Day 31: 01.31.10 Brewdog Paradox: Isle of Arran

Brewdog Ltd.
Fraserburgh, Scotland


Paradox: Isle of Arran


Style: Imperial Stout
Availability: Limited - One Time Brew
Format: 330ml
ABV: 10.0%
IBU's: 70
Malts: Marris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley
Hops: Galena, Bramling Cross
Batch: 16 Isle of Arran "best  before: 08.08.10."


Bottle text & Info:
"A rock'n roll partnership between Scotland's best new distillery (Distiller of the Year 2007) and Scotland hardcore new microbrewery (Gold Medal Winner, World Beer Cup 2008). Paradox, Isle of Arran Edition, see's BrewDog's killer 10% Imperial Stout matured in stunning whiskey casks from the Arran distillery. The rich vanilla sweetness, hints of cinnamon and balancing aromatic fruit and ginger flavors of the Arran Malt are all completely infused deep into the texture of our smooth robust Imperial Stout. Profound new depths emerge with each pass and sip, the pallet is as polished and classic as a Robbie Burns masterpiece. This is Scotland in a glass."




Tasting Notes:
Oh, man... So i just cracked this guy and there appears to be either rust or some sort of other corrosive metal leached around the entirety of the bottle, right below where the cap was. BrewDog has a buzz brewery around the state and they're only two years old. They have loud packaging, a bit of arrogance and talk a big game - they're pretty much the Stone Brewery of the U.K. (they appropriately collaborated on an ale, as well.) Anyways, I digress. They're has been some talk in the community about batch consistency and bottling issues. The brewery did deal swiftly and refunded and replaced bottles, so cheers for that. All I'm saying is that I'd not be happy if i spent 12$ on this 330ml to find what appears like rust under the cap. And what's with the best before date being 2010. This is an Imperial Stout, shouldn't this be just fine for atleast 2 years? I'm a little nervous to drink this to be quite honest. Anyways, time to sack up.


Pours a very opaque brown to black although the body shows somewhat thin with light penetrating the sides. Little to no head retention which is common for cask/barrel aged ales. A persistent cream colored ring hangs around the sides of the ale. Smells mostly of wood, almost like cedar. Some scotch, some roasted barley and some smoke in the background but mostly cedar chips up front. The body is silky smooth with some slight peat peeking through beneath layers of chocolate and vanilla with plenty of warming on the finish. As the session persist rum cake and hazelnut notes join the party. This is NOT a Russian Imperial Stout. Let's get that straight. The main knock on this guy seems to be its carbonation level; however, at room temperature out of a snifter, I have absolutely no qualms about it's low level carbonation. In fact, this is par for the course if not over carbonated for most U.K barrel aged ales. Overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as the "Smokehead" batch, but i think that's only because I enjoy the peatier west coast Scotches. Another great release from the U.K.'s most "extreme" brewery. I'd like to see them get more consistent at BrewDog and come down a bit price wise. They're just babies though (2 years old) so i'm sure this will improve. And please BrewDog, knock off this whole "beer for punks" non-sense, it's so gimmicky and adolescent. Have enough faith in your beer to not rely on this tripe.

Day 30: 01.30.10 Gulden Draak

Brouwerj Van Steenberge N.V.

Village of Ertvelde 
Municipality of Evergem
Province of East Flanders,  Belgium


Gulden Draak Ale


Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale - Dark Tripel
Availability: Year Round
Format: 330ml, 750ml, 1.5l
ABV: 10.5%


Bottle text & Info:
Gulden Draak is a dark heavy beer with 10.5% alcohol by volume. Gulden Draak, just like Augustijn, is a beer that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle or in the keg. Gulden Draak is a beer in a class of its own. It is a beer that is so rich, so glowing, so full of its very own characteristic flavor, that it reminds some who try it of chocolate and others of coffee. The English call this type of beer a Barley Wine. Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon) smells of triumph. It is a definite party beer. It is no wonder that Gulden Draak was crowned best beer in the world by the American Tasting Institute in 1998! This beer won many other awards as well. Did you know that the Gulden Draak is named for the golden statue at the top of the clock tower of Ghent? The statue was originally given to the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey) by the Norse king Sigrid Magnusson in 1111, during one of the first crusades; hence of course the form of a Viking ship that the beast was given. Approximately one hundred years later, Boudewijn IX, Count of Flanders, was the Emperor of Constantinople in one of the following crusades. Because he found the statue so beautiful, he simply took it back to Flanders with him. In 1382, the cities of Bruges and Ghent even did battle for this statue. And who do you think won? 


Tasting Notes:
Pours brown with a generous off-white head. Clings and slide down the glass. Smells of beet sugar and caramel. Taste like someone dipped a caramel apple into a Westmalle Tripel. Delicious. Very much a triple so don't let the designation of this a Belgian Strong Ale fool you. Very much a dark tripel so expect the esther/yeasty and fruit flavor of a tripel with some added dark fruit and caramel malt notes. Sweet with a tangy finish and the alcohol is super well masked. One of the Belgian greats and an ale that motivates me to get back over seas. I must track down these belgian breweries and abbys! Cellarable up to two year after bottling. 

Day 29: 01.29.10 North Coast Old Stock Ale

North Coast Brewing Co.

Fort Bragg, California


Old Stock Ale


Style: Old Ale
Availability: Limited 
Format: 12oz - 4pk
ABV: 11.5%
Malt: Maris Otter
Hops: Fuggles, East Kent Goldings


Bottle text & Info:
Like a fine port, Old Stock Ale is intended to be laid down. With an original gravity of over 1.100 and a generous hopping rate, Old Stock Ale is well-designed to round-out and mellow with age. It's brewed with classic Maris Otter malt and Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops, all imported from England. 


Tasting Notes:
Pours as advertised, chestnut amber to brown with a thin off white head that shows good retention and clings to the glass. Smells like sweet malts, candied walnuts and some subtle bananas and butter like notes. Everything follows the nose with a continuous onslaught of different notes appearing and fading as this warms. Added toffee notes, cherry, ginger, brown sugar with real subtle molasses and raisins. Surely a sweet one and a heavy hitter, I believe that this is one of the best American entries into the Old Ale category and legend has it that this will age up to 10 years, mellow and become epically delicious.

Day 28: 01.28.10 Highland Fifteenth Anniversary

Highland Brewing Co.

Asheville, North Carolina


Fifteenth Anniversary Auld Asheville Vintage Ale


Style: Old Ale
Availability: Limited - One Time Brew -December 09-January 10
Format: 22oz
ABV: 9.5%


Bottle text & Info:
Highland’s 15th Anniversary Auld Asheville Ale has been brewed to celebrate our tradition of brewing fine ales and lagers. This version of an English Old Ale has a bold profile from fine British malts, woodsy and estery aromas from traditional British ale yeast, and bittering from Styrian Bobek hops. The addition of Sterling hops provides a hint of spiciness on the nose. These flavors combined with a bright cheery redolence create a savory "Auld Ale" that will warm the dreariest of winter nights.


Tasting Notes:
Pours dark ruby to rust with little to no off white head. Smells of molasses, prunes and booze. A pretty impressive collaboration of flavors burst forth the best of which have very brandy and sherry like qualities. Caramel, toffee, tobacco, cola, dark tart cherry, plum, peaking with warming alcohol and finishing with a mellow nuttiness. This is my third go around with this. The first was a bit green and then I tried this a few days ago a beer dinner and it mellowed and benefited greatly from another month in the bottle. To date, this has been my favorite release from Highland and I hope to see them step out from their balanced english style core ales and out into these high ABV special releases. In short, a great old ale that at $5.99 a bomber, would be a solid addition to any cellar.

Day 27: 01.27.10 Red Oak Amber Lager

Red Oak Brewery

Whitsett, North Carolina


Amber Lager


Style: Munich Urtyp Lager
Availability: Year Round
Format: 12oz - 12pk
ABV: ?
Malt: Two Row, Munich
Hops: Spalt
Yeast: Weihenstephen 


Bottle text & Info:


From the brewery: Red Oak Amber is a Munich Urtyp (Old Style) Lager. We begin the brewing process with custom kilned imported Munich Malt. Red Oak is then hopped with Spalt Noble Hops imported from Bavaria, the oldest hop growing region in the world. Before fermentation we add a yeast strain from Weihenstephen, the oldest brewery in the world, founded before 1040 AD. Weeks of aging gives Red Oak the smooth taste it is known for. 


Tasting Notes:
Pours a bright, clear amber with a two and a half inch billowy cream colored head. I'll give this beer two things: great head retention, nice mouthfeel. Had a Yuengling before? Yeah, me too. Then you know what this smells like. Some sweet malt in the front followed by a lengthy grain notes with some souring and buttering on the finish. Perhaps no diacetyl rest stage for the folks down at red oak. What is an amber lager anyways? is it an amber? or a lager? is this an austrian style lager using german ingredients? Cripes. Overall, this is ok. A mass appeal beer with a lot of followers here in the N.C. From a retail standpoint, I'm glad to see this finally bottled so I don't have to field anymore "do you guys carry red oak?" A solid option if you're at a NASCAR event or an airport. That's where it ends for me. I'm a little irritated I fielded three phone calls in the last two weeks badgering me about how cold this had to be stored since it's unpasteurized. Whatever Red Oak. You guys bottled with screw caps. How's that for preserving freshness. And what's with this "we brew with all german malts, all german hops, and according to the German Purity law." You're brewing in the heart of NASCAR country. No one cares.

Day 26: 01.26.10 Great Divide Old Ruffian

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver, Colorado


Old Ruffian


Style: American Barleywine
Availability: Limited - Seasonal - (January - March)
Format: 22oz
ABV: 10.2%
IBU's: 90
Batch: bottled Dec. 29th 2009"


Bottle text & Info:
Old Ruffian is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine- Style Ale. Seemingly mellow at the start with subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, it quickly becomes aggressive with its bold hop flavors and huge hop bitterness. Ultimately, the big body, succulent sweetness and massive hop character come together to work wonders on your palate.  


Tasting Notes:
Pours a rust amber to brown. Shows dark cherry when backlit. Inch and half head that quickly dissipates to quarter inch. Smells of toffee and salt water taffy with hops in the mix. Smooth, creamy body - definitely a big and chewy BW. Noticeable hops with caramel, toffee and some slight souring on the finish. A solid entry into the barleywine field. This one just doesn't finish dry enough for my liking. Guess that's me largely favoring the American style over the English. I say that and I must clarify that this is still hopped enough to be considered and American interpretation - i'd place it between the Old Horizontal and the abundantly hopped Smuttynose BW.

Day 25: 01.25.10 Great Divide Tripel

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver, Colorado


Tripel


Style: Tripel
Availability: Limited - August - September
Format: 22oz
ABV:  9.3%
Batch Info: "bottled on Aug. 14th 2009"




Bottle text & Info:
Tripel's medium body and straw hue belie a beer of wondrous complexity. Fruity yeast character dominates throughout, while sweet malt and noble hops give way to a bit of warmth in the finish. Ever hugged a monk? This dangerously drinkable abbey-inspired ale just might have you chasing down the next one you see.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a cloudy vibrant yellow with a billowy pure white head. Smells of yeast and orange perhaps some honeydew tucked away in there. Floral for sure. I've included a pic of some very impressive carbonation stacking. Beautiful beer. Stylistically, this guy has all the components, yeast/estery, clove, slight toffee, slight bubblegum - in that order. Finishes slightly dry. The ratio of yeast to fruit note is slightly too high for my liking and although this is a solid offering from G.D. i would have to give my nod to the Stoudts. Still lots of days to dethrone the favie. stay tuned....

Day 24: 01.24.10 Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co.
Denver, Colorado


Fresh Hop Pale Ale


Style: American Pale Ale
Availability: Limited - Seasonal - October - November
Format: 22oz
ABV: 6.1%
IBU's: 55
Batch: "Bottled Sept. 29 2009"


Bottle text & Info:
Fresh Hop Pale ale is brewed with fresh, whole cone hops from the Pacific Northwest.  We ship these “wet” hops to Denver overnight and brew shortly after harvest, imparting an intensely grassy hop aroma and citrus hop flavor in a medium-bodied ale.


Tasting Notes:
Pours right between golden and amber with quarter inch white head, leaving good lacing down the glass.
Smells earthy and plant like, small amounts of sweet malts in the back. Distinctively wet hopped, less citrus more grass/earth. Very leafy but very one dimensional, seems to be missing some complexities i'd like to see here. I usually think Great Divide does exceptional beers. I'm gonna chalk this experience up to trying a wet hop ale about four months out of bottling... prolly not a good idea....

Day 23: 01.23.10 Sam Adams Noble Pils

Samuel Adams Brewing Co.

Boston, Massachusetts


Noble Pils


Style: German Pilsener
Availability: Limited - Spring- Jan-Mar.
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 4.9%
Malt: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, Czech Pilsener
Hops: Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Tettnang Tettnanger, Spalt Spalter, Saaz, Hersbrucker


Bottle text & Info:
Samuel Adams® Noble Pils is brewed with all 5 Noble hops for a distinct hop character and fresh taste.  Deep golden in color with a citrusy hop aroma, Samuel Adams Noble Pils is a traditional Bohemian Pilsner.  The honeyed malt character from traditional Bohemian malt is balanced by delicate yet pronounced citrus, floral, and piney notes from the Noble hops.  The winner of our 2009 Beer Lover’s Choice election, this beer was chosen by over 67,000 drinkers for its crisp complexity and refreshing taste.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a clear golden with generous head with good retention. smells of straw and grass notes, showing furious carbonation. Beautiful grass and slight pine notes on the front followed by a nice, toasted, bready malt backbone. Body remains light throughout thanks to the significant carbonation, but not overly so. This is a boatin' beer so it's a shame this one goes out by March, but thank god it replaced that awful wheat beer that was formerly their spring seasonal. a solid offering from sam adams, one of the best i've had from them.

Day 22: 01.22.10 Smuttynose Barleywine

Smuttynose Brewing Co.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire


Big Beer Series: 
Barleywine Style Ale


Style: American Barleywine
Availability: Limited - First Quarter Release


Bottle text & Info:

Barleywine is a term originally used by British brewers to describe very(term deleted*) ales. Though individual examples of this style vary widely, barleywines are characterized by their full body, (terms deleted*) content, pronounced residual malt sweetness, fruity esters and, in the case of American versions especially, distinctive hop character, with a flavor profile that can lean towards the sweet or the bitter, or somewhere in between, and a color ranging from amber to deep copper. Barleywines tend to age nicely, especially bottle-conditioned versions, and have become quite collectible.

* Since Uncle Sam won't allow us to describe the term Barleywine accurately, here's a link to theBrewers Association Style Guidelines.

Our Barleywine is rich and malty, with hints of fruity esters and a well-hopped finish. Enjoy this hearty ale with fresh fruit and ripe cheese on a cold winter’s night, or lay it up and savor it with a friend for a special summer treat.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a dark orange. Much lighter than expected with a generous half inch white head. leaves nice spotted lacing on the glass. smells like a double ipa! All the flavors are there that you'd expect from a good barleywine. Dark fruits plus prunes with some toasted malts and that dry/sweet rye like finish. I love this one. definitely an american barleywine. Explodes with flavors from the intensive hopping. A great barleywine with a tangerine/blood orange like finish and a carbonation level that's spot on.

Day 21: 01.21.10 Bell's Hopslam

Bell's Brewing Inc.
Kalamazoo, Michigan


Hopslam


Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale
Availability: Limited - January Release
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 10.0%


Bottle text & Info:
A biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale. With a name like Hopslam, what did you expect.


Tasting Notes:
Only 150 cases currently in the state. 250 more to come. we sold all 12 cases allocated in a single day, so good luck trackin this down. If that's not a ringing endorsement i don't know what is. The holy grail of beer geeks and hop heads alike. Liquid gold. One of the best beers. ever.

Day 20: 01.20.10 Mad River John Barleycorn

Mad River Brewing Co.

Blue Lake, California


John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale


Style: American Barleywine
Availability: Limited - Seasonal - Winter
ABV: 9.1%




Bottle text & Info:
N/a


Tasting Notes: 
So basically, Mad River saved you the work. read the label, notice the vintage. yep. 2008. The fine folks over at Mad River double batched the 08, releasing half and sitting on the other half. What you have here is the batch that has been aged at the brewery. Now lets get into it and see how the flavors are. Nose and appearance are as expected. Deep copper, little to no head, wafts of eastery and prune like smells. Brown sugar and dark fruit notes sandwiching a nice little touch of citrus hops finishing with a peppery, mustard green like dryness. Overall, a pretty little solid little barleywine. Perhaps not as strong in the abv as i'd expect in a BW but the flavor profile is great. Many have likened this to an older english style barleywine but the hops are much too prevalent for me to make that correlation. You gotta appreciate the effort from Mad River. hand claps for letting this one sit for a year and mass releasing!

Day 19: 01.19.10 Great Divide Hercules DIPA

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver, Colorado


Hercules Double India Pale Ale


Style: American Double/ Imperial India Pale Ale
Availability: Year Round
Format: 12oz - 4pk
ABV: 10.0%
IBU's
Batch: Bottled Dec. 31st 2009


Bottle text & Info:
Hercules is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for the gods.  HERCULES delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile. 


Tasting Notes:
Pours a clear amber with a half inch of off white head. Low head retention that shows gentle carbonation beneath. Syrupy body that clings to the glass and just hangs in suspension. Huge gripping pine and citrus. whoa. Epically delicious and masterfully masked. 10% ??? where? I've tasted this before and really noticed it's significant malt billing, but this one seems all hops, all the time. This is definitely the freshest i've had this guys - only two and half weeks since its bottling! One of the most memorable hop experiences i've had in the last several years. I'm looking into the living room and the wife is giving two thumbs up from behind a glass. that's always a good sign ;).

Day 18: 01.18.10 Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Dogfish Head Brewing

Milton, Delaware


Palo Santo Marron


Style: Imperial Brown Ale
Availability: Limited - Rotating
Format: 12oz - 4pk
ABV: 12.0%
IBU's: 50


Bottle text & Info:

An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means "holy tree" and it's wood has been used in South American wine-making communities.

This beer is a 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the Palo Santo wood.  It was a huge hit at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub when first released in November of 2006, Palo went into full production at the end of 2007.

At 10,000 gallons, our Palo Tank is the largest wooden brewing vessel built in America since before Prohibition (and we have two same-sized Oak tanks right next to it).

Tasting Notes:

Pours a mean lookin' brown, nearly black. thick mocha colored head with think chunks clinging to the glass. Smells of vanilla bean and brown sugar. Delicious combination of caramel and vanilla with subtle gingerbread notes interlaced with some dark fruit and intriguing wood notes that are more like cedar than they are oak. Pronounced molasses coupled with a creamy mouthfeel followed by warming alcohol. A nice special occasion, wood aged brown ale from the dogfish. i don't know if they had to go all the way to Paraguay for the wood...but that's how they do things over at dogfish. unnecessarily big.

Day 17: 01.17.10 Great Divide Titan IPA

Great Divide Brewing Co.
Denver, Colorado


Titan IPA


Style: American IPA
Availability: Year Round
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 7.1%
Batch: Bottled on Nov. 13 2009


Bottle text & Info:
Titan is a big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples. It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice rich, malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a glowing amber with a quarter inch head. Smells earth with some serious pine and sweet malt. Grapefruit and pine jump off the front followed by caramel like malt backing. Creamy, creamy mouthfeel with some hop resin bitterness cut nicely by the sweetness. This one is kindred spirits with Green Flash West Coast. An extremely enjoyable and solid IPA made for people who drink IPA's. No training wheels here, although at a little over $11 a six - this one's priced just outside of being your stock IPA.

Day 16: 01.16.10 Highland Black Mountain Bitter

Highland Brewing Co.

Asheville, North Carolina


Black Mountain Bitter Organic Pale Ale


Style: English Bitter
Availability: Limited - Rotating Seasonal (Jan-mid spring)
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 4.0%
IBU's: 24
Hops: Kent Goldings, British Challenger


Bottle text & Info:
This classic English Bitter is a refreshing session beer meticulously hand crafeted witht a unique Highlandtwist.  Brewed with 100% organic grains, using English Golding hops for bittering and dry hopped with British Challenger for aromatics, this beer finishes crisp and clean.  It is a refreshing seasonal experience.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a bright clear golden color with quarter inch white head. Smells like a green bottled lager. yikes! Go over to produce and tell Miami Ed i found his new favorite beer. calling all heineken fans. A prick of hops perhaps with a dash of yuck. Good god. I can appreciate that Highland focuses on creating no frills english style ales but this one's gotta go. A totally different bag of issues is the label. It say bitter followed by "an organic pale ale." Is Highland saying that the bitters are pale ales? Then why does Brit giants Fullers put out a bitter and london pride pale? hmmm? I guess Xpdtn Grant would poise the question; "what really is a pale ale anyways? Whatever you want it to be." That clinking of glass you hear if me frantically searching the nether regions of my fridge for another beer - something different - anything, really.