Friday, December 25, 2015

December 25 - Great Divide Yeti

Whew!  After a day of gift giving and gift getting, and managing two kiddos running on fumes by night's end, it's only appropriate to go out with a bang tonight.  I mean I did have to reassemble a train set before sitting down tonight to enjoy this brew.

Thanks to my in-laws, the hard part was already done.  

Before I get to the last review of 2015, I just want to thank you, the reader, for sticking with me all month.  Even if you were a sporadic reader, or if you're binge-reading all 25 tonight, I appreciate the comments and feedback regarding these beers.  I'm no scholar when it comes to writing, but I do have some talent up my sleeve when I apply myself.  Plus, I get to write about something I enjoy.  So, again, thank you!

Yeah, I know I already used it...but it's just so darn appropriate!

This beer has been sitting in my fridge since the Lancaster trip a few weeks back.  Never having it, and never turning down an Imperial Stout, especially this time of year, I had to grab myself one to see how good it is.  I've seen, via Untappd and other places that discuss beer, there are a ton of versions of this beer like, Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, Belgian Style Yeti, and a few others.  This looks to be the original 9.5% plain ol' Yeti Imperial Stout.  

The pour was straight midnight black with a creamy tan head with maybe just a hint of red in the right lighting conditions.  The aroma was chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt with a slight booziness.

This beer doesn't pull any punches.  At first, there is a creamy and smooth mouth feel that bites really quickly and lasts throughout the finish and beyond.  This thing is very malty and roasty with light sweetness.  This here is one of the most bitter stouts that I've ever tasted.  

That all being said, with a 4 out of 5 rating on Untappd and even a 98 rating via BeerAdvocate, I can't come close to that rating.  I'm going to go out on a limb and call it a bad bottle, maybe because of my transport, cold to warm back to cold.  Things I'm reading, however, tell me that it shouldn't matter too much on the cold-warm-cold effect, if you will. 

What a way to end things...


I'd try it again, fresh for sure because I just can't believe it's throwing off such a bitterness.  It's definitely supposed to be bitter, but this just seems like too much in that the balance just isn't there.  Therefore, I won't rate it out of fairness.  



Rather anti-climactic if I do say so myself.  Maybe I'll have to post one more beer this month just go out on a higher note.  Stay tuned!


Thursday, December 24, 2015

December 24 - Rivertowne Rudolph's Red

Tonight, I planned on doing a dual review of Naughty and Nice from Flying Dog Brewery, however, I ended up having these at my bottle share last night.  I usually enjoy beers made by these guys, but last night's bottom line...




Neither beer was very good, with Naughty bringing up the rear (1.5 out of 5, which I dumped).  The fact that they had to add a strip to the label about the fact it had habenero pepper in it should have been enough of a disclaimer.  It burned just too much.  I've had pepper infused beer before and am definitely a fan, but when it's not balanced with the rest of the ingredients, it just doesn't work well at all.  Nice was an 8.3% Belgian Style Golden Ale and Naughty was a 9.0% Belgian Style Dark Ale.  It was worth the try, but neither was anything to write home about.  Maybe I'll try a mixture of the two another day. Not today.

Time to call another audible.  

Actually, I guess it's plan C...

Appropriate for the day, for sure, is Rivertowne Brewing Company's Rudolph's Red, an 8.1% Imperial Red Ale that really should be dubbed a double winter warmer.  Make a new category folks!  Rivertowne makes my all-time favorite (and only one I know of) pineapple beer, Hala Kahiki.  


Sounds the same as the beer pronunciation, right?

OK...sorry, I got sidetracked a bit here...back to the beer...

The beer poured an amber color with a thin, soapy white head.  The aroma of sweet, candied ginger and spices, with a stronger hint of cinnamon.   



The first few sips were that of sweet spicy ginger and sweet malts.  However, after playing Santa tonight and taking some bites from the gingerbread men, that cookie screwed up my palate for a few minutes and really meshed well with the beer, strangely enough.  After the cookie taste wore off, the flavors were still pleasant and something that may run towards the top of my winter must have list.  It won't replace Merry Maker from Sam Adams, but it's definitely in the top 5 now.

4 out of 5 Rudolph's for this beer!  Cheers!


Merry Christmas Eve to all of you!  

I got the fat man's cookies in the background and my wife gave him MY Santa pilsner glass...plus it's only full of milk.  Sorry Santa!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

December 23 - Hoppin Frog - Frosted Frog Christmas Ale


Today marks the last Winter Warmer Wednesday post of the 2015 beer blog!  I was fortunate enough tonight to have some friends invite my wife and I over for a bottle share to get ready for the holidays.  I'll be honest.  After those 8 different beers my reviewing skills  may be slightly off.  No worries, 4 ounces at a time over a 4 hour period makes it all good!



Tonight, for the final WWW post of the year is a Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale, an 8.6% ABV Winter Warmer chock full of spice.  I honestly thought that I'd had this before, but according to my trusty Untappd app I was wrong.

The beer poured a clear, caramel color with little head at the top that quickly vanished from my 4 ounce tasting glass.

The aroma was what appeared to be a balanced and solid blend of spices which was predominantly cinnamon and ginger along with a hint of nutmeg and a strong caramel backbone to round things out.

With each sip came a caramel flavor with ginger and cinnamon bite which lingered along with some residual ginger to finish things off to warm the throat.

Right on with the spices and malts for a WW for sure.  I'll give this a solid 3.75 out of 5 for a style that's not something I look for, even on a seasonal basis.  However, this is probably one of the better balanced WW styles that I've had in the last 3 years for sure with the spices and malts coming together.  

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

December 22 - Ommegang Adoration

Definitely this guy today!
Now that school's out for a few days, it's time to hit the home stretch for the blog.



Back when I was a young buck, I started becoming accustomed to craft beer after being exposed to the Belgian category.  There was something that I really enjoyed about a Belgian.  I'm not really sure what that was now, however.  Since then, IPAs are my go to style, but we've been down that road before so I won't bore you with that story again.



Tonight, we have from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY their dark winter ale, Adoration.  Coming in strong tonight at 10%, this beer is brewed with all sorts of spices.  For really no good reason, Ommegang isn't something I seek out to purchase.  A lot of my beer drinking friends really dig their stuff, but I pass it up quite frequently at my local bottle shop  According to my trusty Untappd app, I've only have 4 of their beers so far (2 of the Game of Thrones beers, Hop House, and Hennepin).  Nothing rated above a 4 for me.

After an impromptu trip to the same local bottle shop, this caught my eye for some reason.  So, I picked it up.

It poured into a splinter glass a very cloudy, caramel color with flying yeasties all over the place.  It retained a creamy beige head very well.  

The aroma was a sweet malt and Belgian yeast along with strong caramel notes and dark fruit.  It tasted super malty and boozy at first, but even still, masked the 10% pretty well.  It became a little more Belgian as it went, not a ton of spices came through as labeled.  Honestly, it seemed a tad over-carbonated. As it got closer to the 50 mark (which the label says to drink this at) there may have been some cherry and honey present here too.  Honestly, for me, this tasted very similar to Troegs Mad Elf, which compared to this, I prefer.

Nothing special here, and I'm sure a few of you reading would appreciate this Belgian Dark Strong Ale, but I just wasn't a huge fan.  I'd drink it again, but this doesn't make me want to see it out again, and doesn't really strengthen the case for me grabbing another Ommegang either, unfortunately.

3 wise men, 3 out of 5


Monday, December 21, 2015

December 21 - Victory Vital IPA

Running out of time this week, and it's only Monday night!

HA! I wish!!

Ugly Christmas Sweater for tomorrow - check
Returned some crap to Wal-Mart - check
Forgot receipt and have to go back tomorrow - crap
Went to Kohl's to get a gift for the missus - check
Have to go return something there tomorrow now too - double crap
Kids' Christmas gifts for teachers, packed and ready - check
Munched on Christmas cookies for dinner - triple check
Beer blog for the day...

One last thing to do then tonight before retiring for the night.  I have to give the people what they want, right?

Let's not waste any time then.  As per the photo below, I didn't really feel like pouring this out so I enjoyed straight from the can tonight!



From Victory Brewing in Doylestown, is their Vital IPA, a 6.5% brew that claims to be "full of fresh, crisp and fruity notes driven by American hops and German malts.  This IPA is bright, aromatic, and complex - the characteristics vital to tasting Victory!"

A hazy, golden pilsner color (I was just pulling your leg, I poured it), the beer actually retained a decent head throughout my enjoyment.  As for the aroma, I didn't get much crispness and only some slight fruity notes here.  

The taste was definitely driven by a balanced array of hops.  For me, it spanned the spectrum from earthy, to fruity, to even slightly resinous.  The beer also had a decent malty finish at the end along with a mild hop bite.  

I'm not sure it's the only IPA I'll even need, but it's certainly on the list now, especially since it's a local brewer that produces some quality stuff.


A soild 3.5 out of 5 all day long!


Sunday, December 20, 2015

December 20 - Fish Tale - Yule Crack Up and Family Wagon

After yesterday's beer, nothing will compare. Why not throw Fish Tale Brewing to the wolves then, since you all know my love for them.  

Nope...you wont...

I found these bottles at my local Weis with a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Theme.  I didn't realize it was from Fish Tale until I got home unfortunately.  Well, I guess it's time to get down to business and find out what I already know...

Yep...I have a job to do Eddie

First up, Yule Crack Up, an 8.0% Gingerbread Stout.

This beer poured an opaque black color with a smooth brown head.  The aroma here was mostly a spicy malt that also smells watered down, if that's even a thing...  Aroma is also not pleasant spicy with what I assume are cloves, ginger, and nutmeg along with a hint of allspice.  The taste is clove, allspice, and nutmeg with a god awful finish that is not balanced and too bitter for a stout.  Well, at least my sinus headache is gone...

I got beer...no need for Tylenol tonight

1 out of 5...just awful


Since we had the family over to bake boatloads of Christmas cookies, I figured, why not drink another one and see how this goes.  I had another Fish Tale Christmas Vacation themed beer so I gave my brother in law the wheel.  I had him pour the next beer blind so I wasn't biased. He had the option of pouring the Sierra Nevada Terra Incognita or another Fish Tale beer.  My comment at first was, if this is a Fish Tale beer, I'll give you $1000. Then, I realized the error of my ways and said that if this is Fish Tale, it's the best one I've had. He didn't make me pay up...at least yet.




Next up is also from Fish Tale, called Family Wagon.  It  is an Imperial IPA which is also an 8%er.


 
The beer poured a clear golden color with a oily, soapy head.

The aroma was more of a sweet malt and citrus hop.  This beer had an earthy hop flavor with lots of malt and a decent, appropriate bitter finish.

This makes up for the earlier flop. 3 out of 5



Bonus brew for the Trifecta tonight!  Hey my brother in law bought it, so I'm going to drink it!



A collaboration brew with Boulevard Brewing in California, Terra Incognita from Sierra Nevada was brewed in 2014, weighing in at  9.8% ABV.  A strange, yet intriguing blend of the following are components of this beer:

13% ale
55% aged in wine barrels
32% aged in bourbon barrels

The beer poured a cherry and mahogany color with an off-white head at the top.  The aroma was that of indistinct malt, with just a touch of bourbon sweetness.  
As for the flavor, this beer had just the right touch of bourbon sweetness and wine dryness.  Definitely an overall good blend of components!!

4 out of 5 for this one!!


Saturday, December 19, 2015

December 19 - Stone Xocoveza

No Christmas tree in this photo.  I'm too busy putting together my MegaPot 1.2 that you see in the background for a potential brew day tomorrow.  So, while I was testing for leaks in this new brew kettle, I decided it was time for a beer.  A beer that I just couldn't put off any longer.  A beer that I knew I had to have when I saw it on the shelves...



I saw this last year and didn't think too much of it since I couldn't find it anywhere locally.  I sounded good enough, but I didn't lose sleep over it.  However, there's more to this beer than I realized.  After finishing it and taking my tasting notes I actually sat down and read the bottle and got some interesting information.  

Tonight, there's a history lesson involved so for those of you who are not into school on the weekend, I'll give you a screenshot of the need to know right about here:

Add caption
You're welcome!
So, no pressure tomorrow when I decide to brew my beer tomorrow, right?  Maybe I'll have some spiked hot chocolate with peppers while I brew!

hmm...not a bad look actually...

This fabulous beer poured a opaque black with a frothy, coffee brown head.  The aroma was ridiculous.  This gave notes of sweet milk chocolate, cinnamon, and other spices for days.  The peppery aroma was definitely evident too.  

The beer initially was a chewy and thick malt that quickly became and explosion of mild pepper heat, chocolate, coffee, espresso, cinnamon and other spices.  The balance here is impeccable.  The flavor is outstanding.  

The beer is finished as I write this and I'm sad.  Don't get me wrong, at 8.1%, I'd have to be careful, but it would be worth it.  Last year, this beer was sold in bombers, but this 12 oz bottle just doesn't cut it.  You need to try this...trust me...you won't regret it!




....out of 5 of course!


Friday, December 18, 2015

December 18 - Brooklyn Brewery Insulated Dark Lager

Little Buffalo Covered Bridge all lit up for the Christmas Light Trail

Finally some cold weather in PA!  Just got home from taking the kiddos to see the Little Buffalo State Park light trail for the year and had an awesome time.  What better beer to warm up with than Insulated Dark Lager by Brooklyn Brewery?  My thoughts, exactly.  

For some reason, I tend to pass up the Brooklyn beer line.  Don't get me wrong, I've never had a beer from them that I hated, but maybe it's the branding.  I'm a sucker for a cool label and these are pretty bland.  I probably should stop judging a beer by its label.  Especially after this tasting...

Speaking of first impressions, let's get to the beer!

Pouring into a standard pint glass, this beer was a deep mahogany color with a creamy tan head on the top that lasted through the tasting.  The aroma was very pleasant sweet malt with hints of bitter citrus hops.  This beer was made with dark barley and the roastiness comes through in both the aroma and the flavor. 

Taste and smell do NOT go together here at all...



The flavor is a conglomerate of a roasted-malty-bitter-coffeeish-chocolate one with a citrusy hop finish.  At 5.6%, this beer is crushable for sure and still perfect for the winter months to warm up to.  I didn't expect too much here from this brew, but I definitely got my money's worth and more!  

Dear Brooklyn Brewery,


From here on out, I'll definitely be coming back to your beers because what you save in printing labels and new, fresh artwork, you clearly make up for in beer and the attention you put into brewing.

Sincerely,

Bryan

PS - 
I give you a 4 out of 5 for this delicious beer tonight...thank you!


Thursday, December 17, 2015

December 17 -Penn Brewery St. Nikolaus Bock Bier



That was our sunroom floor this evening.  My wife and I got to begin playing Santa this evening with wrapping gifts, thanks to my in-laws who watched the little kiddos.  So, I felt is appropriate to indulge in this bad boy tonight instead of some other brews that I have left in the kegerator fridge.  

Sticking with the bock style tonight, this time from Pittsburgh, St. Nikolaus Bock Bier from Penn Brewery.  Obviously, this bock beer is a winter seasonal with a name like that.  With bottom-fermenting taking place here (lagering), this is slightly stronger than your average lager. This particular one weighs in at a robust 6.5%.  

"I'll be bock!"  Compliments of my Untappd Badge


No fancy stories tonight.  No witty commentary.  Just a review tonight...

...and a few fancy pictures too.


This beer poured a crystal clear, caramel brown color with a pretty thick beige head at the top.  It may have been the laser etching on the bottom of my Sam Adams glass, but that's fine with me!

This aroma was strictly malty for me.  As it warmed up a bit I got some sweetness from the malt and a slight spruce note as well.  The mouth feel threw me for a loop, however.  I expected this to have a strong malty backbone to it, but it actually was pretty mild, especially compared to the aroma.  The roasted malt and barley flavors were evident here along with a possibility of a small tinge of oatmeal to go compliment the malts.  There were some raisin and dark fruit flavors here to wrap things up along with a mild hop bite.

For the style, this beer was rather light in body, but was definitely full of flavor and complexity.  Not at all what I expected, but in a good way!  


Santa agrees!  3.5 out of 5 for this bock beer!