actually smell a small amount of what seems to be a malty smell...not very easily though. i'm actually a little surprised with the smell to be honest..i was expecting to be knocked on my ass by pine, citrus, and hops. it's all there, it just isn't in your face like i thought it would be.

the taste is a little more in line with what i was expecting. bittery goodness. again has a fairly distinct pine note to it. so far, it looks like my whole glass is going to be coated in lace. there is a little bit of sweetness in the beginning which gets masked by the bitterness of the hops which lingers in your mouth after each sip. it leaves your mouth somewhat dry..which of course calls for another sip.

all in all, i'm glad i grabbed this stuff. what's even better is that, once this glass is empty...i still have about half the bottle left to drink! i'd be interested in trying this alongside some of their IPA (which i've only seen on sale a few times sadly). would be even more interesting to do a blind test.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Castle Eggenberg Doppelbock Dunkel

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/285/35329

smells malty.. a bit like coffee also. not quite like straight coffee..a little more like a dark chocolate coffee. very faint though..not a strong chocolate aroma. a decent bit of smoky aroma to it as well.

tastes like a smokey malted beverage... 8.5% ABV doesn't really shine through. the beer does have a strong flavor to it..just not one of strong alcohol. plenty smoky like the smell.

another awesome bee from the castle brewery eggenberg from austria. this is a "doppelbock dunkel" aka dark double bock. it's not pitch black..but is a dark amber color.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Stoudt's Oktoberfest

smells mainly malty..but specifically the malts give it a very bready aroma with a hint of caramel/sweetness. can't say i smell any hops..i'm sure they are there, it's just that the bready malt smell is quite dominant.

tastes nice..the dominant bready smell is much less dominant in taste form. it comes in towards the end and doesn't linger for very long after each sip...a very clean finish.

light body, light sweetness..not as much as in the aroma. overall it tastes like it is balanced out fairly well. one of the better octoberfest beers i've had so far this year. definitely worth a shot if you are into drinking the seasonal beers.

we don't have much for seasons down here in florida..still is nice to try beers that aren't around all the time.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Otter Creek White Sail (Belgian Style Witbier)

it was decent..not something i'd recommend to someone that wants to try a good witbier. not bad either..if you like the style, i'd give it a go.

flavor just seemed sort of subdued or very subtle. i like my beers to have a bit more of a bold flavor to them so that i know i'm drinking a beer. was still not bad..had a nice orange/citrus and coriander flavor.

don't plan on picking up anymore of this stuff.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

it had a thick head that dissipated semi-slowly to just a tiny bit, but does not disappear. hazy and honey like in color. decent lacing.

distinct floral hoppy aroma. citrus fruit w/ a tinge of pine. a little detectable malty sweetness under the hoppy smell.

quite different in taste. still hoppy, bitter, yet the sweetness comes out more. almost tart. dry finish, a likely result of the hops. piney still..bit of bite from the hops actually.

medium to heavily bodied. good, slightly unbalanced, hop flavor that is quite intense. not the easiest drinking beer..though for an imperial pilsner, i suppose you shouldn't be expecting a session beer.

next time i'm looking for a hoppy beer, it won't be this one. worth a try though..just a little too unbalanced overall for me.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Saint Somewhere Saison Athene

picked this up at a store last week...it's locally brewed in tarpon springs which is only a few minutes away. they also sell a belgian style strong pale ale which i hope to try soon.

this is just a copy/paste from my review on beer advocate.

a: clear, a shade darker than golden. tiny head that disappears instantly.

s: spices, fruit/citrus, and a hint of yeast.

t: tastes good and smooth. less spicy, but a little citrus flavor in there, finishes with a nice fruity flavor that lingers for a bit.

m: medium body and very lacking in carbonation as others have stated. i was hoping they were wrong when i noticed a head developing during pour.. they were right. the head vanished as quickly as it formed. i'm not crazy about over carbonation, but this is a bit too far in the other direction.

d: smooth and easy to drink. nice flavor..i'd say this is one of the best floridian beers i've had so far. i'm looking forward to trying the other offering from this brewery.

[ serving type: bottle ]

 

[xgrafcorex]

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse

this stuff is delicious. it's not crazy experimental or anything. the first thing i thought while drinking it was "this is how a wheat beer should taste!" i'm sure there are better wheat beers out there, but this is a damn good benchmark i'd say. would happily drink more, and plan on buying more as well. would have to dry the dunkel version again, or put them head to head to see which one i liked more. the BA people seem to favor the regular one..i could see that working out...still would like to give the dark another shot. the dark had a bit more of a fruit flavor (banana in particular) compared to this one.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Avery New World Porter

it's dark in my room and when i hold the glass in front of my monitor, i can see dark amber around the bottom and edges where there isn't quite as much beer to look through..so it's not quite pitch black..close though.

smells really good..this is how i like porters to smell. dark roasted malts that give the impression of dark chocolate. not overly powerful chocolate, more of a subtle aroma. there's something else to the smell also..i think it might be a hint of alcohol. i don't think this stuff is very strong ABV wise, so it either comes through very well, or i'm smelling something else. there's a slight nutty smell to it too..maybe that is what i'm smelling instead of alcohol.

between a medium and heavy body. the chocolate aroma is understated in the flavor..more of a roasted flavor up that starts in the beginning and lingers on afterwards. again, i can pick up on a somewhat nutty sweetness as well. chocolate is there, but more in the background in the finish.

all in all, i would definitely buy this stuff again. wouldn't say it's my favorite porter..i'd say it's up there though. give it a try if you see it around. beers from avery aren't usually too expensive either compared to other companies which makes this a great deal.

 

[Pam]

Middle Ages Dragonslayer Imperial Stout

Since Ross says this shouldn't be aged, I decided to go ahead and pop open a bottle.

It smelled rich, almost too rich; it smelled a bit syrupy. I was a little hesitant to try it, but the taste had none of that syrupy edge to it, the roasty goodness of the stout had a very crisp finish that made it a very drinkable beer.

 

[bentalphanerd]

The new VB ad -

 

[xgrafcorex]

Clipper City - Heavy Seas Winter Storm Category 5 Ale

they really need to shorten their titles.. anyway, they call it an imperial ESB. at first it smells like an IPA do to very present hops (citrusy), but the more i smell it, i can also detect a sweet malty backbone to it. decent head that dissipated somewhat quickly, on the lighter end of heavier bodied, or heavier end of medium bodied. fairly dark compared to other ESBs i've had. looks dark amber or even ruby in color.

if it weren't for the sweet malt (caramel) that i can taste, you could probably have told me it was a double IPA..pretty similar really. dry finish due to the hops. 7.5% ABV feels pretty tame amongst the flavors in this one. the carbonation seems to kick in a little towards the finish, but the bitter dry finish squashes it. minimal lacing

another good beer from clipper city. if you find any of the heavy seas series, give them a shot. they're all bottle conditioned though, just to give you a heads up.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

this came in a 3 pack of 750s (the other two were hennepin and the three philosophers and it came with the glass in the pic..i haven't seen this chocolate one on sale by itself.) it's a belgian style ale made with real belgian chocolate.

smells malty, subtle undertone of dark/unsweetened chocolate, and surprisingly very smoky. well maybe not smoky..very noticeable roasted malt smell.

tastes good, not quite what i was hoping for i guess. roasted malt dominates while the chocolate takes the backseat. would've enjoyed a bit more chocolate in the flavor. kicks in towards the end along with a lingering coffeeish flavor. semi dry finish, medium-heavy body, can't detect the 7% ABV. weird BA doesn't have the alcohol listed but it's right on the front of the bottle.

 

[xgrafcorex]

bert grant's imperial stout from yakima brewing and malting co.

i basically bought this one for two reasons..one i love imperial stouts, and two because this beer is mentioned (along with several others from this brewer) in a book i have that contains 500 of michael jackson's favorite beers from across the globe. no..not the white glove on one hand MJ..the most famous and respected beer critic to ever live.

anyway.. it was very good, though not my favorite of the imperial stouts.

smells of dark chocolate and coffee with a sweetness that makes me think of toffee or caramel. also has a nice roasted malt aroma. the taste is much the same..a bit of dark chocolate but with a nice smokey flavor. there's a dry finish..and you really can't detect the alcohol. however..this is one of the lowest ABV amongst imperial stouts that i've seen or consumed.

definitely worth a try if this stuff is available to you.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Stone XI Anniversary Ale

ever since i had heard of this "black IPA" i've been very eager to try it. i love IPAs and also love dark beers. have to say i'm not disappointed at all.

in the nose you'll find a creamy hoppy and piney aroma along with some undertones of malt and a slight hint of the alcohol towards the end. (8.7% ABV) the piney smell became noticeably more distinct after i took my first sip.

the taste is great. on the heavy end of medium bodied beer with a fairly dry finish. plenty of flavor from the hops that comes through creamy again. distinct pine flavors with a lightly sweet malty backbone.

was sort of expensive..though i think it was probably just the particular store i got it at. if it were cheaper (and available here in MO) i'd definitely buy more of this stuff. there is even an ideal cellaring temperature printed on the bottle if you wanted to lay it down for a few years..it would probably be great after some aging..though i believe that would take a bit of the hoppyness out of it...which i would miss.

 

[imaguitargod]

I wrote this for The Hot Zone Online so I figured I'd repost it here for those that don't visit that site:

Hello. My name is Jonathan Passow and I am an alcoholic. I love a really good beer and it’s become a nightly secret affair. I’ll sneak out late at night and go to La Cave Du Vine at Coventry where I’ll indulge my taste buds in the sweet, fermented bouquet of carbonated nectar that is beer.

On one such excursions I was pleased to find that yet another company has combined my two obsessions; beer and hot peppers! Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon has come out with Rogue Chipotle Ale which is made with 8 ingredients (guess they don’t follow the Reinheitsgebot).

Rogue Chipotle Ale Ingredients: Harrington, Klages, Munich Malts; Cascade and Willamette Hops; Chipotle Peppers, Free Range Coastal Waters, and Top Fermenting Pacman Yeast.

Before I tried this I got the opinions of two different beer advocates that I know which resulted in two drastically different opinions. Eric, owner of La Cave Du Vine said, “It tastes like wet cement smells” and good friend Eric Chmielewski said, “It am good beer. People big buy it a lot” [ya, long story as to why he big talk like that…agh! Now I am doing it too!]. So let’s see where my palette decides to place this beer relation to their quotes.

I went and got out my 2007 BJ’s Annual Grand Cru collector’s tulip glass and poured it in with a slight head to it. Right away I like the dark, rich, ripe red Chipotle Jalapeno color to it. Since I do not have a sense of smell I turned to my dad, Richard Passow (my mom’s afflicted with Anosmia as well), to do that area. He responded, “I smell gold, a very smooth sensation” I then clarified that I want him to smell the beer in the glass, not the glass of beer. “It doesn’t smell like your usual dark beer, it’s very pleasant with no bite to it.” He also tried it and what he said almost floored me. He actually had two sips of it and responded, “It doesn’t have that bite that I’ve come to associate with dark beers. That’s not bad.”

Let me explain something, my dad usually only drinks what we call, “Lawnmower beers”. Light beers such as Miller Genuine Draft that you end up having one or two of after mowing your lawn on a hot summer day. He never, ever likes things past that. The fact that he enjoys this (the first ale I’ve ever heard him say is good, and believe me, I’ve had him try a bunch of beers in hopes to expand his palate) bodes very well for the beer. Now my analysis.

It does have a slight sweet, almost flowery taste right off the bat that only lasts about a second. At that point there is a small amount of hoppyness that fills in and lingers for about 5 or 6 seconds. I’m no fan of IPA’s or other beer that are extremely hoppy and bitter. This has enough hop to it that it does grab my attention but no where near enough to turn me off of it instantly.

After the hop taste has left I find what I was looking for, the Chipotle Pepper flavor. It’s tiny, like grain of rice that has had the picture of Elvis delicately painted on one of it’s side type tiny. The tiny that makes you go, “Wow! That’s small! What kind of brush did they use to paint that picture of Elvis? And why the heck did I pay $5 to get into this art museum just to see a picture of Elvis painted on a piece of rice? Won’t that grow mold eventually? Who the heck does these kinds of things? That’s madness!”

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes, tiny pepper flavor. If I wasn’t the extreme chili-head that I am I would have never detected that taste. Which means almost 99.65% of the people that try this beer won’t even spot it. Which is said because I was hoping for a more smokey taste. Perhaps more chipotle peppers are needed in the brew or better yet, a Chipotle Porter or Stout would best be in order instead of an ale.

There is a tiny (seems to a theme here) bit of heat to this one. You notice it after drinking about 1/2 of the bottle and sometimes letting it sit on your tongue. I would have to say it/s a 0.00782 on my one through ten scale of heat. Yes, it’s that small but it does appear.

All in all, I’d have to side with Eric Chmielewski on this one. It’s not a bad beer at all. I don’t see myself buying a six pack anytime soon, but I just might buy a bottle again sometime in the near future.

Taste: 6.7, Heat: 0.00782