Sanctification

Sanctification by Russian River Brewing
Style / abv: American Wild Ale / 6.75%
Source / Temp: 375ml bottle / 50 deg
Glass: Small Snifter

Thanks to Mike for sharing this intersting and complex ale!

Appearance: Light yellow with a very thin white bubly head.

Aroma: This beer has a distinct sour "earthy" smell with lemmon grass and pepper.

Taste: I taste star fruit, lime, and freezer burned ice in this sour ale. Long after the sour aftertaste has faded, there is a slight spiciness. It's almost like an earthy, dry Sour Patch Kid.

Drinkability: Thin and watery with tight carbonation. This is a pretty sour beer and I find that the sourness goes a long way, so I can't imagine drinking more than a glass or two.

Notes:
This is a very interesting ale. While this isn't something that I'd drink on a regular basis, that really has more to do with the tartness of the style than the quality of the brew. Still, this ale has really made me very interested in trying more sours and American Wild Ales. It is exciting to embark on a journey into a "new" style!

I give Sanctification 8.5 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

Moloko

Moloko by Three Floyds
Style / abv: Milk Stout / 8%
Source / Temp: 750ml bottle / 55 deg
Glass: Small Snifter

Appearance: Coal black with a thin tan head.

Aroma: Strong coffee and espresso scent with lots of caramel and roasted malt.

Taste: Chocolate milk and espresso with a roasty and light citrus finish. This brew makes me think of a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks with more espresso and a hint of orange.

Drinkability: Rich, medium to thick body with very little carbonation.

Notes:
While I typically enjoy milk stouts, I especially enjoy Moloko. The roasted malt and slight hop finish balance this ale into a very drinkable milk stout.

I give Moloko a 9 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

AIPA

American IPA by Schlafly
Style / abv: American IPA / 7.2%
Source / Temp: 12oz bottle / 50 deg
Glass: Small Snifter

Appearance: Cloudy, dark golden with an orange hue.

Aroma: Very nice sour citrus tones with lemon and orange peel.

Taste: Loads of citrus flavors with a strong dry grapefruit taste. I pick up a light alcohol flavor with some yeast esters in the middle and a medium hop bite in the finish.

Drinkability: Medium creamy body, with light carbonation.

Notes:
To me, this is the perfect single IPA. While having enough aroma and taste to keep me interested, it is simple to enough to remain very very drinkable.

Standing by my "perfect" comment, I give AIPA a 10 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

Parabola

Parabola by Firestone Walker
Style / abv:  Russian Imperial Stout / 13%
Source / Temp:  650ml bottle / 50 deg
Glass:  Medium Snifter

Appearance: Deep, dark brown brew with a thin dark brown head.

Aroma: Sweet bourbon infused with molasses and a slight scent of alcohol.

Taste: Dark chocolate, mild bourbon, some milk chocolate and a surprisingly strong hop bite at the end.

Drinkability: Thick and creamy, this is a sipping beer at it's best. The alcohol is hidden very well.

Notes:
While this isn't my favorite barrel aged stout, this is a very special brew. It makes me think of a milder and slightly less flavorful version of Rare Bourbon County. I will definitely be making the trip to Chicago to pick some up when they release it again next year.

I give Parabola a 9 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

The Elder

Brew Details and Conditions:
Brewer: Russian River
Brew: Pliny The Elder
Style: American Double IPA
Alcohol: 8%
Source: 1 Pint Bottle
Glass: Medium Snifter
Temp: 50 deg
Appearance: Golden yellow
Aroma: Sour citrus fruit, lime and something sweet... maybe honey. As the Pliny warmed, I noted an scent of what I would describe as alcoholic melon.
Taste: Refreshing and surprisingly complex taste for such a low-intensity Double IPA. Right along with the scent, I taste sour and tropical fruit with some slight tones of honey and melon. Warmth seems to shed a lot taste resulting in what almost seems like a different beer all together.
Drinkability: Smooth watery body with fairly tight carbonation. Very drinkable for a double, but then again... for my tastes (and in my opinion), this beer really doesn't seem like a double IPA. The alcohol content and mouthfeel are more comparable to an IPA than a double.
Notes:
I had very high expectations for this beer. It is so well regarded that I couldn't help but expect this beer to blow my mind. I got two bottles and when I had the first, I was a bit let down. Knowing that I had high expectations, I waited until the second bottle to do my review. While Pliny is definitely better than average, I am just not super impressed with it. Its good enough that if it were easily available I would get it on occasion but its nothing that I'd drink with regularity.

I give this nice rendition of an IPA/ Double IPA  8.5 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall

No Label Brewing Co.

Ah yes, another new American brewery...No Label. I was in Specs the other day and their friendly beer rep recommended that I begin to look for a beer by a new brewery called No Label.

What is No Label? According to their website nolabelbrew.com, "There are many ways of how our name came about. Basically we wanted to name our brewery something that symbolized all four us. ...NO LABEL BREWING means to us is that our beer is for everyone. We don't put a label on our beer...."

Just thought I'd share a potentially new brew that will be tried as soon as I can get my hands on one.

"Broma Theon" (beer of the gods)

-charles

The Family Reunion, Tasting 4

July 6th, 2011

The group this evening was what has become the core group of tasters. We had another good line-up with one repeat from earlier in the week:
1. Three Floyds - Gumballhead - American Pale Wheat
2. Three Floyds - Pride and Joy - American Pale Ale
3. Three Floyds - Robert The Bruce - Scottish Ale
4. Oskar Blues - Old Chub - Scotch Ale
5. Brouwerij Westmalle - Westmalle Trappist Dubbel - Dubbel
6. Flat Earth Brewing Company - Cygnus X-1 - English Porter
7. Ceylon / Lion Brewery - Lion Stout - Foreign / Export Stout

Westmalle seemed to please most, but it was no surprise that Robert the Bruce was the brew that was enjoyed by everyone.

We had a blast sharing one of our favorite hobbies with the family and really hope that everyone who partook found a couple of new brews to enjoy.

Eis Egian,
Randall

The Family Reunion, Tasting 3

July 5th, 2011

The group tonight was a mix of people who had joined us the previous two nights. It's interesting how the ales of varying intensity have apparently scared off a few but have also attracted many repeat customers. Tonight we sampled a new variety:
1. Madhouse Brewing Company - American Wheat - American Pale Wheat Ale
2. Great Lakes Brewing Company - Burning River Pale Ale - American Pale Ale
3. Sun King - Osiris - American Pale Ale
4. Boulevard Brewing Co. - The Sixth Glass - Quadrupel
5. Avery Brewing Company - The Czar - Russian Imperial Stout
6. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - Abacus - American Barleywine
7. Three Floyds - Dreadnaught - Imperial IPA
8. Full Sail Brewery - Reserve Old Boardhead Barley Wine Ale - American Barleywine

While tastes differed as usual, the two clear favorites of the evening were Abacus and Dreadnaught. Both are fantastic brews, but I was surprised that a Double IPA could be such a crowd pleaser.

Eis Egian,
Randall

The Family Reunion, Tasting 2

So tonight we hit an almost entirely different line-up with almost a completely different crowd. Tonight's tasting included the following:
1. Madhouse Brewing Company - Pastime Pale Ale - American Pale Ale
2. Three Floyds - Pride and Joy - American Pale Ale
3. Anderson Valley Brewing Company - Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Oatmeal Stout
4. Bell's Brewery, Inc. - Bell's Special Double Cream Stout - American Stout
5. Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster) - Oatmeal Stout - Oatmeal Stout
6. Lindemans - Framboise - Lambic
7. Stone Brewing Co. - Arrogant Bastard Ale - American Strong Ale
8. Founders - Breakfast Stout - American Double Imperial Stout
9. Three Floyds Brewing Co. - Apocalypse Cow - American Double / Imperial IPA
10. Lagunitas Brewing Company - Imperial Stout - Russian Imperial Stout
11. Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout - American Double Imperial Stout

While KBS was still well received, tonight the big winner was Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

Night two was just as fun as night one, but one thing that was noticeable was that with a much larger crowd to share the beer, the overall inebriation was lower :)

Eis Egian,
Randall

The Family Reunion, Tasting 1

Mike, Laura and I are attending a family reunion so we decided to bring a ton of great beer and try to create some converts. Tonight we went through:
1. Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV - Duvel - Belgian Strong Pale Ale
2. Brasserie de Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 8 - Belgian Strong Dark Ale
3. St. Bernardus - Abt 12 - Belgian Quad
4. Deschutes Brewery - Hop In The Dark - American Black Ale
5. Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout - American Double Imperial Stout
6. Boulevard Brewing Co. - Imperial Stout - American Double / Imperial Stout

KBS was the big winner followed by St. Bernardus 12. For my taste, Hop In The Dark was an excellent brew that was reminiscent of one of my favorites: Three Floyds Black Sun Stout.

The reunion has just begun and we've got plenty more to share!

Eis Egian,
Randall

Dark Lord Day 2011

Well, it took me a little longer than I thought to get this video completed...life is moving at break neck speeds right now.  Dark Lord Day 2011 was a great adventure and here's the quick video of a few moments during that day at Three Floyd's brewery:

Part One

Part Two

"broma theon" the food of the gods


-Charles

Our First Ever Beer Tasting Party

Saturday evening Laura and I hosted our first ever Beer Tasting Party. The picture above shows everything that we enjoyed that night.

Top Row; Left To Right
1) St. Bernardus - Abt 12 - Belgian Quad
2) Three Floyds - Black Sun Stout - Irish Dry Stout
3) Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde - Belgian Tripel
4) Three Floyds - 2011 Dark Lord - Russian Imperial Stout
5) Three Floyds - Dreadnaught - Imperial IPA
6) Another bottle pf St. Bernardus
7) Three Floyds - Rabid Rabbit - Belgian Saison
8) Three Floyds - Robert The Bruce - Scottish Ale
9) Bell's - Oberon - American Pale Wheat Ale
10) Guinness - Extra Stout - Irish Dry Stout
11) Birra Peroni Industriale - Peroni Nastro Azzurro - Euro Pale Lager

Middle Row; Left To Right
1) Sun King - Osiris - American Pale Ale
2) Oskar Blues - Old Chub - Scotch Ale
3) More Old Chub
4) Three Floyds - Pride and Joy - American Pale Ale
5) Brasserie de Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 8 - Belgian Strong Dark Ale
6) Lindemans - Framboise - Lambic
7) More Peroni
8) Left Hand - Milk Stout - Milk Stout
9) New Glarus - Spotted Cow - Cream Ale
10) More Pride and Joy
11) More Guiness
12) Sun King - Sunlight - Cream Ale

Bottom Row; Left To Right
1) Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout - American Double Imperial Stout
2) More Guinness
3) Founders - Backwoods Bastard - Scotch Ale
4) Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau - Hefe-Weisse - Hefeweizen
5) Founders - Red's Rye PA - Rye Beer
6) Aonther Osiris
7) Oskar Blues - Gordon / G'Knight - American Double / Imperial IPA
8) A second Rochefort 8
9) Some more Backwoods
10) Another KBS
11) Bell's - Two Hearted Ale - American IPA
12) Another Robert The Bruce
13) And finally... a Guinness

Not pictured:

Peoples Brewing - Mound Builder IPA - American IPA

Peoples Brewing - Aberrant Amber - American Amber / Red Ale

We had a great time sharing a food and brews with friends and we look forward to doing this again!

Eis Igian,
Randall and Laura

Mission No. 3 - Imperial/Double IPAs

This mission was great,

Hardcore IPA (explicit imperial ale) - (rated 5) - Poured like grape fruit juice, smelled close to belgium ale with a hint of lime, but did not pleasure the taste buds.  I can taste the alcohol immediately, a bit overwhelming.  It has a pleasurable aftertaste and perfect carbonated consistency, but the flavor just never sat right with me.  No matter how many times I sipped it just seemed like something was just 'off'.

Moylander Double IPA - (rated 8) - Pours with a full head, and a light citrus aroma.  This is a very sneaky beer...I can't taste the alcohol at all and it is 8.5%!  It does not have a typical, or at least typical in the double IPAs I've had so far, taste.  In fact it almost feels like it has no taste until the aftertaste, very strange.  The aftertaste lets you know it is an IPA, but that's pretty much it.  Almost too much carbonation, but this is a great beer.  I found another one I like...next.

Moylander Triple IPA - (rated 9) - the more hops the better!  I was very excited to see a triple sitting beside the double IPA by Moylander.  It has a familiar aftertaste as a Belgium ale and the crisp punch of the triple IPA, what a great combination.

Bells Hopslam Double IPA - (rated 9) - I can't get this beer in Houston and forget the specifics, but I remember that it was an amazing beer....sorry I didn't write the review when I tried it.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA - (rated 9) - This was the most surprise I had so far. I picked it up as a four pack for fairly cheep ($11) and did not expect to get the drinkability it served. Pours very crisp with little to no head. With a sweet and mild flower effervescent it is quite the delight. The aftertaste leaves a touch of warmth, but well balanced, so well balanced you are ready to take the next drink somewhat quickly. I found myself finishing a bottle before I completed the taste test...interesting. Either way, this is a big surprise and I am very happy to have found such a cheap wonderful Imperial IPA.

Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA - (rated 7) - Pours as a solid amber with little to no head. Initial whiff is a subtle pleasant flowery smell.  Initial taste is lacking with plenty of carbonation.  Aftertaste is warm and pleasant, which can almost fool me into desiring another one.

After trying these different beers I tried the 479 again and found its taste was a little lacking.  Maybe I had it in the fridge too long, I don't know.  The winner of this contest has to be the Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA for a great balance of cost and flavor.  The Moylander wins by its great taste, but the Leviathan gets it in the end due to its sheer value.

Till next time,

Broma Theon (the food of the Gods)

-charles

Oskar Blues

Just thought it would be worth to watch a quick video of the 'Gubna', probably my favorite Imperial IPA still. I will get the review out soon for Mission 3, enjoy the video from their website.

Mission 3: Double Imperial = Double Taste

If you're new to the blog, please check out our scoring system under the Beer Missions tab to better understand how we are rating beers.

Okay, so this mission is going to start with an admission: I don't like reviewing beer that I don't enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I love trying all kinds of beer but I always feel bad about scoring brews low because I know that a brewer somewhere worked up a recipe and I hate trashing someone's invention. And if I'm being totally honest, I have to admit that I don't feel inspired to write about beers that I don't like. Obviously this creates an unrealistic cross-section of my tasting experience. It probably appears that I love every beer I try when the reality is that I run across many brews that don't suit my tastes.

Well, this mission didn't give me any room to hide, so I'll shoot straight.

(1) Southern Tier - Unearthly
Watery with a marmalade flavor that isn't over the top. An interesting brew that I won't avoid but probably won't go out of my way for either.
Score: 5 out 10

(2) Flying Dog - Double Dog
Oddly, the scent reminds me of a Belgian pale ale. Strong orange taste with a strong bitter alcohol finish. I won't say that this beer is bad, but it did not suit my tastes at all.
Score: 1 out 10

(3) Founders - Double Trouble
Awesome citrus hop scent, big citrus and pine front and a nice dry finish. Now, this I enjoyed!
Score: 9 out 10

(4) Mojo Risin - Boulder Beer
Small orange taste with a huge bitter finish. I like the little brother much, much better.
Score: 4 out 10

(5) Rouge - XS Imperial Pale Ale
I almost added this brew to my list of favorites. This brew reminded me distantly of an English IPA without as much "earthiness", which I really enjoyed.
Score: 8 out 10

So in the end, I did find a couple real winners. XS is good enough that I will seek it out and Double Trouble had to be listed as one of my favorites.

My new list looks like this:

(1) Bell's - Hopslam
(2) Three Floyds - Dreadnaught
(3) Oskar Blues - Gordon
(4) Three Floyds - Apocalypse Cow
(5) Founders - Double Trouble
(6) Victory Brewing - Hop Wallop

The separation between 1 - 3 is minuscule enough that it's difficult to say that I really have a favorite.

Thanks Charles, this was great mission! Lots of fun and very tasty!

Eis Igian,
Randall

Mission No. 3: Preview

I'm already geared up for Mission Number Three, great idea Charles! I have 5 never before tried (by me) IPA'S in my fridge, chilled and ready to go.

I thought that before I got going on this mission, I'd post my current top five IPA's:

1. Bell's - Hopslam
2. Three Floyds - Dreadnaught
3. Three Floyds - Apocalypse Cow
4. Oskar Blues - Gordon 
5. Victory Brewing - Hop Wallop

After compiling this list, it led me to feel that I didn't really like being limited to a "Sweet 16" list on Our Preferences. What about numbers 17, 18 and 19? What about the fact that I like my favorite stout for entirely different reasons than I like my favorite IPA? How do I even compare KBS to Hopslam to Rochfort 8? In light of this, I abandoned the "Sweet 16" and made a categoric list. I don't intend to have a 100 beers on my favorites list... but then again, why not? If we get to that point, we could always create a preferences / profile page for each of us.

But now back to the mission. With today being a great football day, I'll begin my journey into Mission Number Three by trying at least two "new" IPA's. I can't wait!

Eis  Igian,
Randall

Mission No. 3 - Double IPAs

Wow, this is a crazy one for me.  I definitely didn't see myself enjoying IPA's, let alone their double goodness older kin the Double (or Imperial) IPA.  I love the more rich flavor (and usually alcohol percentage) in the Doubles so it is part of my new challenge.  Being that we all like IPAs now (except Laura I think), the challenge will be to try at least 5 new Double or Imperial IPAs that you have never had before and then give a final tally of your top 3 favorites even if those favorites didn't move before the Mission.  The hope is that we will be forced to travel to the undiscovered country and find some new tracks of land worthy to return to in the future...find new great beer!

Although the challenge is not very original or thought provoking, I honestly just want us all to find some amazing new Double IPAs.  Maybe I'm just selfish.  Or maybe I'm thinking of all of us since we like IPAs!!

So far the Double IPAs I've loved are (in order):
1) Gordon - Oskar Blues
2) Dreadnaught - Three Floyds
3) Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company
4) 471 Small Patch Double Hopped IPA

Strangely enough, Colorado has 3 of my favorite 4 so far.

Very excited to find a few more great ones to throw on the list!  Cheers and let's see what great new Double IPAs you can find for me...I mean we can all find for each other!!

"broma theon"
"food of the gods"

-charles

Coming Soon

Coming soon: our first group review!

Oskar Blues: Gubna

I have another top 3 beer!  This beer is amazing with a capital A!  It is strange that it took this long for me to enjoy an IPA, but when you taste this IPA you are brought into an amazing world of goodness whether you want to go or not.  

Brewer: Oskar Blues Brewery
Brew: Gubna
Style: Imperial IPA
Alcohol: 10%
Source: 12 oz can
Glass: St. Arnold's Tumbler
Temp: Pulled from freezer (trying to cool quicker)...40 deg?
Appearance: Light Amber
Aroma: citrus
Taste: The most balanced citrus flavor I've had in an IPA yet, so robust with other flavors, just can't name them, but it was absolutely amazing.
Drinkability: Very smooth, amazingly easy to drink and this is saying a lot for me with 10% alcohol, which is freakishly hidden. The beer was chilled a little too much so there was almost no head and the bubbles were very slow to rise.  Can't wait to try another one...pulled from the fridge this time.

This beer gets a 10 of 10!

"Broma theon"

-charles

Dark Horse

Brew Details and Conditions:
Brewer: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Brew: Plead The 5th Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol: 12%
Source: 12 oz bottle
Glass: New Belgium Goblet
Temp: 50 deg
Appearance: Thin chocolaty brown head, jet black ale.
Aroma: Molasses, chocolate, coffee, slight booziness
Taste: Creamy chocolate and coffee with no noticeable roasted malt.
Drinkability: Very smooth, very easy to drink and deceptively alcoholic. While the bubbles make a cool pattern atop the brew, I only notice slight carbonation..
Notes:

I give this very drinkable stout 8.5 out of 10.

Eis Igian,
Randall