Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

McRogue-Rogue Brewing

This was a somewhat disappointing Scotch ale as it was a bit thin, had little peatiness/smokiness to it and was kind of flat. The ABV did not seem particularly high either. A Scotch ale should be a dark amber (this was) and be full of dark caramel and chocolate flavors (this was not) with mild to moderate smokey flavors and aromas. I'd guess the IBU to be about 30 and the ABV about 6% with most Scotch ales in the 7-8% range. They recommend on the bottle that this is best aged for 1 year and it had a 2010 date on it so I am a bit sad it was not better. This is part of their XS series and I tasted all of them over 10 years ago and remember this style being quite good. They bottle all of these selections in 7 ounce nips and I only paid $3 for this (all the others are $5) so I don't feel that bad. I bought 4 so I have 3 left. Guess they will be in traders later this year or next .

[devildeac]

Mokah-Southern Tier Brewing

Cappucino with a shot (or two) of whiskey. I can't remember who said that as we tasted this Saturday AM so I can't take it as original but that's a pretty good description of this imperial stout. Black as night and about as viscous as Quaker State 10W30, this heavily roasted and dark chocolate laden concoction is almost sinful. I'd guess the IBU to be 60-70 as most RIS are and the ABV was 11.6% on the bottle so it was potent but extremely sippable. The Jamaican coffee flavors are prominent but did not have me calling for the cream and sugar. The blend of coffee, chocolate, grains and hops are nearly perfect and this should be served in a snifter slightly chilled with (or without) a slice of flourless chocolate torte/double chocolate pound cake or triple chocolate chip cookies. Simply decadent. About 5 of us shared a bomber and I would not hesitate picking up another at $8-9 for the bottle. I declared this to be in a tie for this FB season with the Southern Tier Creme Brulee that dpslaw brought to sample several weeks ago and ever so slightly ahead of the Smuttynose Gravitation quad that CB&B offered to the group to sample.

[devildeac]

Up next:

[devildeac]

I want one of these:



Are you reading, dpslaw?

[bluebeer]

I want one of these:



Are you reading, dpslaw?

Come over to my house on Thanksgiving ;)

[bluebeer]

Mokah-Southern Tier Brewing

Cappucino with a shot (or two) of whiskey. I can't remember who said that as we tasted this Saturday AM so I can't take it as original but that's a pretty good description of this imperial stout. Black as night and about as viscous as Quaker State 10W30, this heavily roasted and dark chocolate laden concoction is almost sinful. I'd guess the IBU to be 60-70 as most RIS are and the ABV was 11.6% on the bottle so it was potent but extremely sippable. The Jamaican coffee flavors are prominent but did not have me calling for the cream and sugar. The blend of coffee, chocolate, grains and hops are nearly perfect and this should be served in a snifter slightly chilled with (or without) a slice of flourless chocolate torte/double chocolate pound cake or triple chocolate chip cookies. Simply decadent. About 5 of us shared a bomber and I would not hesitate picking up another at $8-9 for the bottle. I declared this to be in a tie for this FB season with the Southern Tier Creme Brulee that dpslaw brought to sample several weeks ago and ever so slightly ahead of the Smuttynose Gravitation quad that CB&B offered to the group to sample.

Nice review of a great beer. I was never a huge ST fan but I've become a convert over the past year. If you can find Choklat, grab one..might be the best chocolate stout, I've tried...

[bluebeer]

I should have probably waited until at least next week to start but I've been sampling xmas beers for the past week or so. It's ny far my favorite beer season. First up for review was one of my favorites..St. Bernardus Christmas Ale. Pours a rich caramel brown with a large frothy head. A classic belgian strong dark ale with lots of fig, cherry, and candied malts all balanced well by a a nice bready yeast. Some xmas beers go a bit over the top with spices or sweetness but this one is smooth and subtle. Pretty hefty ABV at 10% but I split the 750ml over a few nights. I stashed another away for a month from now..

[bluebeer]

Goose Island Christmas Ale--I almost skipped this one as the price seemed a little high ($11 for a 4 pack) compared to similar brown ales. Pours a dark amber brown with a bit more density than I expected. An excellent brown ale with caramel malts, hints of dark chocolate, subtle spices and a splash of bitter hoppiness for balance. ABV is about 6%. This is a great brew for now through new years (and beyond). Just enough body for the cooler weather but still fairly light and drinkable. Worth buying if you see it..

[bluebeer]

Bruery 4 Calling Birds. The Bruery has been producing the releasing a new holiday beer each year based on the 12 days of Christmas. Here is the description for this years offering straight from their website..
"4 Calling Birds-Spiced Strong Dark Ale. The Twelve Days of Christmas series continues! We took inspiration from the traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate for a perfect cold weather sipper!"
I really had mixed feelings about this one. Starts off like a traditional belgian strong dark with sweet and sour dark fruits and bread yeast but then slams you with dark chocolate and gingerbread spice. These are all flavors that I love and it would seem that they should go well together but for some reason it just tasted off for me. Not a bad beer beer by any stretch but did not live up to my expectations. A split the bottle over a few nights passing some off to my wife who liked it even less..I'm a little tempted to buy another to age as part of the series but will probably pass..

[devildeac]

I want one of these:



Are you reading, dpslaw?

Come over to my house on Thanksgiving ;)

Upon further review, what time is dinner?

[devildeac]

Bruery 4 Calling Birds. The Bruery has been producing the releasing a new holiday beer each year based on the 12 days of Christmas. Here is the description for this years offering straight from their website..
"4 Calling Birds-Spiced Strong Dark Ale. The Twelve Days of Christmas series continues! We took inspiration from the traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate for a perfect cold weather sipper!"
I really had mixed feelings about this one. Starts off like a traditional belgian strong dark with sweet and sour dark fruits and bread yeast but then slams you with dark chocolate and gingerbread spice. These are all flavors that I love and it would seem that they should go well together but for some reason it just tasted off for me. Not a bad beer beer by any stretch but did not live up to my expectations. A split the bottle over a few nights passing some off to my wife who liked it even less..I'm a little tempted to buy another to age as part of the series but will probably pass..

You need to spend more time on this thread...

;)

Great stuff, as usual.

[devildeac]

Up next:

A complete breakfast in a bottle. The only thing this brew could possibly need would be a slice of chocolate/chocolate chip pound cake or a chocolate croissant. What else could you want with a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout? Well, maybe a splash of cream and a half a teaspoon of sugar . Almost midnight black, chewy, viscous and oily, this brew has a potent nose of heavily roasted coffee and dark chocolate with a medium tan, creamy head. IBU at 60 and ABV at 8.3%. The oatmeal imparts a smooth, silky texture (and hopefully a few grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber ), too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or nightcap would be the right time/s to sip one of these at cellar temperature. Another winner from dpslaw from Brunchgate .

[captmojo]

Up next:

The oatmeal imparts a smooth, silky texture (and hopefully a few grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber ), too.

Does this mean I would be under , "Doctor's Orders"?

[captmojo]

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The only thing this brew could possibly need would be a slice of chocolate/chocolate chip pound cake or a chocolate croissant. What else could you want with a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout?

I'd vote for a sparkling clean, chilled glass.

[bluebeer]

Up next:

A complete breakfast in a bottle. The only thing this brew could possibly need would be a slice of chocolate/chocolate chip pound cake or a chocolate croissant. What else could you want with a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout? Well, maybe a splash of cream and a half a teaspoon of sugar . Almost midnight black, chewy, viscous and oily, this brew has a potent nose of heavily roasted coffee and dark chocolate with a medium tan, creamy head. IBU at 60 and ABV at 8.3%. The oatmeal imparts a smooth, silky texture (and hopefully a few grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber ), too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or nightcap would be the right time/s to sip one of these at cellar temperature. Another winner from dpslaw from Brunchgate .

yum, reading this review is making me thirsty...

[devildeac]

Up next:

A complete breakfast in a bottle. The only thing this brew could possibly need would be a slice of chocolate/chocolate chip pound cake or a chocolate croissant. What else could you want with a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout? Well, maybe a splash of cream and a half a teaspoon of sugar . Almost midnight black, chewy, viscous and oily, this brew has a potent nose of heavily roasted coffee and dark chocolate with a medium tan, creamy head. IBU at 60 and ABV at 8.3%. The oatmeal imparts a smooth, silky texture (and hopefully a few grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber ), too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or nightcap would be the right time/s to sip one of these at cellar temperature. Another winner from dpslaw from Brunchgate .

yum, reading this review is making me thirsty...

It should make you hungry, too.

[devildeac]

Vanilla Stout-Saranac Brewing

This was a bit thin for a stout but a nice combination of heavily roasted caramel and chocolate malts, vanilla beans and mild hop presence. I'd guess the IBU about 40 and the ABV is 4.8%, a bit low for a stout but made it a 1st half beer last PM. The 2nd half score, err, beer was better. Serve this at room temp with a hearty beef stew or chili or as a beverage with/for dessert. This was a trader from CB&B out of his Saranac winter sampler from the final Brunchgate .

[devildeac]

Porter-Scuttlebutt Brewing

I sipped the 1st half of this bomber last PM during the 2nd half of the Duke-KU game and it got even better as the final seconds ticked off the clock . Pretty standard brew here with an opaque, dark brown color and prominent mocha notes. Small, cinnamon colored head and mild bitterness. I'd guess 30-40 IBU and the ABV is listed at 5.5%. Solid brew to have with brisket, BBQ, stew, chili or jayhawk . You could even plop a scoop of ice cream in 6-8 ounces of this and call it dessert. Or breakfast. Probably the best part was it being a "bargain" bomber at $4 for the 22 ounces. I actually found this myself with no help/trading from CB&B, dpslaw or my drug rep trading buddy .

[bluebeer]

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout--Here is the description from Founders--"Canadian Breakfast Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup." They finally bottled this draft only beer as part of a series of special releases. My local bottle shop received 4 bottles of these a month or so back when it was released and I was lucky enough to get one of them. Shared the bottle with a few family members today after dinner instead of pie. I can easily say this was the best stout I've ever had and possibly the best beer overall. Decadent is probably the best way to describe it. Pours a rich thick black with a very thin head. The expected tastes of bitter coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, sweet maple syrup are all present but what separates this beer from several others is how well those tastes are blended together. Heavy and thick like the richest dessert but frighteningly smooth without the booziness and bite of some of my other favorite stouts (Bourbon County Stout). An incredible beer that exceeded all expectations..

[devildeac]

CBS.jpg

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout--Here is the description from Founders--"Canadian Breakfast Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup." They finally bottled this draft only beer as part of a series of special releases. My local bottle shop received 4 bottles of these a month or so back when it was released and I was lucky enough to get one of them. Shared the bottle with a few family members today after dinner instead of pie. I can easily say this was the best stout I've ever had and possibly the best beer overall. Decadent is probably the best way to describe it. Pours a rich thick black with a very thin head. The expected tastes of bitter coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, sweet maple syrup are all present but what separates this beer from several others is how well those tastes are blended together. Heavy and thick like the richest dessert but frighteningly smooth without the booziness and bite of some of my other favorite stouts (Bourbon County Stout). An incredible beer that exceeded all expectations..

I knew I should have booked that flight...