Maredsous 8

Another Belgian strong ale... lets see how it holds up against the other big hitters. This brew pours dark red/brown with a fairly long lasting white head. The smell is of dark fruits, hops, sugar, molasses, and brown sugar. Very nice aroma. The taste is a little more on the bitter side than expected from the scent and consists of apples, caramel, brown sugar, and honey. Overall it is a pretty decent example of the style but is still lacking when compared to some others reviewed on this blog.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 3.9

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 3.98/5

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Rogue is a well known microbrewery out of Oregon that, thankfully for those of us on the East coast, distribute around the country. Starting at the stouts is usually my style so I decided to go with their chocolate variety to begin with. This sweet stout pours black with a creamy chocolate colored head that disappears into nothingness rather quickly. The smell of dark chocolate is overwhelming on the nose but I can sense some roasted malts and hints of licorice in the background. For once this stout actually holds the same taste as with the smell: instant dark chocolate that fades into a nice bitter alcohol sting with a hint of roasted coffee taste. This defiantly tastes more like an imperial than a sweet stout, but the relatively low ABV (6.3%) tells the tale.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 4.05/5

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Here's Brooklyn's highest-ranking specialty beers. The only thing better than this might be the BlackOps. So, I will treat this as a top-tier beer.

This brew poured pitch black, but, it seemed a little thing compared to other Imperial Stouts. It had a coffee-tan head and was completely opaque (dark as space). It had the classic Imperial Stout scent of chocolate, barley and hops. It was very sweet smelling; delightful. It had a nice, chocolate and coffee taste with an alcoholic bite (it's 10% - what do you expect?). It wasn't nearly as sweet as it smelled, though. By comparison, it was a weak imperial stout. The texture was disappointing. It was just as thin as it looked. It went in weak, the alcohol comes in too quick, and it's a tad rough going down. This was a pretty big letdown.

The brew looked and smelled great. The taste wasn't nearly what I expected and the texture was a huge letdown. For Imperial Stouts, I expect the texture to wow me. This brew would be in much higher regard if it had a fuller body. But, for what it is; an inexpensive Imperial Stout; it holds its own. Kudos to Brooklyn to trying - just work on the body and it's a real winner.

Appearance - 4.1
Smell - 4
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 3.6
Overall - 3.88/5

Brooklyn Brewery Lager

Ahhh...the lager. This is the staple of Brooklyn's beers. The brew that started it all and is always the excellent fall-back if the more specialty brews aren't able to be acquired. I'm expecting excellent mediocrity - one of my better phrases.

This beer pours an excellent golden color with that classic lager look of a full white head and decent lacing. The smell didn't disappoint either with a nice, full hop scent with touches of barley. Basically, the standard-issue beer scent. The Lager had a tiny taste of fruit in it with hearty hops and barley. But, aside from this, it was quite basic. The texture was very smooth with a slight carbonation. But, otherwise, there wasn't much going on.

Overall, this is exactly as I expected it to be. I enjoyed it as a buffer beer at the brewery and it served its purpose well. It's great, but not the best you'll ever have. But, it's an extremely solid backbone. Don't ever pass this beer up if it's offered to you.

Appearance - 3.6
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.5
Texture - 3.4
Overall - 3.53/5

Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale

This was a brew that, when I was at the brewery, I died to try out. But, the taps were running dry with this flavor, so I had to hold off. So, when I got these brews to test, I made sure I got the Brown. Let's see how it was.

The Brown Ale pours a dark brown with a slight red tint and translucent body - just a bit of cloudiness. It had minimal head but very nice lacing along the glass. It had a nice roasted barley smell with a hint of fruit. It had a taste that was slightly reminiscent of an IPA. Hints of roasting and sweetness embodied the beer. The texture was a little disappointing. It went in smooth, but it mellowed out quickly and died with with hardly any fight but the hint of bitterness at the end.

This brew wasn't nearly as good as I was expecting it to be. But, it was a good brew. It went great with pizza and it's a nice, light-bodied ale to enjoy with a hearty meal. Definitely one to suggest, but not my favorite Brooklyn brew.

Appearance - 3.7
Smell - 4
Taste - 3.6
Texture - 3.5
Overall - 3.7/5

Brooklyn Brewery Pennant Ale 55

This was probably my favorite brew of the day when I went to the brewery on a tour. I'm hoping that when I have it again with a clear mind for judgement, it's just as good.

It pours with a nice brown complexion and a transparent body. It has a simple tan-ish head and excellent lacing. It had a bouquet of hops and barley. It was reminiscent of your standard-issue ale. This brew had a slight orange taste - strange. It also had some very smooth hops with a slight bitterness to it. It contrasted itself with some sweetness, as well. The texture is where this brew really shines. It starts smooth and goes to bitter with a nice flow. It was very smooth and had just the right amount of carbonation.

Overall, this brew impressed me just as much as it did at the brewery. It's by no means the best ale I've had in my life. But, it's a great, cheap brew that would go great with any meal or just as a session brew. One of my current staples in the Brooklyn arsenal.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.6
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.7/5

Personal Tasting - Brooklyn Brewery

It's the end of the year and my friends and I were bored so we are gonna have an interesting night. We're having pizza, chips, and brewskis. And what better to have than Brooklyn Brewery. We just went on a tour of the brewery and had a great time there so we thought we should revisit the beer itself. I'm gonna try to total through 3 beers each of Pennant Ale, Brown Ale, and Lager. Let's hope I can give each a decent review and then finish them.

Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

This was a beer that I was a little apprehensive to try. It's a Founders brew - win. But, it is infused with scotch, a derivative of whiskey. If you've read my AFA entry, you know whiskey and I do not get along. Let's see how it goes.

This Bastard pours very opaque with some visible sediment. It has a nice brown scotch color with no head to speak of. It has a hint of scotch whiskey in the bouquet (ugh). It also has some fruity bits with roasted barley and hops. The taste was very minimal to start that flowed into an alcoholic bite. There was a slight hint of whiskey and then the rush of flavors came in with caramel and sugar - prime ingredients in whiskey. The texture was the same as whiskey with a bite at the end. No carbonation, as expected.

Basically, whiskey and I don't get along. But, this was actually a very pleasant experience. I think I enjoy the smell and taste of it, but once that alcohol kicks in, forget it. Good thing this is around 10%. Great brew, make no mistake.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 4.1
Taste - 3.6
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.85/5

Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

The first from hopefully a long line of brews from Founders. The dirty bastard scotch ale is pretty much just a brown ale that has its ABV bumped up a bit, this one sits at around 8%. It pours dark brown with a good amount of sediment at the bottom of the glass and no head at all. The smell is quite nice and consists of caramel malts, molasses, hops, and a bready note that I can't quite figure out. The taste is initial alcohol with a strong earthly and molasses finish. It tastes a little like scotch but not as strong as I would have thought, overall it is very good an interesting, and once you get used to the flavor you'll enjoy it more and more.

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 3.7

Taste - 3.8

Texture - 3.8

Overall - 3.73/5

Brew Tasting the Twenty-first

We're consistently unable to find the Founders Breakfast Stout. So, we're kind of settling for less by taking any other Founders brew we can find. The one tonight is an interesting category of brew that infuses beer with hard liquor. List after the break.

1) Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

Unibroue La Terrible

This is an interesting one made by Unibroue, a bit of a change of things when compared to other Belgian strong ales. It pours dark brown with a slight amount of light shining through and an off-white head that actually lasts quite a long time. The smell is quite normal for a strong ale and consists of caramel and dark malts, licorice, and bitter dark chocolate. I was hoping for the same type of taste as I found with the smell but it was somewhat lacking. It was much more watery and alcohol tasting than I would have liked, although it went down relatively smooth. The Chimay Blue is much better choice in my opinion.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.0

Taste - 3.6

Texture - 3.6

Overall - 3.75/5

Lindemans Kriek Lambic

Hmmm...yet another gem from Lindemans. Fonnie and I have a strange draw to these fruit beers. They're not amazing by any stretch of the word - but they sure are interesting.

Pours almost blood red with a huge, pink head. It is kinda opaque though - a little weird. It smelled of sour cherries...that's it. Were you expecting something else? And the taste was a huge surprise...not. Cherries! Sour and tart at the same time - interesting combination. Texture was very smooth but no body whatsoever to speak of. It was just flat, cherry, liquid.

Not a huge surprise from this fruit brew. It has it's highs and lows and makes tradeoffs in normal brew focuses for amazing smell and taste. Great if you're looking for a gimmick; I sure loved it.

Appearance - 3.5
Smell - 4
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 2.8
Overall - 3.53/5

Lindemans Kriek Lambic

And up next is another Lambic courtesy of Lindemans, this time it is of the Kriek (cherry) variety. It pours a dark red with brown hints throughout and the actual pieces of the fruit can be seen floating around in it. It also has a large pink frothy head which lasts throughout almost the entire tasting process. The smell is exactly what I was expecting: tart cherries. I kind of wish that the taste was more like the smell but unfortunately it has a distinct artificial/fake taste to it. Overall it is a nice smooth Lambic but there is just something missing: I'm hoping to hit the Lambic jackpot one of these days.

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 3.8

Taste - 3.9

Texture - 3.6

Overall - 3.73/5

Brew Tasting the Twentieth

We picked up another gem of a lambic to test out for this week. I feel like this may become a trend to do one of these every once in a while. They are a nice break from the normal heavyweight brew we try and they are oh-so-delicious. Listing after the break.

1) Lindemans Kriek Lambic

Southern Tier Back Burner

We said before that we would be trying a lot more from Southern Tier, and the Back Burner is the next one up. I also believe that this is our first, maybe second, barley wine that we have had so this should be interesting on multiple levels.

It pours dark brown with a off-white head and and has a strong aroma of dark malts and fruits with a good presence of alcohol. The taste is far less strong than the smell and has a solid base of dark malts, fruit, with a warm alcohol flavor at the end. The smoothness is intoxicating (you see what i did there?)

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 3.8

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.2

Overall - 3.85/5

Southern Tier Back Burner

Ahh...Southern Tier...we meet again. Time to touch on a category that we don't venture into too often - barley wines. Let's see how it fares.

It pours an opaque, golden color with a slight red hue. It has a simple head that collapses in a timely matter. It has an extremely alcoholic smell. With strong tones and roasted malts. It reminds me deeply of the World Wide Stout. This does not taste nearly as strong as it smells though. It's very ale-ish and reminded me and Fonnie of the ReJewvenator 2008 which was an American Strong Ale. It had bits of dark fruits, hops and malts in it. Very intriguing taste. The texture was very smooth with a hint of carbonation at the beginning. Surprising for a 10% brew, there is almost no alcoholic bite - impressive, Southern Tier.

Overall, this brew started off not seeming too promising. But, thankfully, it came back with the taste of a hearty American Strong Ale. Great brew - good job again, Southern Tier.

Appearance - 3.8
Smell - 3.5
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 4.1
Overall - 3.9/5

Brew Tasting the Nineteenth

And we're back! We're gonna start the final stretch off with a new category of brew by an oh-so-familiar company - Southern Tier. Here's to a solid finish of the year. Listing after the break.

1) Southern Tier Back Burner

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

This is a personal review of mine. I've had the 120 Minute IPA (quite possibly the strongest brew I've ever had), so I figured I should try out the roots of this fine brew and half the brewing time.

It pours a very golden color with a simple head and transparent body. It has a fruity smell with oranges in the aroma but not much else. It tastes quite bitter - like any good IPA will. It has that classic hint of orange and tart as well. But, it has a pretty thing complexion. It goes in slightly carbonated and once the bubbles part, bitterness sets in with that slight orange taste.

As I've noted before, I'm probably not a huge fan of the IPAs unless the alcoholic content is so high, I can't notice the taste (in the case of the 120 Minute). This was a decent brew and it was really nice to have with pizza (the meal I had while I reviews this). Just, if you're not a big IPA guy, don't expect this to change your mind about them.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.78/5

Konings Hoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale

This is a speciality company that Fonnie suggested to me that makes classic Belgian Strong Ales. He got two of their wares as birthday brews from his father, so here we are now testing them.

It pours a nice amber color that is very transparent. It has a soft carbonation with a brilliant head. It smells of sweetness; honey, perhaps. It's rather mellow and has the standard trappist ale scent with a dash of hops. The taste comes in mellow, with a dash of honey. It moves onto a bitter taste from the roasted malts and a slight bite at the end from the alcohol. The texture is quite curious. It was very carbonated to start, has a quick transition to the end with the alcoholic bite. It leaves an aftertaste of the bitter malts.

Overall, a very interesting and well done trappist ale. It's not the best we've had, but we've had some very very good trappist ales. For the untrained tongue, a fantastic intro to the trappist ale category.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 4.1
Taste - 3.7
Texture - 3.8
Overall - 3.9/5

Konings Hoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale

Another Quadrupel, which is probably my favorite style, lets see how this holds up since it is the first beer from this brewery that I've had. Like all brews in this style it has a rather high ABV and comes in at 10%. It pours dark amber brown with a nice robust off-white head. It is extremely carbonated. The aroma is of golden malts, honey, wheat, I can't smell the alcohol at all. The taste is very similar to the smell and quite nice all around: honey, dark malts, dark fruits, and has a slight alcohol sting at the end. Very smooth and an all around good Quadrupel, I would recommend to anyone wanting to try something with a kick but as smooth as ice (should be everyone).

Appearance - 4.2

Smell - 3.8

Taste - 4.2

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 4.05/5

Brew Tasting the Eighteenth

Continuing on...more reviews. This will be our last one before Thanksgiving break. We might have a couple solo reviews between now and then but no promises. Listing after the break.

1) Konings Hoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

This is yet another simple, yet appealing, Samuel Adams brew for me to test. Sam Adams is one of those companies that never makes anything that's totally out of this world and insane - but they make consistently awesome brews that go great with food and other social activities. I think that's what this company aims for and they are good at it.

The Winter Lager had a very nice, dark, amber color with a red hue. It had a clear composure and a simple frothy head that fell pretty quick. It smelled of a slight spice (cinnamon is cited on the label) with a bit of citrus and the classic, lager scent. It also had a nice roasted smell from the hops and barley. The taste followed suit with the roasted taste that gave it a spicy and bitter composure. It started bitter, settled in the middle with spice and bite and a hint of the citrus at the end. This brew is pretty low on the body - it has a thin texture. It also has a pretty sudden bite at the end from the bitterness. It has a very warming feel though which is very appropriate for a winter beer.

Overall, this is not an amazing beer that matches up with the biggest and baddest from companies like Dogfish Head and Southern Tier. But, it is very decent and worth a try if you're looking for something new that's not only cheap but easy to find.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.4
Texture - 3.1
Overall - 3.54/5

Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus Extra 8

This Is It. And no - it's not a movie about a pedophile. It's the review for one of the most coveted beers in the world of brew - Westvleteren. This is the first of our 2 beers that we have made by this monastery. At the 6 month we reviewed the 8 and at the year anniversary we will review the 12. Let's get started.

It pours out a classic Trappist Ale opaque brown that is very cloudy with the sediment from the bottled-brewing process. It maintained a wonderful, bubbly head in Fonnie's glass and a film in my own. It smelled very sweet and fruity. It had a hint of honey and almost no scent of alcohol in it. The taste followed suit with the sweetness. It had a very bold flavor with a slight hit of raisin. It was also a little bitter in the middle of flow, which was strange. The texture was very frothy and smooth as hell. It had a very warming and wholesome feel with an extremely good flow of flavors.

It is kind of obvious that Fonnie and I are huge fanboys of this brew. But, with good reason. We both loved it and it reflects in our reviews and ratings. We just wish it was easier to get. I guess that's what adds to allure of the beer - the hunt to find it.

Appearance - 4.3
Smell - 4.7
Taste - 4.4
Texture - 4.3
Overall - 4.43/5

Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus Extra 8

Ah, it has finally happened. We have dipped into a months long hold out on one of the best around, the Westvleteren 8. I'm glad that we have finally given in to temptation and tried it- 6 months seemed like an ample time to wait.

This Belgian strong ale pours dark red/brown and is highly carbonated. You can tell that this brew re-ferments in the bottle because there is a lot of sediment floating in it, very interesting. Smell is full flavored of dark fruits, honey, and all kinds of malts. The taste is pretty much exactly as it smells and it doesn't skip on the smoothness. The Westvleteren 8 is by far the smoothest Ale ive ever had. Also it hides the taste of alcohol very well, and this is no weakling coming in at 8% either. Overall it has a very bold and strong flavor with a bitter sweet frothy aftertaste. Very good.

Appearance - 4.4

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.3

Overall - 4.23/5

Brew Tasting the Seventeenth

The day has come. We have been doing reviews for a solid 6 months (to the date) and we think it is about time we crack out the bubbly. And by bubbly, I mean one of the Westvleterens. Tonight, we will be having the lower rated (but still in the top 50) one...the 8. I am not banking everything on this review because this brew has gone through a lot since we acquired it like 4 months ago. I am nervous of its quality. So, let's hope for the best. You know what's coming, but list is after the break, nevertheless.

1) Westvleteren 8

6 Months

I can't believe that its already been nearly six months since this blog has started... Next Wednesday the 11th marks, exactly, the half anniversary. To celebrate this great achievement, Deke and I have decided to crack open one of the Westvleterens.

We will be reviewing the Westvletern 8 in 6 days time, stay tuned.

Southern Tier Jah-va

I did say we would probably be revisiting Southern Tier. And here we are. First up in a line of extraordinary brews is the Jah-va. Obviously this is based on coffee, so let's get started.

It pours out a very black color, like an imperial stout, with a slightly tan rim. It's also completely opaque. It smelled a lot like coffee. It had some dark malts thrown in there with a few scents of chocolate and sweetness (sugar). How did it taste? Amazing. An overwhelming taste of chocolate and coffee with what seemed like a slight hint of licorice. The coffee taste was quite strong though - almost like Starbucks coffee. I couldn't tell if the strong taste was from the alcohol or the coffee but whatever it was, it was pretty well masked from its true identity. The texture was extremely smooth with a very nice flow of flavors. There was hardly any bite from the coffee or alcohol and I noticed the drink produced a very nice warming effect.

This is probably up there with one of my new favorite coffee-type beers. It was a true joy to drink, it was extremely smooth and had great flavor. I'd love to have this with a coffee-like dessert like tiramisu or coffee cake on a winter night. Excellent combination.

Appearance - 4.2
Smell - 4.3
Taste - 4
Texture - 4.5
Overall - 4.25/5

Southern Tier Jah-va

Another Southern Tier... we don't lie here at Fine Brew Reviews. This unique beer pours black, which isn't surprising since its part of their imperial/black water series, with a caramel colored head that quickly fades into nothing. The smell is strong - coffee. Besides that I can sense some hints of dark malts, chocolate, and sweet hints (probably caramel). The taste is very strange for a beer, its like someone took an iced coffee and poured some alcohol and malts in it. At the end of the initial coffee taste there are subtle hints of chocolate which a bitter alcohol finish. It masks the 11% alcohol very well, and is one of the smoother brews we have reviewed thus far. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a nice cup of joe with a kick.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.0

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.2

Overall - 4.0/5

Brew Tasting the Sixteenth

Gonna get this one in...there are more pressing matters at hand. GO YANKEES!

1) Southern Tier Jah-va

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

This brew looks exactly like a pumpkin when poured, it is orange with dark brown hints throughout and holds onto an off-white head for a little bit. The smell is quite nice and includes hints of cinnamon, apple spice, and a dash of pumpkin. The taste is a little lacking for my liking since I always enjoy a nice strong beer with a kick. It is somewhat watery and tastes like a good light ale with a hint of pumpkin spice and cinnamon. I wish they would make one of these as a strong ale and make it a little bolder. Only time will tell.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 3.5

Taste - 3.3

Texture - 3.8

Overall - 3.65/5

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

It's Halloween! You know what that means...beer! Ok, it really means candy...but beer is man's favorite candy. And who better to turn to than Dogfish Head...pumpkin ale!

This beer poured a nice amber color with an orange hint that reminded me and Fonnie of pumpkins. It was pretty transparent and had a nice head that collapsed to a fizzy film. It smelled of...SURPRISE!...pumpkins. It also had a nice little spice from the nutmeg and auxiliary spices in the beer. It was also slightly sweet from the brown sugar in the brew. It had a very classis lager taste with a pumpkin aftertaste that lingered quite nicely for a while. It also had a slight tinge of spicy and sweet. The texture was very fizzy - it had nice carbonation to it. It was rather smooth and easily downable. It had a very nice flow of flavors from lager, to all the subingredients, to the pumpkin.

Overall, this was a great beer to enjoy in the fall with your pumpkin or apple pie at dinner. Dogfish Head continues to never disappoint me.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 3.9
Taste - 4
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.9/5

Brew Tasting the Fifteenth

Tonight, in honor of Halloween, we are having a special edition brew tasting. Also, we are really behind, so we need to start catching up. So, in lieu of the holiday, we bring to you a beer worthy of the season. List after the break. Happy Halloween!

1) Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Dogfish Head Theobroma

Oh boy what a surprise, another Dogfish Head! Yay! Anyway... this traditional ale is light brown in color with a nice white head (that actually lasts). Although the head fades over time the aroma does not. It smells like honey, some strange malts that I can't quite pick out, and a sharp spicy smell. The taste is very peculiar and starts out sweet and sour and then quickly fades into spicy. Upon further inspection I notice the ingredient list of this brew: Honey, Cocoa, and Chilies. Umm what? This beer has crushed up chilies in it and thats no joke, it is by far the strangest ale I have ever tasted. The beer is gone and I still have a slight burning in the back of my throat: it lasts for about a half an hour. All in all it is still quite smooth and the "interesting" factor bumps up my rating a bit.

Appearance - 3.5

Smell - 3.2

Taste - 3.3

Texture - 3.5

Overall - 3.38/5

Dogfish Head Theobroma

Ah, we meet again Dogfish Head. Here's another gem from the company that we obviously love more than life itself. Theobroma is a brew concocted from an ancient recipie with some really absurd ingredients like honey, cocoa powder, and....chilis? Err...

This brew poured a cloudy, amber color. It had a nice head that collapsed slowly to a thin foam. The aroma had a slight hint of honey and hops to it but not much else to warm you of the upcoming taste. The taste started off pretty sweet but ended with a spicy kick at the end. It was so weird and complex, Fonnie and I couldn't really come up with anything else it tasted like. The texture was very carbonated and thin. But, like the taste, it was extremely complex and crowded.

This brew I didn't particularly enjoy because of the spicy burn I felt well after I finished the beer. But, I did still enjoy it because it keeps with Dogfish Head's tradition of making beers that are so fucking out there, it can't do anything BUT amuse me.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 3.9
Taste - 3.6
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.78/5

Southern Tier Oat

Southern Tier - up until this point I haven't heard of this company. But, I looked into their resume after this review and I've suddenly fell in love with them. Here's the first of many reviews from Southern Tier.

This imperial stout pours black like every other IS we've had and produces a minimal head. It smells very chocolate-y with a slight oatmeal scent and a bit of alcohol. The taste is the polar opposite of what you smell, though. It has barely any chocolate taste, the oatmeal is very prominent and it's rather alcoholic. It was truely delicious. The texture was extremely smooth and thick. It did seem to have a small body though; not very hearty. It also had a rough bite from the alcohol.

Overall, I truely enjoyed this beer. It was a little thin but it tasted great and I feel like it would go well with a dessert or warm meal (like steak). The big story here is that Southern Tier made a great first impression on me and I'm definitely trying more from this company.

Appearance - 4.3
Smell - 4.5
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 3.9
Overall - 4.23/5

Southern Tier Oat

This oatmeal imperial stout comes it at 11% alcohol and pours black (like it should) with a caramel head. The smell is quite nice and includes notes of chocolate, licorice, oatmeal, alcohol, and dark fruits. The taste is strong and bold but at the same time very smooth. It is a nice mix having the sweet taste of oatmeal and chocolate and then the kick of alcohol at the end. This is one of the better imperial stouts that I've had.

I have no idea why I've never heard of Southern Tier Brewing Company before, but after tasting this as my first brew from them, I believe Deke and I will be going back time and time again.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.1

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 4.03/5

Brew Tasting the Fourteenth

Feeling frisky tonight. Two beers up to bat, two beers to be struck out. After the break, the work to be done.

1) Southern Tier Oat
2) Dogfish Head Theobroma

Melbourn Brothers Apricot

Another interesting Fruit Lambic this times comes courtesy of Melbourn Brothers. This apricot fruit beer pours with absolutely no head and very closely resembles iced tea. It is extremely carbonated at first but fades over time. The smell is pretty much exactly what I expected: apple cider, apricots, peaches. The taste is a little worse than what I expected but also not bad and resembles greatly a decent alcoholic cider with a little more kick and tartness. Definitely interesting, but no where near the best Lambic I've had.

Appearance - 3.2

Smell - 3.7

Taste - 3.6

Texture - 3.3

Overall - 3.45/5

Melbourn Brothers Apricot

We felt that we should get a little bit into the fruit beer game. An Imperial and an Ale are well and good, but some out-there flavors are a nice change of pace every once in a while.

This beer from Belbourn Brothers pours a nice, golden brown/amber with a transparent quality. It's very carbonated but produces no head, although it has a decent film. It smells like apples and has an overly fruity scent to it. Though, you can't really detect the apricot. It basically tasted like apple cider. It has a thin consistency with very little body. But, it has a brilliant taste - I could easily chug this with how good it tastes. As noted before, the texture is quite thin. There's nothing else to note aside from the fact is has a nice fizz as you drink it.

Overall, I'd say this is a great beer to have during the falltime with a dessert or hearty meal. It's like 3.5% so you could definitely have a lot without feeling off. Quite a nice novelty brew.

Appearance - 3.6
Smell - 4
Taste - 4.4
Texture - 3.2
Overall - 3.8/5

Brew Tasting the Thirteenth

We weren't really up for too much tonight so we decided to try another fine fruit beer. List after the break.

1) Melbourn Brothers Apricot

Westmalle Dubbel

This is the first beer I've tried from Westmalle. Fonnie has tried and reviewed this already so this was more for my benefit. It's a classic Dubbel beer and Fonnie rated it highly so I figured I'd give it a shot.

It poured out a very dark brown color. It was very opaque and it had a slight residue floating around. It also had a nice, frothy, cappuccino-like head. It smelled a little sweet and there was a nice bouquet of hops as well. It tasted a little sweet but it also had a nice, full malt flavor. Also, it seemed a little bitter, which surprised me (these types of beers tend not to be bitter). It seemed very smooth and it had a nice, warming feeling as you drank it. It also seemed a bit carbonated, also a little strange for this beer.

I'll admit, I'm probably going to have to re-review this. I was a little sick when I had it so my sense of smell and taste were extremely off their game. It didn't impress me that much. Also, Fonnie said that out of the 750mL it tasted much less bitter than our of the 12oz bottle we had. I hope we get our hands on this another time so I can do a proper review with all my senses in check.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 3.8
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 3.9
Overall - 3.88/5

Site Update

No real review this week. Trying to readjust to a readjusted schedule among ourselves so hopefully we will do work next week. Expect solo reviews this week, though.

Lindemans Pomme Lambic

This is one of our first, literal, fruit beers that we've tried. It's a pretty popular one amongst the liquor stores we visit and cheap. We weren't expecting much, but we expected it to be delicious.

How'd it look? Not too great. It poured our a generic golden color but it had a slight green tint to it and it was a tad cloudy. It produced a nice film, but no head. The smell was great though - just like a sour green apple drink. Personally, I think this should be a girl's drink. There was also a slight alcohol scent. It tasted just like we expected - amazing. It tastes just like sour green apple flavoring and there's almost no beer taste. You could get sufficiently buzzed without knowing it with this beer. It was pretty smooth, although it had no body. There was also a nice fizz that followed the sour taste.

Overall, this was a pretty good beer. It wasn't anything huge, expensive, or complicated. It was just a simple beer that focused on tasting great. It accomplished that very well.

Appearance - 3
Smell - 3.8
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 3.2
Overall - 3.55/5

Lindemans Pomme Lambic

And we finally have our first lambic, took long enough considering we've done, what, 12 reviews before this? Oh well, at least we're starting with an interesting one to begin with. The Lindemans Pomme (apple) Lambic pours greenish yellow in color with a nice robust off-white head. Now we could have started with the traditional raspberry or strawberry lambic but that wouldn't be fun. We jumped right into the green apple. It, of course, smells like green apples - in a way you would expect from a good cider. The taste is strong, sour green apples, slight alcohol sting, and other sweet fruits in the background. It is a good lambic, but I would go to this as a desert beer and not much else.

Appearance - 3.5

Smell - 4.0

Taste - 4.2

Texture - 3.6

Overall - 3.83/5

Brew Tasting the Twelth

Back to the old grind. Live from FBR, it's WNT (Wednesday Night Tastings, for those keeping track at home)! List after the break.

1) Lindemans Pomme Lambic

Dogfish Head Red & White

Big surprise here! Another Dogfish Head beer, I'm pretty sure Deke has sexual fantasies about this brewing company regularly but that's for an entirely different type of blog. Anyway, this brew pours exactly what you would think something that's called Red & White would - a light reddish color with an off-white head. This is one of the first cloudy looking beers that we have tried on this site, and the appearance is quite mesmerizing. The aroma is that of a nice white wine, with hints of blueberries, oranges, and strawberries. The taste is a little different than I would expect, diluted orange vodka. Not to say that this is a bad thing, but when something is called Red & White I don't exactly thing of oranges. This brew is relatively smooth with an initial sweet orange taste followed by a bitter white wine aftertaste. Quite interesting indeed.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 3.7

Taste - 4.1

Texture -4.1

Overall - 3.93/5

Dogfish Head Red & White

This is another one of Dogfish's brews of their new Fall line of specialty beer. It's a mixture of Pinot Noir red wine and German white beer. A very interesting mix.

It pours out a very nice dark, amber color. It is pretty opaque but you see a very interesting residue fall down the glass after the pour. It also produced a very nice, foamy head. It had the very strong scent of wine and it also had a orange-y smell. The beer was mixed with citrus fruits so this doesn't come as a surprise. there was even more presence of the orange in the taste and it had a high-acid taste like orange juice. It finished off with red wine taste that was very classy. It had a pretty smooth texture with a tart finish - very reminiscent of red wine.

This is a beer you can appreciate if you like wine as well as beer. It has the best of both worlds and it's good to see that Dogfish Head is still producing quality mix beers.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 3.8
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 4
Overall - 3.95/5

Brew Tasting the Eleventh

We are very very very very behind and since we didn't have a chance to do a review on Wednesday we bring to you a special Friday Night edition of Brew Tasting.

We raise our glasses tonight to those who died 8 years ago across the river from us. To all those innocent people who were just going to work that day to the firefighters and policemen who went into those buildings without thinking twice to save their lives. This is to you.

We Will Never Forget - 9.||.2001

Listing after the break.

1) Dogfish Head Red & White

Harpoon Summer Beer

I wanted to try a little something new for a Paisley tailgating concert that I went to. I heard good things about Samuel Adams Summer Ale but I figured why not go for something new?

The beer poured out with a rich golden color and completely transparent. It had a slight foam, but no head, and a slight bubble. It had a very rich, hoppy scent that was slightly sweet and had a dash of barley thrown in too. Strangely, it reminded me a little of cheap beer like Coors or Budweiser. It tasted just like it smelled: lots of hops and a little barley. It also tasted like it had a little bit of lemon zest or something else citrusy in it. The texture was very smooth and refreshing - optimal for a summer brew at a tailgate, beach or chilling in your backyard.

This is by no means a really expensive, complicated brew. But, it is a very good social brew where you can have a few and enjoy the taste and the setting of where you're at.

Appearance - 3.5
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 4
Overall - 3.73/5

Dogfish Head Raison d'Extra

Another Raison? Yes, ladies and gentlemen - this is correct. The previous iteration, the Raison d'Etre, had one raisin in it. This one, d'Extra, has two. Let the sarcasm continue...

Poured out quite cloudy with a dark brown hue in the middle of the glass and a light brown/tan top. There was minimal head with a small foam ring around the top. The aroma came up with a bouquet of sweetness and a slight bit of raisins as well. There was also a very prevalent scent of alcohol. Little note: We didn't look up the alcohol content of this brew before we tasted and decided to when we noticed how alcoholic is smelled. 18% - hello, hello. The taste was very strong and pretty bitter. There was a slight hint of raisins in the palate and it overall reminded me of the Ruination with the slight citrus taste (which was a good and bad thing). The texture was quite smooth. It stated pretty mellow and then hit me pretty hard with the taste and bitterness and ends with an even harder hit from the alcohol.

Overall, it was a nice beer, but not my kind of beer. It reminded me of orange cleaning solution again like the Ruination but it wasn't nearly AS bad. Good to try if you like orange-tasting beers that are very bitter.

Appearance - 3.7
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 3.1
Texture - 3.4
Overall - 3.45/5

Dogfish Head Raison d'Extra

The next one up in our current trend of brews out of Dogfish Head is the Raison d'Extra. As our readers should note we have already reviewed the d'Etre. Think of this as pretty much the same thing but loaded with more than double the alcohol content: yes double. It pours dark brown with subtle red hints throughout, with a slight white head. Unfortunately I can not pick up much from the smell, only sweet malts and of course alcohol. The taste is initial alcohol but quickly fades into a sweet and mild fruit flavor. The alcohol taste is nice and sharp but not overpowering, and the quickness that the flavor transitions into the sweet malts is quite welcomed. Overall it is a very good beer for someone who wants to try something strong and different, but still drinkable.

Appearance - 3.5

Smell - 3.8

Taste - 3.8

Texture - 3.9

Overall - 3.75/5

Brew Tasting the Tenth

So here we are. I am still suffering from the concussion (I'm actually writing this hopped up on Percoset as we speak...yes, it's enjoyable), but I feel bad putting the tastings off when we have so much brew. So, we're going to do a single, small (12oz bottle, 6oz/person) brew tonight. Full listing after the break.

1) Dogfish Head Raison d'Extra

Quick Little Update

So, yeah. No review this last Wednesday. My concussion is really getting to the point where I can't deal with it anymore. And I got sick on Wednesday. Alcohol doesn't fix either of those. So, no review. I'm hoping by next week I'm better and we can review another fine brew. Until then, watch the Yankees rape the Red Sox this weekend.

AFA - SigNu Night (Night I Don't Remember)

This is the start to a new section of the site. The AFAs - Alcohol Fueled Adventures. This is a periodic part that I will write (and maybe Fonnie if he can come up with anything) that chronicles one of the numerous crazy stories we've accumulated over the years. Names will be changed to preserve the anonymity of everyone involved. But all stories are 100% true (in accordance to what we can remember). This is the first one - SigNu Night.

This was a fine September afternoon in 2008. JungleJape, Meat, VASlim, FagBag, Freckles, SparkPlug, Waffles, Texas, and multiple multiple others within company decided it was a good day to get drunk. So, we all headed to the top floor of SigNu to drown away our sorrows in a beer or 40. Once up there, we took stock of the beer and liquors available. Being a frat house, there was very little delectable beer to be had, so I promptly avoided the carbonated water they call beer.

There was a bottle off to the side that was whispering my name in the shape of a clear, squared-off glass with a black label - his name was Jack. Jack called my friend Meat and I's names saying that we should enjoy the sweet Tennessee goodness. So, we obliged. It's from here that Meat and I proceeded to split the bottle. Straight. In an hour. We never noticed the burn.

So Meat and I are splitting this bottle of evil whilst the rest of the party is consuming other liquids such as Captain Morgan's, Bacardi Rum, and assorted brewskis ranging from Natty Light to Guinness. It's a good time. Everyone is sharing stories, enjoying alcohol, and basically living the life. We all headed out to the roof of SigNu to enjoy the nice weather where we promptly decided it was a bad idea to drink and be out on a small platform with no railing preventing you from falling 4 stories.

Back inside, Jack started to take his effect on my system. I was getting rather happy and energetic - oh how that would change. So, Meat and I totaled the bottle and then, coincidentally, the party started up downstairs. It was here that things started to get shady. As we proceeded to head downstairs, I brought a beer with me because I didn't have enough alcohol in me at the time. The group partook in pong, flip-cup, and assorted other adult-carnival activities where we would, instead of win prizes, get hammered.

It was at this point, about 2 hours after I started Jack, I blacked out. The night proceeded as normal. I was told that I consumed close to another 4 beers and 3 punches and God knows what else. Next thing I remember, I had my head in the toilet praying to the porcelain gods. Basically, I can't tell much about my night aside from I got fucked up and threw up. Except for later.

I was aided back to my room by SparkPlug, Waffles, and Turtles around midnight. Here, we discovered that my roommates were partaking in alcohol, various plants that cause strange social interactions, and wizardry. Well the costumes, anyway. My good friends found this to be not a good place to leave me for the night. So Turtles watched me for the night as I slept on his floor. But, he didn't watch me too well.

I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that I did not have my card key with me. I proceeded to walk back to SigNu to find my card. I remember stumbling quite a bit, eventually falling into the house and getting inside. From here I retraced my steps and tried to find my card. Considering I don't remember too many of my steps after leaving the top floor, this search was short. I do remember stumbling into some random room and talking with the people inside (don't remember who) and asking if they saw my card. My search was futile, so I stumbled back to Turtles' room and went to sleep.

And woke up the next morning at 8:30 and worked from 9-3. Yup - no hangover.

So this gets more interesting with my other friends' stories. I only know two worth mention so I'll try to retell them in a Cliffnotes version.

JungleJape had an interesting night that I know consisted of a half a bottle of Bacardi, 8 beers and numerous glasses of punch. His story ended just as well - Nixon brought him to a couch in SigNu and JungleJape proceeded to throw up on his shoes - none of which he remembers. He woke up the next morning at 8AM and stumbled back 30 minutes to home. Sensational.

The final story is that of Meat. After the half a bottle of Jack, he proceeded to consume 10 beers and 5 punches. He recalls all of this. He eventually headed outside and hung out on the porch of SigNu and helping bounce guests. The real story happens the next morning. Meat woke up to the voices of VASlim and FagGag saying "Holy shit!" Meat awoke from his hibernation to find himself, and the wall behind his bed, covered in vomit. Meat claims this explosion stretched half way up the wall behind him. This ruined his sheets and clothes and he spent the whole day re-cooperating and cleaning.

It's all fun and games until someone throws up. Then it's awesome.

Carlow Brewing Co. O'Hara's Celtic Stout

*gasp* I know, how dare I. The only Irish brew I should be drinking is Guinness. But, this little gem caught my eye. O'Hara's Irish Stout sounded Irish enough for me to try. Let's get to business.

Poured out, take a wild guess what it looked like? That's right - black. Almost like an Imperial Stout, but not as viscous as one. There was almost no head but a nice tan film left behind and a slight bubble to the brew. It had a nice aroma of hops and the spice of barley. There was also an overall roasted smell to the beer. It tasted slightly creamy to start but the bodied bite from the barley and spices kicked in. The spicy flavor sticks around for a little while while the hops flows in at the end. The texture was a little watery - reminiscent of Guinness. It had a little body but it was a tad thin. The flow was a little sudden between flavors. I don't think there was enough hops in this beer - hops/barley ratio was off.

This beer finished off with a 3.88. Compared to Guinness (Anniversary edition, may I note) which finished off with a 4.2, there is a clear bias with me. But, compared to normal Guinness Draught, I do believe this is a fair comparison. I would be so bold as to say it might be better. I did enjoy it, I just wish it was cheaper. It cost more than Guinness for 2 less beers. Cheaper and it may be a new constant for me.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 4
Taste - 4
Texture - 3.6
Overall - 3.88/5

Presidental Brews

I hope they were all having something good and not Budweiser. I'm not an advocate for the current presidency, but I think it'd be pretty fucking cool to have a brew with the president, personally.

Presidental Brews

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

This is a very interesting brew. I read about this in an article online announcing the up-and-coming summer Dogfish Head brews. I figured, 9000 year old recipe...sounds exotic, probably worth a shot. Was able to pick it up at Shop Rite (the king distributor of all exotic brews, for whatever reason) and Fonnie and I gave it a shot.

Poured out, it produced a very nice, clear, golden color. It actually looked a lot like sparkling apple juice. It had a very full head when I poured out it but it fell quickly. It produced a constant fizz as well. It smelled a lot of grapes - almost wine-like in scent. There was a dash of hops in there, but not too much. Otherwise, this had a very neutral, almost lacking, scent. It tasted quite bitter - almost dry. Along the dry lines, I noted that it tasted a lot like a dry, white wine. There was also a slightly alcoholic taste at the end, but not a whole lot in the lines of beer flavors. We asked the very-neutral-to-beer Sparker to taste it and she agreed it didn't really taste like beer (although she still didn't like it...we will convert her eventually). The texture was a lot like wine. Smooth but a little watery. The only reason it was smooth was because it had little-to-no body and there was nothing to get in the way.

Overall, this was a brew that obviously came from 9000 years ago. Beer didn't turn into the beer we think of today until the medieval times and this is clearly apparent here. This was more reminiscent of wine than brew. It was good, but not a beer that we would purchase again for the intent of drinking beer.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 3.7
Taste - 3.9
Texture - 3.7
Overall - 3.8/5

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

This is quite an interesting brew that Deke picked out. Apparently it comes from a 9000 year old recipe that Dogfish Head has gotten their mitts on. This ancient brew pours a nice yellow/golden color with a big white frothy head that quickly fades into nothing. This beer reminds me greatly of sparkling cider when the head dissapears. It is also highly carbonated. The aroma does not have much going on and the only things that I can pick out are white grapes. I can really tell that this is an acient brew once I taste it, it tastes almost nothing like beers that we know and love today. There is an inital alcohol kick and then the taste moves to a wine-like-flavor. A very weird/different one indeed.

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 3.4

Taste - 3.8

Texture - 3.7

Overall - 3.63/5

Brew Tasting the Ninth

To conserve supply, we decided to only have one, whole beer tonight. It was out of a 750mL so we each got a full beer as opposed to the traditional half-a-beer. Listing after the break.

1) Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu (yup, the 9000 year old recipe)

Brew Run the Fourth

Update! This past Wednesday we did not hold a tasting because we are totally out of stock. But, that changed today. I present to you - The Dogfish Run.

1) Dogfish Head Red & White
2) Dogfish Head Theobroma
3) Dogfish Head Raison d'Extra
4) Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu
5) Carlow Brewing Co. O'Hara's Celtic Stout

The first 4 are brew tasting samples and the last is my personal stash. I'm hoping for good things out of this brew - possibly a nice little contrast to Guinness. We will see. Expect 2 of those 5 this coming Wednesday!

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

Another dark and rich Imperial Stout brought to us this time by Great Divide Brewing Co. This 9.5% alcohol (about normal for Imperial Stouts) pours black with pretty much no head. Like most other Imperials this has a scent of roasted malts, liqorice, chocolate, and coffee. On first sip I instantly taste the alcohol kick, followed by a nice and mellow bitter chocolate and liqorice after taste. This beer flows nicely but I do not think it is quite as good as the Stone Brewing Co. Imperial, although it is less intense if that is what you are looking for. Overall another decent Stout.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 3.6

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 3.85/5

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

This is a little brother of another of our Top 50 brews. Sadly, it's not Oak Aged, but it's still Bad Ass. I had an interesting first experience with this brew when I used it to play Kings. Yeah - bad idea. At least this time I got to enjoy it.

This is yet another "motor oil" classified brew. It's very black, minimal dark-brown head and completely opaque. It smelled of barley and roasted spices. Also, there was a nice hint of liquorice which I particularlly enjoyed. As I tasted it, the first hit was bitter with a slightly chocolate ending. Also, it was pretty alcoholic to start. But, it evened out after that with a nice wholesome bouquet of flavors. The texture was very smooth and full. It had an almost coffee-like aftertaste. Also, there was an interesting carbonation/fizz at the finish which kept the brew interesting.

This was a fantastic brew to enjoy (not play Kings with). It had a nice combination of sweet and bitter flavors. I feel this would be a great dessert brew or something wholesome to finish the day off. I can't wait to try the Oak Aged version of it.

Appearance - 4.3
Smell - 4
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 4.4
Overall - 4.2/5

Brew Tasting the Eighth

We have nothing. This is a desperation tasting. We need to get new shit soon...so expect something on the horizon. List after the break of the single beer we have in stock.

1) Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

Future Weeks

There will not be an official brew tasting this week or next week. Fonnie has better things to do at home apparently so no work will be done. There probably will be the occasional post from periodic self-tastings, but otherwise expect the site to be stagnant for the next couple weeks.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

We sure do like our Belgian style brews here at finebrewreviews, so we've got another one, the Unibroue Trois Pistoles. This Belgian Strong Ale comes in a respectable 9% alcohol and pours an extremely dark red/brown. Like usual the head on this brew disappears quickly into a small off-white ring. The smell is what I would expect from a Belgian Ale: roasted malts, brown sugar, molasses. The taste is quite pleasant as well and I can pick out notes of roasted malt, plum, sugar, and alcohol. Not much body to this brew but it is still smooth and enjoyable.

Appearance - 3.9

Smell - 3.7

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 3.9

Overall - 3.88/5.0

Shmaltz Brewing Co. HeBrew Rejewvinator 2008

Another contender courtesy of Shmaltz, the Rejewvinator 2008 edition. This American Strong Ale (at 7.8% alcohol) pours a nice dark brown with subtle red tints throughout. Just like the other HeBrew it has a nice large head at first but quickly fades into nothingness. One whiff of this brew brings thoughts of fruit, flowers, hops, and several malts. At first taste it is bitter, but it quickly fades into a nice fruity/earthy aftertaste. For some reason this Strong Ale reminds me of a weaker Belgian Dubbel. If your looking for something a little different but still quite drinkable I recommend you pick this up.

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 4.3

Taste - 4.0

Texture -4.1

Overall - 4.0/5

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Fuck the French. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, this is quite an alright French brew. They're more well known for their wine, but apparently they can make a good brew. But their wine-making expertise shows in this brew.

This was a very dark brew with a slightly orange tint to it. It left behind a huge head that collapsed pretty quickly. It did leave an almost soda-like carbonation film behind though. This carbonation carried through for the rest of the tasting. It was a very sweet-smelling brew but otherwise it was a little bland - Fonnie and I couldn't ID any specific scents aside from that. It tasted very sweet and fruity. It also had a little bit of a dry taste to it - like wine. Basically, everything up to this point was reminiscent of wine. ...And it didn't stop there. The texture was very smooth but it had very little body. There was no bitterness though - it was all sweet and it had a very nice flow of flavors throughout the tasting.

Overall, I think I gave this a pretty average rating. It is a pretty average brew. It's something new and interesting, at least. But, it's evidenced that the French are good at making wine in this brew because I think it reminds me more of wine than beer.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 3.2
Taste - 3.9
Texture - 4
Overall - 3.75/5

Shmaltz Brewing Co. HeBrew Rejewvenator 2008

Here at RBR, we love the Jews. Fonnie technically is. They produce a damn good brew. And at the suggestion of Ms. Komadina, who graced us with her thanks in our last HeBrew review, we have gotten a hold of the Rejewvenator.

This brew produced a nice brown, almost Coke-like color to it. It had a nice, but short-lived head that left a nice ring around the top. It was very dark but some light got through which prevented me from giving this the "motor oil" rating. It had a very fruity, sweet aroma. There was a dash of hops in there as well and the overall scent actually reminded me of the Samuel Adams Double Bock - very pleasant. As evidenced by the smell, the taste followed suit with a fruity palate. It had some nicely flavored hops in it as well. It started a little bitter and mellowed out very quickly to end smooth. Although, there was a very quick flow of flavors and it wasn't very lasting.

Although the duration of the flavors was a little disappointing, while it lasted, they were amazing. This was a very well-crafted brew. Yet another gold star for Shmaltz Brewing Co.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 3.8
Overall - 4.05/5

Brew Tasting the Seventh

Well, yesterday I got two brews. And I said that was all we had. So...guess what we're tasting tonight? List after the break...

1) HeBrew Rejewvenator 2008
2) Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Brew Run the Third

This was a desperation run. We are totally out of brew. I needed to pick two tasters up real quick today so this is a little bit of a half-assed effort but some research was involved. Let's hope these are some good brews. Full listing after the break.

1) HeBrew Rejewvenator 2008
2) Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Westmalle Dubbel

The Westmalle Dubbel is something you have got to try if you have already had the less expensive Chimay Red. This Abbey Dubbel pours a dark reddish brown hue with a small off white head. It reminds me a great deal of other Abbey Dubbels just by appearance but the greatness of this brew is realised when the aroma is sampled. There is a lot of stuff going on with this beer: it is flowery, fruity, a good mixture of malts. The taste is even better. I can pick out banana, raisins, chocolate, plums, and other dark fruits. This is a very good beer and also a good step up from the Chimay line.

Appearance - 4.1

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.3

Texture - 4.3

Overall - 4.23/5

Hoppin' Frog BORIS the Crusher

Gotta love them Imperial Stouts, and this one is just outside of the top 50 list on www.ratebeer.com, although its close cousin (the barrell aged version) is up there. This brew pours jet black, like almost all Imperial Stouts do, with absolutely no head. It smells of oatmeal, no surprise if you know what the O stands for in BORIS, heres a hint, its oatmeal. It also has a nice aroma of liqorice, coffee, chocolate, and coffee. The taste is instantly of coffee and alcohol, but fades into a nice bitter sweet aftertaste with a hint of oatmeal. Very smooth indeed.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 4.3

Taste - 4.1

Texture - 4.0

Overall -4.1/5

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens

This Belgian strong ale comes in at 8.5% alcohol, pretty mild compaired to the brews that have been frequenting this humble blog. It pours a light brown, almost yellow tinge, with a ring of a white head. The smell is what I would expect in a Belgian Ale: hops, flowers, bitter fruit, yeast. The taste is a little more pleasant than the smell and almost the same exact notes but with a little more focus on the bitter fruit and hops. The finish is smooth and leaves a nice bitter aftertaste. Not bad for a "cheaper" Belgian ale.

Appearance - 3.6

Smell - 3.8

Taste - 3.9

Texture - 3.8

Overall - 3.78/5

Hoppin' Frog BORIS The Crusher

Frog + Crusher = Not Likely Combination. I love this name. It makes so little sense, it's awesome. For the purpose of this review, you might also want to know what BORIS stands for. Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout. You know what that means - motor oil. Let's get to it.

As I poured it into the glass, I was stunned of what came out. Err...okay, not really. Motor oil came out. It let absolutely no light through, it had no head, and had a nice tan ring around the rim of the glass. Standard issue - let's move on. I took a nice whiff and got a nose full of coffee or cappuccino. There was also a hint of liquor in there - kind of like Bailey's. There was also that roasted smell of barley. It reminded me, in taste, a little bit of the World Wide Stout in terms of complexity and what was in it. There was a lot of oatmeal in the flavor with a slight hint of liquorice as well. The texture was very appealing to with a smooth, but thick palate. There was a nice flow of flavors that made the beer extremely filling and pleasant to drink - a rarity for a RIS.

Overall, this was a very nice surprise. I ENJOY a nice Imperial Stout but I do like a little bit of variation in them once in a while. The oatmeal spin really made this an interesting and memorable brew. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to try something new.

Appearance - 4.3
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 4
Texture - 3.9
Overall - 4.1/5

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens

Now for something a little new to our arsenal. We're not sure where this beer comes from or what the name even means, but it is intriguing. We do know that the name of the beer is the technical term for "alcohol withdrawal". Appropriate.

As I poured the beer out of the strange, blue speckled bottle, it came out a very clear and consistent golden color, like a true ale should be. It had a nice full head that lasted a while. Although, once it settled, it took on a slightly murky appearance. At the first smell, I was instantly reminded of a cheap beer, which was disconcerning. It may be because it is such a clear beer and consists of mostly hops and not much else. Because of this, it was very smooth. It had a little bit of a bitter taste as well as being seemingly light with a hint of citrus. The palate was smooth, overall. There was a nice flow from sweetness to bitterness in the beer and it all hid the alcohol quite nicely.

Overall, a decent, but average beer. Not much to write home about or distinguish this from other quality ales, but still a decent brew all around.

Appearance - 3.8
Smell - 3.6
Taste - 4
Texture - 4
Overall - 3.85/5

Brew Tasting the Sixth

Now we're pretty much completely out of brew. We don't want to touch the Westvleteren, so expect a brew run next week sometime. We need something...anyone with suggestions, post 'em here. Today we're gonna total off a frog and something that sounds mystical. Full listing after the break.

1) Delirium Tremens
2) Hoppin' Forg BORIS The Crusher

Samuel Adams Imperial Series Imperial White

Here is another of the Imperial Series brews from the fine folks at Samuel Adams. It intrigued me because when think "Imperial" I think "motor oil." This is quite the contrary. Let's see what we get.

Poured into the glass it produced a very nice, opaque, golden-hued beer. It had a nice film around the edge after the head settled. The aroma consisted of a lot of hops. It was also pretty sweet - reminded me a little of traditional Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Aside from this, it was a pretty complex scent and I couldn't pick everything out. As for the taste, there wasn't much to say at the start of it but at the end there was a hit of everything. There was a nice combination of barley and spices and a slight bite from the aforementioned barley and alcohol content. This was a pretty smooth beer but it was a little unbalanced in terms of taste-flow. It started with not much of anything, kicks you with a spice and it ends bitter. It reminded me a little of Chimay White in terms of overall flow.

Overall, this was another fine brew. It was a little strange in the way it was constructed and how the textures and tastes flowed, but it was still decent. The Double Bock is still my favorite Imperial Series brew but this holds up the name quite well.

Appearance - 4.2
Smell - 4
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 3.8
Overall - 4.03/5

Samuel Adams Cream Stout

Here's a nice little gem I picked up. It's a very basic brew seeing as it's brewed year-around by the Samuel Adams company and it doesn't have a higher-than-usual alcohol content. But...it's good.

Poured into my mug it produced a pretty nice, dark appearance. It let almost no light through and it had a very lasting head - even in the mug. It reminded me a little bit of Guinness. It had a bouquet of hops and the roasted scent of barley. There was also a slight hint of coffee or cappuccino. The taste started off very smooth, although it was a bitter beer. It followed through bitter as well with hints of coffee in the middle and end. It also leaves a coffee aftertaste leading me to believe coffee beans are in the brewing process somewhere. The texture was pretty smooth, but it was harsh at the end. It had the same flow of flavors and sensations as coffee.

Yet another fantastic dessert beer. It amazed me with how good it was even for being so "cheap". Definitely something up for a re-buy.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 3.9
Texture - 3.6
Overall - 3.9/5

Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA

Ah, Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA, the first Imperial IPA that we have reviewed on this site. What a treat. This brew is actually quite low on the alcohol chart for an Imperial IPA, coming in at only 7.7% alcohol (most are around 9%). This hops-infused beer pours a light golden brown color with a small ring of a head. The smell is instantly citrusy and bitter: orange, lemon, grapefruit. Tastes exactly as an IPA should: bitter. There are also many other notes including oranges, pine, caramel malts, and of course, hops. It is relatively smooth, could be better, but not bad considering it is a double IPA. Obviously Deke doesn't know a good IPA when he tastes one and maybe he's too much of a wimp to handle the 100+ IBU's in this brew, either way this is one very good bitter brew.

Appearance - 3.9

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 4.2

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 4.05/5

Rochefort Trappistes 8

This Belgian Strong Ale is the baby brother of the Rochefort Trappistes 10, the 8. It has lower percent alcohol, taste and strength, but still a good brew all around. This 9.2% alcohol beer pours a murky dark brown with a nice off-white head. It seems as though all the Rochefort brews hold their head up high and its very impressive. The aroma is of sweet fruits, coffee, chocolate, and brown sugar. The taste instantly reminds me of the 10, but only weaker, it tastes of bitter sweet fruit, brown sugar, and roasted malts. This brew finishes very smoothly, which is to be expected, and leaves a nice alcohol/fruit taste in the palate. Overall this is a great brew, although it pales in comparison to its older brother.

Appearance - 4.3

Smell - 4.3

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.2

Overall - 4.2/5

Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA

Ah...yet another Stone Brewing Co. brew for us to taste. It's rated pretty highly on the sites we frequent, but, as my review will show, I'm gonna argue that.

I poured it out into the glass and it produced a very nice golden color. Transparent characteristics with a fine white head. In my opinion, a great looking brew. Smell? First red flag. It smelled somewhat of oranges, but it seemed a little stronger than that - in a bad way. It was a little sweet but every time I kept smelling it I was reminded of orange cleaning product. Not pleasant. Taste? Second red flag. It had a very strong taste of hops with a strange fusion of oranges in it. Problem was that it tasted just like it smelled. It reminded me of cleaning solution and I did not enjoy it at all. I had two other people try it and they agreed with my conclusion. The texture was actually nice if you rule out the other characteristics. It was a pretty smooth beer with an interesting contrast of flavors. Although it was a little too sharp.

Overall, it was an okay beer. Something tells me I either strongly dislike this usage of flavors or we got a bad brew and Fonnie just doesn't know what cleaning solution smells like. I'm going to have to try some other moderate IPA's to make sure I just don't like this brew and not IPA's.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 2.9
Taste - 2.9
Texture - 3.6
Overall - 3.35/5

Rochefort Trappistes 8

We've already had a pretty good experience with this brewery. Their #10 was quite a fine brew and was highly rated by the both of us. Let's see how it's little brother fared.

This brew poured with a pretty neutral brown hue. It was pretty murky - probably because I got the end of the bottle, so bits of barley were in the head and in the brew - it made it look like coffee. There was also a fantastic off-white head that lasted for quite a while. It had a pretty sweet scent with a hint of coffee and hops in it. Strangely, on first taste, the first thing I got was alcohol. This is pretty strange considering most brews will have the alcohol taste at the end. It reminded me strongly of a thick cappuccino and it ended very sweet. This was wildly different than most other high-alcohol brews that we have where it starts alcoholic and ends sweet. Dare I say: it tickled my fancy.

Overall - a new, very interesting brew. Much different than it's older brother. It was very, very reminiscent of coffee and I thought it would go pretty nicely with some dessert or something of the like.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 4.1
Taste - 4.4
Texture - 4.5
Overall - 4.23/5

Brew Tasting the Fifth

Starting to run out of brew, I think. We might need to go on another run soon. But tonight we're gonna work on a contrast so we don't get bombarded by imperial stouts from Russia. Tonight we're gonna try a little brother to the Rochefort we tried earlier on this site and another gem from the Stone Brewing Co. Full list after the break...

1) Rochefort Trappistes 8
2) Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA

Wells Banana Bread Beer

This English "strong" ale comes in at 5.2% alcohol but also has some unique characteristics. Wells Banana Bread Beer pours an iced tea color with significant amount of carbonation but with absolutely no head. I honestly could not tell if it was actually a brew after it sat for a few minutes. The aroma is obviously of bananas, but also of wheat and banana peel. The taste is somewhat like the aroma but much more artificial and dull. After drinking for a while the beer becomes overwhelmingly watery and boring. The texture is lacking and it leaves a bitter sharp aftertaste of bananas. If you would like to try something strange and a little "out there" then this is the brew for you.

Appearance - 2.8

Smell - 3.1

Taste - 3.0

Texture - 3.0

Overall - 2.98/5

Dogfish Head Black & Blue

This is the first fruit beer that has been reviewed on this blog and I'm glad that we started with such a great example of one courtesy of Dogfish Head. The Black & Blue pours a dark brown, almost copper color, with a white foam ring as a head. The aroma of this brew is exactly as intended: black berries, blue berries, and hints of other fruity aromas which are too overpowered by the black & blue. The taste is quite good, bitter blueberries with a lingering alcohol and sweet fruit flavor. A very good fruit beer and a great match for anyone who would like to have a brew as desert, which is not a bad idea.

Appearance - 3.5

Smell - 4.3

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.3

Overall - 4.03/5

Dogfish Head Black & Blue

This is our first fruit beer to try out for the site. We have had brews before that had bits of fruit in them but this one is actually brewed with fruit - let's see how it does.

Yet another fine Dogfish Head brew. Poured out into the glass, it produced a nice golden hue with a little red to it. It was translucent and it had little to no head. Being a fruit beer, what I tell you it smelled like is pretty redundant. It smelled like fruit. Duh. It had a very nice clear scent with just bits of hops but it was mostly sweet and smelled like blue and blackberries. Tasting it, I got a nice hit of blueberries. It was a very sweet brew with little to no taste from the alcohol (which is surprising being at almost 8%). There is a little bit of barley at the end to remind you that it is, in fact, brew. The texture was very very smooth. It had a nice gather of carbonation and air to start, flowing nicely into a palate of flavors and it finished off with a handful of hops.

Overall, this is probably one of my favorite new brews. It is a bit of a gimmick beer, I'll admit. But it's a damn good one at that. Hell, it's a good beer. Period.

Appearance - 4.1
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 4.3
Texture - 4.3
Overall - 4.23/5

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Yet another barley wine. How much is this one going to hurt? Let's see...

This was a very fine looking IPA. It was decently translucent with a nice golden hue - it almost looked like white wine. It also had a decently nice head as well but it fell quickly. It had a very nice scent and hops - oh, and alcohol. There was also a small bit of sweetness and a bouquet of flowers. At first taste, it actually reminded me quite a bit of white wine but with a little bit more bite from the alcohol. There was also a nice spice from the barley but also a hint of sweetness - strange for a beer this strong. The texture was very nice for this beer as well. It was very smooth and the flow reminded me of a spirit after the initial taste. The flow was very nice and all of this counteracts with the kick in the ass it gives you at the end.

Overall, this is probably one of the finest high-alcohol brews I've had. I wouldn't mind ever having this and I wouldn't think twice about it. It has a great taste and texture and the kick from the alcohol makes it much more interesting.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 3.9
Taste - 4.3
Texture - 4.4
Overall - 4.15/5

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

This brew, the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA is in a class of its own, coming in at an astounding 21% alcohol. Calling it beer seems strange and unwelcome. This "beer" pours a golden brown/amber color with a quickly disappearing head. The smell is almost exactly as I expected from this hopped up brew: alcohol, hops, and a slight scent of honey. The taste is almost exactly as it smells with a sharp initial sensation of alcohol and hops but ending with a bittersweet honey flavor. I believe this would be a very good desert beer to have on its own or paired with something a little less intense to balance it out, it is very sweet and surprisingly smooth for having such a ridiculous amount of alcohol.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 4.4

Texture - 4.5

Overall - 4.2/5

Brew Tasting the Fourth

We would like to thank Melissa for leaving the first comment on this blog *golf clap*. Thank you for recognizing our very tiny blog site. :) We'll definitely get a couple more brews from your company - first impressions are very important and your company made a fantastic one. Keep up the good work!

But, moving along, we need to give more props to Dogfish Head for their good work as well. Tonight on the chopping block is some barley wine and fruit-but-not-fruit brew. Full listing after the break...

1) Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
2) Dogfish Head Black & Blue

Brew Run the Second

On top of the brew that Fonnie magically keeps popping up with, we have yet another run to report. Not as big as the first one but we just needed a supplemental run. Listing after the break...

1) Dogfish Head Black & Blue
2) Delirium Tremens
3) Rochefort Trappistes 8

Personal Stash
1) Samuel Adams Cream Stout
2) Samuel Adams Imperial Series Imperial White

Fonnie's Pickups
1) Hoppin' Frog BORIS The Crusher

Shmaltz Brewing Co. HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve

One of, if not the best brew name ever, HeBrew. Yes, this brew is based all around the Jewish tradition and the bottle has some amazing artwork to demonstrate it (and also a very funny paragraph about all things twelve). This American Strong Ale pours quite dark (but not nearly as dark as the imperials) with a short off-white head. Unlike most of the other beers discussed on this site, the head stayed throughout the entire tasting, which is quite nice. It has a nice aroma of sweet malts, candied fruits, and hops. The taste is very unique as well; bitter sweet and hops-filled. The alcohol, all 12% of it, is covered quite nicely from the outrageous amount of hops in this brew, although it does shine through in the end. The HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve is very smooth with a frothy bitter aftertaste. I would recommend to anyone who is not afraid to try something a little strong and unique.


Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 4.1
Taste - 4.0
Texture - 4.2
Overall - 4.05/5

Shmaltz Brewing Co. HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve

One of the coolest named brews I've ever had - HeBrew. Suggested to us by our own resident Jew at work - he does not mess around and this is further apparent by how good this brew is. We will definitely be trying more of this type of brew based off this first one.

Poured out pretty black - might as well have been called an imperial stout. It had a nice, dark, yellowish head that was very full and lasted quite a while. The edges of the brew had a caramel tint when you held it up to a light but it was still very opaque. It had a very interesting scent that started hoppy and went sweet. The flow of smells was very interesting and there were quite a few to pick out. At the first taste, it seemed a little bitter and then a bit of sweetness came in. It was also very frothy and it ended with a nice alcoholic taste - very subtle considering it's 12%. This brew had quite a bit of body. It was very smooth and I really enjoyed the flow of flavors and textures.

Overall, a great brew. It's was pretty cheap too. I cannot wait to try the other kinds of beer HeBrew puts out. Hopefully the rest are just as good as this.

Appearance - 4.4
Smell - 4.4
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 4.2
Overall - 4.3/5

Stone Brewing Co. Imperial Russian Stout

Another gem from the bastards at Stone Brewing Co. Let's have a look...

Looks? Just as black as the heart of the devil that's on the bottle. It had a very, very full caramel-colored head and tint around the sides of the glass but it was still very opaque - much like most imperial stouts. It had some nice scents of chocolate and caramel and a very apparent barley scent as well - a little overwhelming though, I think. It tasted quite bitter with a nice spice from the roasted barley. There was also a slight hint of caramel at the end. This was a pretty smooth beer - but I thought it was a little watery. The body seemed to be lacking something. It was also pretty warming - probably due to the high alcohol content.

Overall, a pretty decent brew. I thought it was lacking in some departments but overall it seemed to me to be a good brew that would be nice to have occasionally with maybe a dinner or just as a session brew.

Appearance - 4.4
Smell - 3.9
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 4
Overall - 4.1/5

Stone Brewing Co. Imperial Russian Stout

This is a very dark Imperial Russian made by none other but Stone Brewing Co., one of my favorite micros. This beer comes in at #20 on the top 50 list for good reason. This brew pours black with a very nice looking caramel brown head, although it quickly fades, like most imperial stouts. The smell is very distinct of imperials - chocolate, caramel, coffee, and very strong roasted malt. It tastes almost exactly as it smells but with more of a kick of coffee and maybe even black berries or black currant. This beer goes down relatively smooth with a nice bitter aftertaste of alcohol and roasted malt. Yet another winner from the fine folks at Stone Brewing Co.

Appearance - 4.3

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.2

Texture - 4.1

Overall - 4.2/5

Brew Tasting the Third

Yet another premiere brew to be knocked off tonight. Just got some Benny's to fill up and now to even the stomach out with some fantastic brew. List after the break.

1) Stone Brewing Co. Imperial Russian Stout
2) Shmaltz Brewing Co. HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve

Weekend Brew

No brew run...but the following has been picked up courtesy of Fonnie over the long weekend. Brew run will be tomorrow and hopefully we'll have some other stuff to throw up on the rating charts. List after the break.

1) Westvleteren 12
2) Westvleteren 8
3) Stone Brewing Co. Russian Imperial Stout
4) Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA

Westvleteren

Fantastic news everyone. Fonnie's dad just arrived back from a trip to Europe. And, because he's such a God damned gent...we have brew! And not just any brew. Westvleteren 12 and 8 - the pinnacle of brew. Now, we hear this brew is best aged. So, we may age it or review it this Wednesday. Also, expect a brew run update tomorrow night.

Samuel Adams Imperial Series Double Bock

I am a huge Sam Adams fan. Consistently good brew for an honest price. And as far as macro brewers go, it's one of the best. I plan on getting most of the Imperial Series down after trying this fantastic brew out.

As I poured it out of the bottle, it came out in a nice, brown, translucent color. There was also a slightly red tint to it. After the pour it formed a nice, off-white head that settled very quickly. Taking a whiff, there was a pretty sweet, almost fruity, aroma with a dash of hops. In my first sip, I got a nice, smooth, malty taste. It was followed by a nice hint of fruit and sweetness and it finished up with a nice kick at the end from the barley and the alcohol (9.5% is hard to mask). The texture, I thought, was fantastic. It was very filling - almost like bread. And the entire experience was very smooth. It has a smooth opening and an interesting bite at the end to finish it off.

Overall, I see this as yet another great session brew. Also, I think it would go great with a light dinner (simple burger or fish). Not too big though considering how heavy the brew does feel after you finish it. One of my favorite Sam Adams. I definitely see myself buying this again.

Appearance - 4.1
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 4.3
Texture - 4.5
Overall - 4.28/5

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Double Chocolate Stout? This sounds like a gimmick. I mean, come on - it's in a nitro can. Let's see what comes from it...

Black as hell. Pretty reminiscent of Guinness, actually. Especially with the way the head settles with a cascading effect. It almost looks like an imperial stout, too. One whiff and you know why it's called chocolate stout. It smells like liquid chocolate (or liquid sex - depends on how you look at it). It is a very sweet smelling brew. Whilst trying it out, it reminded me, again, of Guinness. It was kinda watery as it entered the mouth and then the chocolate kicked in (oh so nice). It was a very sweet brew. But, this brew has almost no texture. I mean, it's better than, say, Bud. But, in comparison to the other high-class brews we've had lately, this is highly lacking. It's kinda watery and has no body. The flow of the flavors was nice but they didn't hit you in the way that a 4.3+ beer on this site would.

Overall, I can see this brew being a great dessert beer. It's a pretty good gimmick beer - at least they succeeded in that.

Appearance - 3.9
Smell - 4.3
Taste - 3.9
Texture - 3.5
Overall - 3.9/5

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Well, anything with double chocolate in its name has to be good, and Young's Double Chocolate Stout is no exception. This brew is the weakest one that has been rated on this site, sitting at only 5.2% alcohol, but what do you expect from a chocolate stout? It pours a darwn brown with a milky head which fades quickly. It smells like dun dun dunnnnn!!!! chocolate, with a little bit of roasted malt. Even though it smells divine, the taste is a little disappointing: bland, with a slight chocolate taste. This brew is lacking in the texture, and has almost no body to it, it tastes good but nothing like I thought it would after the first whiff after pouring. I'd suggest this as a good desert beer, hell, it may be the best double chocolate stout out there.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 3.7

Texture - 3.5

Overall - 3.83/5

Rochefort Trappistes 10

This has got to be the most common premium brew around, resting at number 7 on www.ratebeer.com's top 50 list, even though it is available world wide. Thank FSM for the broad distribution of Rochefort Trappistes 10. 

This Quadrupel Belgian Ale pours a dark brown with a lasting off-white head and appears to be highly carbonated. The smell is overwhelming: brown sugar, dark malts, cinnamon, coffee, this beer has everything. And even though it sits at 11.3% alcohol it can not be picked out by the nose. The taste is pure heaven and very smooth to boost; it is dark, hops-filled, with brown sugar notes... it is extremely complex. Overall the beer works wonderfully and I would recommend to anyone.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 4.6

Texture - 4.7

Overall - 4.35/5

Rochefort Trappistes 10

Yet another of our pinnacle beers being at #7 on our list. Rochefort Trappistes comes from the monks of Belgium and the attention to detail clearly shows.

The brew is a very elegant looking one with an opaque, brown coloring. You can still see the yeast in the bottle seeing as it is bottle-brewed. The head does also last quite a while in a nice off-white tint. This is a very complicated brew though. The smell was a mix of pretty much everything and I couldn't pinpoint one single thing. It had hops and yeast in the nose as well as being a little sweet, though. The first taste is the taste of air in the carbonation followed by a brown sugar taste. There is also a very prevalent taste of the hops in the brew and an alcoholic ending that was evident, but not overpowering. The texture was all you could hope for in a brew like this. Smoothness is top-notch. Every flavor follows through smoothly between each other and even though the brew is very complex, it finds some way to make everything work.

Overall, yet another fantastic beer touched by the workers of God.

Appearance - 4.4
Smell - 3.9
Taste - 4.6
Texture - 4.8
Overall - 4.43/5

Brew Tasting the Second

This is our second official Brew Tasting and the first one on the official night of tasting - Wednesday. Let's see what's getting put onto the charts tonight...

1) Rochefort Trappistes 10
2) Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Stone Brewing Co. Arrogant Bastard Ale

I just love the name of this brew. The descriptions are pretty funny too. Check out their website to see it if you want.

This is a pretty good looking ale. It pours out nice and transparent with a golden/reddish color. The golden head was very full as well - even in my glass. One good whiff and you get a nice hint of hops. There was also a slight bit of fruit in it as well. I couldn't really detect what fruit it was but it seemed like a neutral fruit like apples. When you taste it, the frothy head is the first flavor to hit you with a followup of hops. In the middle, you get a hint of barley and it finishes off with the hops again. I didn't get the taste of fruit like I initially smelled. The aftertaste of the brew is pretty alcoholic, though. I did not perceive the texture as very smooth. The flow of the textures and tastes didn't really transition that well and I thought it was a pretty generic beer.

Overall, Arrogant Bastard Ale I see as a pretty good everyday or session brew. But if you're looking for a special brew for tasting or occasions, this isn't really a good choice.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 4
Taste - 3.7
Texture - 3.3
Overall - 3.75/5

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

This is easily one of the most beastly beers I've ever had. World Wide stout is One in a million and it deserved our attention as the first pinnacle beer of the first Review Night. Let's move onto the review.

It's black as hell. Guinness you could at least see some tint and color when you held it up to a light. This is a black hole in a glass. It's crazy. It also developed a very frothy off-white head but it collapsed pretty quickly. What can you expect with a beer this heavy? Smell? It smells like alcohol. Jesus H. Christ, it's 18% alcohol. Beer isn't supposed to be that strong...but it's amazing. The bouquet of aromas almost reminds me of a heavy red wine. The attention to detail here is extraordinary. It tastes just like it smells: alcohol. It also has a pretty licorice taste to it and seems like it has berries in it as well. Also to note, the bitter and chocolate-y taste at the very beginning is reminiscent of dark chocolate. The texture is interesting because it is very smooth for something that is so heavy. It goes in smooth with the froth from the head, it smooths out in the middle to present all the body of the beer and then it goes down easily with a last little bite of alcohol and the overall mesh of flavors.

Overall, this stuff reminds me of chocolate wine. I love chocolate and I love wine. Win.

Appearance - 4.4
Smell - 4.4
Taste - 4.8
Texture - 4.7
Overall - 4.58/5

Stone Brewing Co. Arrogant Bastard Ale

This is the staple of Stone Brewing Company, the Arrogant Bastard Ale, and they let you know that by the quips and insults littered all over the bottle. Sayings such as "This beer is too good for you, you probably won't like it," and "All you yellow-fizz drinking wusses can try something else," makes this a very interesting and humorous brew to try. This American strong ale pours a reddish brown hue with a small golden head. Upon inspection it gives off a noticeable aroma of hops, different kinds of malt, and a hint of sour fruit (possibly green apples?). The taste is quite strong and is exactly what i would expect from a beer made by an arrogant bastard; its bitter, dry, and hops-filled. It leaves a nice bitter aftertaste as well, the whole experience is not very smooth, but still quite enjoyable... if your not a yellow-fizz drikin' wuss like the bottle says.

Appearance - 3.9

Smell - 4.0

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 3.8

Overall - 3.93/5

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

This is one of the highest percentage of alcohol beers that money can buy. At 18%, it's ridiculous. This imperial stout pours black. There is no other way to describe it (reminds me of oil). The head is off-white but fades rather quickly. The aroma is very intriguing: alcohol (obviously), roasted malt, licorice, and chocolate. The alcohol scent is almost overpowering but the other notes are still easily noticed. The taste is more like a fine chocolate wine than a beer because of the insanely high alcohol content. Licorice and dark chocolate can also easily be tasted. The World Wide Stout goes down smooth but if you are not a fan of wine or hard alcohol then this brew will be too strong for you.

Appearance - 4.4

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 4.3

Texture - 4.4

Overall - 4.3/5

Brew Tasting the First

This is the ceremonial soft-opening premiere introduction of our weekly brew-tasting nights (As if that couldn't be longer). This is on a Thursday to commerate our first brew run but future ones will be on Wednesday nights instead of Thursday (Those are to be kept holy for MMR).

To be K/O'ed tonight...
1) Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
2) Stone Brewing Company Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brew Run the First

Woah...what a snag. Quite a bit of brew for the coming weeks.

Our premiere brews we picked up:
1) Rochefort Trappistes 10
2) Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 18%

We also got a couple other brews for general taste-testing:
1) Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout (Sadly, not a premiere brew - not Oak Aged)
2) Stone Brewing Company Arrogant Bastard Ale
3) Samuel Adams Imperial Double Bock
4) HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve (Suggested to us by Kaufman)
5) Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (Holy F give me 21% alcohol-sticks)

Mission Statement

This is a website about brew.

And other stuff.

But mostly about brew. We intend to travel and sample many of the highly regarded brews in the world. Being lowly college students, we intend to trek America first and then move onto Europe once funds allow. Our updates will tend to be on Wednesday nights/Thursdays. Each Wednesday, Fonnie and I will sample a new brew to add to the list of reviews. Hopefully, those who read this will go out and follow our lead and try new and better brews. I know far too many people who see Coors and Keystone as the pinnacle of beer. They fail. This is the real deal. Also, I plan to use this website as an outlet for some alcohol-fueled adventures. Hilarity and stupidity will ensue. I hope you enjoy this website as much as we enjoy adding to it.

Drink hearty.

Dogfish Head with One Raisin

The title is a little bit of an inside joke. I saw the word "Raison" on the bottle and not the plural form of it so I thought it only had one raisin in it. And by one, I mean in the entire cask it was brewed in, not the single bottle. Oh, how that raisin works. Let's move onto the review.

This brew has a very amber color that produces yet another fine, off-white head. Though it disappears quite quickly, it leaves a nice film on the edges and also reappears quickly after a thorough swirl. This beer is also very transparent so it's evident it will be, technically, a light ale. At first taste, you get a fine hit of fruit. You can get an essence of the raisin in it and other various fruits in the brew. This produces a very sweet-smelling brew. The taste is very reminiscent of a heavy wine. You get a nice taste of raisin and the other fruits that went into the brew. Also, you get the pleasant taste of hops and barley. This brew tastes much less alcoholic than any other high-percentage brew I've had. This beer goes in smooth, swells to a sugary taste with a hint of the hops and it goes down smooth and leaves behind a pleasant roasted barley spice.

Overall, I feel if you are not a fan of a fruity brew, this is not one for you. But, if you're looking for something a little different and new in the world of brew, I'd give this a shot. The texture of the beer is a nice change of pace from other brews.

Appearance - 4
Smell - 4.1
Taste - 4.4
Texture - 4.1
Overall - 4.15/5

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

This Belgian style strong ale made by Dogfish Head has a name which means "reason for being" in French. And if you're a fan of smooth beer then that title nails it dead-on. It pours a dark mahogany color with reddish accents and carries a small white head which fades quickly. The smell of it is instantly fruity and complex; raisins, brown sugar, and other fruits. It is very hard to pick out what is going on in the aroma of this brew as it is very complex. The taste of the Raison D'Etre is almost exactly as it smells, and leaves a bitter aftertaste which reminds me much of dry fruit. This brew goes down smooth, from beginning to end and it works very well. Although, if you are not a fan of fruitier tasting beer, you should probably steer clear of this.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.1

Taste - 4.2

Texture - 4.3

Overall - 4.10/5

Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout

At last - Guinness. My oxygen. Let's review.

This particular review is on the Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout (Extra Stout in a pretty bottle [Long Live Arthur Guinness]). What does it look like? It looks like fucking motor oil with a creamy, off-white head. That's about all I can say about it. I love it. Up against the light, you see a slight caramel color that shines through...but it's still black as Satan's heart. Upon smelling it, there is a very apparent scent of hops and the Irish roasted barley that is used in the brewing process. The smell seems very heavy; a sign of things to come. At the beginning of the taste, it seems pretty carbonated which is pretty misleading by the thick appearance of the brew. It also seems slightly sweet. As the taste progresses, it moves to a hoppy flavor with a hint of barley and it finishes off as you swallow it with more hops and the taste of alcohol. The texture is a little disappointing though. It's pretty flat and does not have a whole lot of body. The progression of flavors and textures isn't very complex but I do enjoy the nice kick at the end from the combination of the hops and alcohol.

Overall, this is a pretty good brew. Especially for the macrobrew designation that it has. I find it has the perfect balance of taste/cost. Of course most will disagree with this but I find nothing goes better with a meal than a fine Guinness. Yes, it is rated lower than Chimay Blue, but who cares. There are ratings and there are favorites. This is my favorite.

Appearance - 4.1
Smell - 4.4
Taste - 4.4
Texture - 3.9
Overall - 4.2/5

Chimay White

Chimay White, also known as Triple, is the lower of the three Chimay brews in terms of my ratings. Once I cracked the beer open, I got a very pungent smell of yeast and sweetness. This was a very misleading start for the beer. In the glass, the beer had a very murky, translucent appearance. It had a golden appearance (it looked just as expensive as it is) with a white-ish head. But, the head was very small signifying a lighter beer (EDIT: I poured a glass a couple days later in a pilsner glass and the head was so big that I only poured 70% of the glass out and the head overflowed). The carbonation is also pretty consistent within the beer but it doesn't form into a head - it just falls up and down within the beer. As for the taste, Chimay White starts off very sharp. It hits you right off the bat with the taste of alcohol and the roasted barley and yeast. It eventually mellows out with the smoothness of the brew but as you swallow it, the bitterness kicks in again, just like most other European beers. This was not nearly as fruity as any of the other Chimay brews but it did have a slight citrus bite. In terms of texture, the beer flowed from bitter, to smooth, to bitter again - a very interesting curve in the palate.

Overall this is a pretty good European beer, but, it's easily my least favorite of the Chimay brews. The texture of it just isn't something I can fall behind and the brew could look much better as well.

Appearance - 3.7
Smell - 4.2
Taste - 4.1
Texture - 4.0
Overall - 4/5