We are blogging from Goose's house. In the heart of Sunset Hills. We have three guest tasters. Goose, Mark, and Mike. And off we go. 5 bottles to get through. Not much time for hyperbole.
Brewer: Firestone Walker
Beer Name: Wooley Jack Black Rye IPA
Beer Style: Black IPA
Price: Gift From Goose- it would be impolite to ask but I just saw it for $5.99 at Friar Tuck's. We will assume Goose paid at least $15.99 since it was a gift for me.
Apperarance: Slight lacing, obviously very dark in color- almost black.
Aroma: Hoppy, of course. Very black licoricey.
Mouthfeel: Tingly, a great starter beer for the evening. 8.3% alcohol so there is some weight to it.
Taste: Not as much of a rye presence says Goose. Mike adds, "but its free." I think it has a very strong hop taste with almost no citrus at all. This is an IPA for the fans of hoppy beer.
Overall Rating: Goose gives 3.0, Mark says 4.5. Mike says a 3.0 and +1 for being free. I say a 3.5. I prefer an IPA with a little citrus in it but this is good for a starter beer. Not quite a traditional IPA but has a good thing going on. On to #2:
Brewer: Brouweru Verhaege
Beer Name: Duchesse De Bourgogne
Beer Style: Reddish Brown Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose so not sure.
Appearance: Very light reddish brown color; fairly cloudy. I can't see anything looking through it even though it is very light in color. Mark is mad he has to turn the bottle sideways to read it. Also, he finds the woman on the label unattractive. It is very light in color for an ale. Mark says the label is stupid because you have to turn it
Aroma: Slightly underwhelming for a Belgian beer. Not a huge aroma for a belgian. Actually, it is quite pleasant.
Mouthfeel: Mike says it is very effervescent as was demonstrated by the fact that I shot the cork through Goose's ceiling. It is very tangy. Almost fruity.
Taste: Very fruity. Goose says Sunny D with an infusion of apricot Febreze. Mark wants to know if we are drinking cologne. It is actually really good. Not a slam a twelve pack by the pool good but a sip with a friend over your after dinner cigar good. It reeks of classy beer.
Overall ranking: Mike says 3.0. Mark is going a 1.0. Goose says a 4.5 He digs it. It is such a change from the IPA; I'm going a 4.0 as it would be very drinkable during the summer. ON TO #3!
Brewer: Huyghe Brewer
Beer Name: Delerium Noel
Beer Style: Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose.
Appearance: Almost the same as the previous but it is much clearer. Still not a clear beer but not cloudy. No lacing at all.
Aroma: Mike says "Musty female crotch, picture the sweaty chick who danced for too long in the skirt- He did not mention whether she had panties on or not. I think it has a very nice aroma.
Mouthfeel: There are some serious chunks in this beer. I mean floaties and flakes and other assorted flotsam and jetsam floating in the beer. After you get past the crucnh, it has a good aley feel to it.
Taste: Quite a bit less fruity then the last belgian but still definitely an ale from Europe.
Overall rating: Mark says, "Given that they are not good, they aren't good. A solid 1.5" Mike says 1.5 also. Goose gives it a 3.7. I'm going to give this a 3.75. On to the 4th beer:
Brewer: New Belgium
Beer Name: Cocoa Mole'
Beer Style: Spiced Chocolate Porter
Price: $7.99 for a pint.
Appearance: Medium brown. Not quite clear. No lacing on the glass.
Aroma: A lot of cinnamon, and peppers. Quite a weird flavor mix.
Mouthfeel: Very spicy, tingly ale feel here. Quite a bit of hot peeper at the end.
Taste: No one likes this at all. It is a very weird flavor combination. Chocolate up front, cinnamon in the middle and hot peppers at the end. Actually, I'm going to say this is rather disgusting. Definitely found the loser of the night.
Overall rating: Mike says 1.5. Mark goes 1.5. Goose goes pi to the 7048th digit. I give it a 0.0.
Seriously. It may have been the worst beer I have ever had. I dumped mine out.
Brewer: Rouge Brewery (otherwise known as heaven)
Beer Name: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Beer Style: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Price: Too much- it was about $14 for the pint bottle
Appearance: Normally, we stick with the beer appearance, but Mike and Mark have focused on the bottle. Mike says it looks like a lemon douche. Mark says the bottle is shaped for her pleasure. I'm not sure I have an opinion on the bottle. Somehow we have digressed to a douche actually being a pine scented air freshener worn on the belly button ring of a female. We need a female panel member to verify. Don't ask.
Aroma: It smells like a lemon donut. Absolutely the best smell ever- besides maybe a vanilla long john.
Mouthfeel: Very citrusy; almost a lemonade feel- very tangy.
Taste: Delicious. This beer tastes like a lemon donut. Seriously. It is not super sweet- definitely not as sweet as the Shock Top or the Leinenklugels but it has the donut taste perfected.
Overall rating: I'm going a solid 4.0. If it was a little sweeter, the rating would go up but it is delicious. Definitely the best beer of the bunch. Goose gives it credit for being exactly what it wanted to be; he just said what it wanted to be sucks ass. A 1.7.
Wait a second!!!!! Goose just grabbed a sixth beer!!!!
Brewer: The Musketeers
Beer Name: Troubador Obscura
Beer Style: Belgian Mild Stout
Price: Goose's fridge.
Appearance: Reddish brown and not very clear. A dark, thick looking beer.
Aroma: WOW!!!! Quite a Belgiany aroma.
Mouthfeel: Not much there. Very flat as a stout should be.
Taste: Very belgiany. Think Gallagher smashing a fruit basket on the back of your tounge. Somewhat fruity and very tangy for a stout. I'm not even sure you can call it a stout.
Overall Rating: I'm giving the stout a 3.5. Definitelty not the best stout of all time. But not bad.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Hello again! Dooley and I are back at it as my fridge is overloaded with blog-worthy beer. First, I have to give a shout out to Kevin who brought back two beers from Florida which we are going to review first:
Brewer: Florida Beer Company
Beer Name: Key West Sunset Ale
Beer Style: American Amber Ale
Price?
ABV: 4.8%
Aroma: A slight citrus maybe? John said "something". Not sure it is anything at all but air. Weird start to a beer rating.
Appearance: Amber, duh. Pretty clear. Nice foam and lacing. Overall, a good looking beer.
Mouthfeel: Light, slightly bubbly.
Taste: Smooth. Definitely a light summer beer. Not much taste at all.
Overall Rating: I'm saying a 3.5. If it was August and I was sitting poolside, the rating may be higher but its January and I'm on my 55 degree basement. John says its 3 and he would drink heavier when it gets warmer. Definitely better than Bud Light but not much to it.
Brewer: Cigar City Brewing cigar citybrewing.com
Beer Name: Maduro Brown Ale
Beer Style: Brown Ale
Price: ?
ABV: 5.5%
Aroma: Hint of Cocoa nibs. Yummmm Chocolate. Smells delicious.
Appearance: Definitely cloudy. Dark. Looks like a dark brown ale. Very little lacing in the glass.
Mouthfeel: A little tingly. Lighter side but not disappointing.
Taste: Delicious. This is a very nice beer. It has a great chocolate taste with some other sweet notes as well. Very well balanced; slightly malty and very smooth. I might see if I can find this somewhere in Missouri.
Overall Rating: I'm going 4.5. Almost perfect. My only complaint is that it is fairly simple and straightforward which isn't a bad thing. John says 4.25. Good hints of chocolate. Overall good cold weather beer. Check their website. It looks legit. They have a lot of weird sounding, intriguing beer.
On to #3!
Brewer: Schmaltz Brewing Company amd Terrapin Brewing Company
Beer Name: Reunion Ale '14 (A Beer for Hope)
Beer Style: Ale w/ toasted coconut, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, choclate, and cocoa nibs (This is legit- it says it in the label)
Price: Can't remember- Probably about $5 for a pint bottle. This is a beer brewed for charity- specifically Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research,
Aroma: Smells like friggin coffee. Like Folgers in your cup coffee. I was hoping for a little more of a blend. Maybe the taste will be better then the aroma. John gets a hint of chocolate. I got some cinnamon after the Folgers cloud vacated the area.
Appearance: Mississippi mud pie in a glass. Dark and cloudy for sure. A good looking beer- nice lacing; good foam. This looks like a good beer.
Mouthfeel: Slightly tingly- not very heavy. Pleasant.
Taste: Holy crap! John says its too many tastes being celebrated at one time. I concur. This is like drinking the entire Golden Corral in one glass. Cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, kung pao chicken, artichoke hearts in a light butter garlic sauce, lemon cake with chiffon icing, its all here. Might be slightly ambitious as a beer. It smells like you are drinking a cup of coffee but very little coffee taste because everything else comes through.
Overall rating: First off, I love the Schmaltz brewing company mentality. They have great beer names, labels, pictures, etc. As an overall brewer, they are up there on my list. This beer however, is not their best offering. I am saying a 2.0 with the points being deducted for biting off a bigger chunk then they could chew. John says licorice. 2.5. Not good but better then Milwaukee's Best Light. (Check out our rating for MBL in the cheap beer blog from a couple of years back!)
Next Beer:
Brewer: Boatswain Brewing Company
Beer Name: Chocolate Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: Don't know. Wife picked it up at Trader Joe's for me.
Aroma: Nothing. Literally air only. Second weird aroma tonight. John thinks the chocolate beer thing is a giant farce as every time he drinks a "chocolate" beer, it is nothing near chocolate. He might be on to something with this one.
Appearance: Super dark, Like a chocolate stout. Great lacing, perfect pour.
Mouthfeel: Not much there. Very smooth and easy on the palate.
Taste: Very bland. Not much chocolate and not very stoutish either. More like a very mild brown ale. John says nothing up front and nothing on the back end. Sounds like a real bad date to me.
We are watching "The Wendell Baker Story". Its pretty funny. Wait for the comvenience store scene. Hilarious.
10:38 pm We just turned on the Godfather and we are going to blog one more beer.
Brewer: Boulevard
Beer Name: Smokestack Series Imperial Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Imperial Stout
Price: $12.99? at Schnucks
Aroma: Whiskeyish. Go figure. Quite a bit of whiskey stout.
Appearance: Not as dark as the other stout.
Mouthfeel: A shot of whisky, anyone? Definitely not a light beer here. Plenty of weight, tingle, etc.
Taste: Not a bad Imperial; stout at all. I'm not a huge fan of imperial stout but this is fairly mild with a very laid back whiskey taste. At 11%, it still packs a whallop but niot as bad as some others. It is reasonably drinkable.
Overall rating: John says 3.75. Good taste but hard to swallow. No comment necessary. I'm saying a 3.0. Not a huge imperial stout fan but its not bad. I'm going to sleep tonight for sure given that this is 11%. Night night. Pics come tomorrow.
Brewer: Florida Beer Company
Beer Name: Key West Sunset Ale
Beer Style: American Amber Ale
Price?
ABV: 4.8%
Aroma: A slight citrus maybe? John said "something". Not sure it is anything at all but air. Weird start to a beer rating.
Appearance: Amber, duh. Pretty clear. Nice foam and lacing. Overall, a good looking beer.
Mouthfeel: Light, slightly bubbly.
Taste: Smooth. Definitely a light summer beer. Not much taste at all.
Overall Rating: I'm saying a 3.5. If it was August and I was sitting poolside, the rating may be higher but its January and I'm on my 55 degree basement. John says its 3 and he would drink heavier when it gets warmer. Definitely better than Bud Light but not much to it.
Brewer: Cigar City Brewing cigar citybrewing.com
Beer Name: Maduro Brown Ale
Beer Style: Brown Ale
Price: ?
ABV: 5.5%
Aroma: Hint of Cocoa nibs. Yummmm Chocolate. Smells delicious.
Appearance: Definitely cloudy. Dark. Looks like a dark brown ale. Very little lacing in the glass.
Mouthfeel: A little tingly. Lighter side but not disappointing.
Taste: Delicious. This is a very nice beer. It has a great chocolate taste with some other sweet notes as well. Very well balanced; slightly malty and very smooth. I might see if I can find this somewhere in Missouri.
Overall Rating: I'm going 4.5. Almost perfect. My only complaint is that it is fairly simple and straightforward which isn't a bad thing. John says 4.25. Good hints of chocolate. Overall good cold weather beer. Check their website. It looks legit. They have a lot of weird sounding, intriguing beer.
On to #3!
Brewer: Schmaltz Brewing Company amd Terrapin Brewing Company
Beer Name: Reunion Ale '14 (A Beer for Hope)
Beer Style: Ale w/ toasted coconut, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, choclate, and cocoa nibs (This is legit- it says it in the label)
Price: Can't remember- Probably about $5 for a pint bottle. This is a beer brewed for charity- specifically Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research,
Aroma: Smells like friggin coffee. Like Folgers in your cup coffee. I was hoping for a little more of a blend. Maybe the taste will be better then the aroma. John gets a hint of chocolate. I got some cinnamon after the Folgers cloud vacated the area.
Appearance: Mississippi mud pie in a glass. Dark and cloudy for sure. A good looking beer- nice lacing; good foam. This looks like a good beer.
Mouthfeel: Slightly tingly- not very heavy. Pleasant.
Taste: Holy crap! John says its too many tastes being celebrated at one time. I concur. This is like drinking the entire Golden Corral in one glass. Cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, kung pao chicken, artichoke hearts in a light butter garlic sauce, lemon cake with chiffon icing, its all here. Might be slightly ambitious as a beer. It smells like you are drinking a cup of coffee but very little coffee taste because everything else comes through.
Overall rating: First off, I love the Schmaltz brewing company mentality. They have great beer names, labels, pictures, etc. As an overall brewer, they are up there on my list. This beer however, is not their best offering. I am saying a 2.0 with the points being deducted for biting off a bigger chunk then they could chew. John says licorice. 2.5. Not good but better then Milwaukee's Best Light. (Check out our rating for MBL in the cheap beer blog from a couple of years back!)
Next Beer:
Brewer: Boatswain Brewing Company
Beer Name: Chocolate Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: Don't know. Wife picked it up at Trader Joe's for me.
Aroma: Nothing. Literally air only. Second weird aroma tonight. John thinks the chocolate beer thing is a giant farce as every time he drinks a "chocolate" beer, it is nothing near chocolate. He might be on to something with this one.
Appearance: Super dark, Like a chocolate stout. Great lacing, perfect pour.
Mouthfeel: Not much there. Very smooth and easy on the palate.
Taste: Very bland. Not much chocolate and not very stoutish either. More like a very mild brown ale. John says nothing up front and nothing on the back end. Sounds like a real bad date to me.
We are watching "The Wendell Baker Story". Its pretty funny. Wait for the comvenience store scene. Hilarious.
10:38 pm We just turned on the Godfather and we are going to blog one more beer.
Brewer: Boulevard
Beer Name: Smokestack Series Imperial Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Imperial Stout
Price: $12.99? at Schnucks
Aroma: Whiskeyish. Go figure. Quite a bit of whiskey stout.
Appearance: Not as dark as the other stout.
Mouthfeel: A shot of whisky, anyone? Definitely not a light beer here. Plenty of weight, tingle, etc.
Taste: Not a bad Imperial; stout at all. I'm not a huge fan of imperial stout but this is fairly mild with a very laid back whiskey taste. At 11%, it still packs a whallop but niot as bad as some others. It is reasonably drinkable.
Overall rating: John says 3.75. Good taste but hard to swallow. No comment necessary. I'm saying a 3.0. Not a huge imperial stout fan but its not bad. I'm going to sleep tonight for sure given that this is 11%. Night night. Pics come tomorrow.
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