Cascade Brewing - Strawberry 2012

Cascade says: "This NW style sour ale is a blend of wheat ales aged in oak barrels for up to 12 months, then aged on strawberries for an additional three months." Cascade doesn't distribute through established channels as far as I know, but they do ship to several US states via online orders. Of course for in-house only beer, you'll need to have a friend in Portland, OR -- what a handy thing to have! The Strawberry is available online, so this one was just ordered through their website shop.cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com.

Appearance: This looks like a strawberry beer! It's an inviting pink-red color, with a foamy, effervescent head. It may seem obvious to say that carbonation is effervescent, but lambics and sours do, in my opinion, offer a distinctive type of head on the top of the glass that appears so immediately refreshing.

Smell: There is a strong breadiness as well as an oaky presence. The strawberry is there as well, and a lactic sourness that isn't overwhelming but definitely apparent.

Taste: Here, I was expecting a lot more sour. And don't get me wrong -- it is sour, but I was expecting more. There is only a slight funkiness with the tart, and the sweetness from the strawberry even seems a little subdued compared to the bready body from the wheat and yeast. Others who I tried it with did get a more strong sour character, so maybe my palate was a little off, but it was just less than I expected.

Mouthfeel: This beer comes across as fairly light-bodied, which is interesting, since it's being pulled in a few different directions. In the first place, it's dry and effervescent, which makes for a light body, but since as I mentioned the taste comes across as very bready and full, that gives the illusion of thickness to the mouthfeel. Still, overall, it's more refreshing than not.

Overall: I really like Cascade sours, but this may be my least favorite of the ones I've tried. I wanted more strawberry and more sour, but I think a lot of sweetness that the strawberries may have contributed got lost in the wheat base. It's still a really tasty, drinkable beer, but Cascade makes such knockout beers that this one fell a little short.

3/5

Robert & Ryan / Rip Current / Stone R&R Coconut IPA

Stone says: "Originally dreamt up by homebrewers Robert Masterson and Ryan Reschan, who earned themselves the top prize in our 2013 American Homebrewers Association homebrewing contest, this innovative beer marks a refreshing sea change for IPA lovers everywhere. It was brewed with 280 pounds of coconut and an unusual blend of hop varieties, including a few from faraway lands or just brand spankin' new, and is guaranteed to taste like no IPA that's gone before. Prepare yourself for a tropical breeze of a brew that will lull you to a place of tranquil contentment for a little R & R."

This IPA is a limited summer 2013 release and it checks in at 7.7% ABV. Since it's distributed through Stone, it's been pretty widely available and easy to acquire.

Appearance: This photo turned the beer a lot more orange and cloudy than the beer actually was; in person it was a warm gold and pretty clear, with a small head that receded quickly and left no lacing on the glass.

Smell: The most predominant notes are apricot and peach. The coconut is there but very faint -- I had to search for it and take some really deep whiffs that nearly involved snorting the beer.

Taste: The coconut is a bit stronger on the palate for me, but it's still not the most predominant flavor. Peach and floral notes have that honor here, and there is a juicy pineapple sweetness at the end.

Mouthfeel: It's creamy, slightly oily, and overall medium bodied.

Overall: I liked the juicy stone and tropical fruit notes in this beer a lot, but I was expecting a much bigger punch of coconut both on the nose and on the palate than I got. Thus, I left this beer feeling rather disappointed, which may not seem fair; if I didn't know there was supposed to be a big coconut flavor, I would have probably just enjoyed this IPA on its own merits for its big fruit flavor. However, since it's billed as coconut, and particularly having tried the Bruery's Humulus Palm (a pale ale also brewed with coconut that was just bang-on in flavor) I have to say that this didn't quite cut the mustard.

3.5/5

Cantillon - Gueuze 100% Lambic-Bio

Brasserie Cantillon in Belgium has, in the last two or so years, become really sought after here in the US. They're known for their deliciously funky open-air lambics, and though many of their offerings do make it across the ocean, they tend to be snapped up really quickly and rarely see the shelves. The beer I'm reviewing today is the organic version of their basic gueze, which is one of their core brews and one of the easiest to acquire.

Appearance: The picture made this look a lot more orange than it really is. In person, it's more of a sunny golden yellow, with a dense, foamy head that fades fairly quickly, but leaves a ring around the edge of the glass and patchwork lacing down the sides.

Smell: Tart and funky! "Barnyard" notes, with sour green apple, lemon, straw. Even with the super strong funkiness, it's bright and refreshing smelling.

Taste: A very aggressive, demanding sour flavor, with lemon, a bit of oak from the barrel aging, a white-wine grape note, and finally some of that rubber tire funk which is so off-putting to describe but really works in a beer like this.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, extremely crisp. The strong tart acidity and dry, crisp body have a way of making me feel like my head is clearing up (until the next beer, of course.)

Overall: Gueze can be kind of a harsh style to the sour newcomer, but for an introduction to the style, you can't go wrong with Cantillon (and by extension, this beer.) It's about as perfect of a representation of a gueze as I can think of: extremely sour and dry with pleasant funkyness.

5/5

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Toast

Toast is a 5.9% ABV Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale/whatever from the good folks at Lawson's, who love their hops and i love them for it. I'm under the impression that this was brewed once, in the spring (and yes, I did drink it in the spring, but as you can see I've been really awful about posting my reviews lately, so sorry) and it was sent to me from a friend on the East Coast as part of a big box of delightful hoppy treats from Vermont.

Appearance: Deep brown that is nearly black, with a thick, mousse-textured tan head that is retained for several minutes and leaves sticky lacing on the sides of the glass. Very attractive pour.

Smell: Exactly how I like a black IPA to smell -- dark, roasted character from the malt, lending a robust espresso character, plus a more sweet, floral and resinous hop note that tempers the acidity from the dark malt.

Taste: The dark roasted malt dominates the palate. The hops come through a bit, but they aren't as present as they are on the nose, so the most obvious flavors are those of coffee and chocolate. Where I can detect hops, I get more of a citrus character than I picked up from the nose. As the beer warms, it becomes more astringent.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with the moderate carbonation one expects from an IPA. Because I think the roast character wasn't as well balanced with the hoppy notes I'd want from an IPA, this more effervescent mouthfeel works against the beer. With this kind of flavor profile, I'm programmed to want a more creamy body like in a porter or a stout. It's not a bad mouthfeel, but the whole synergy is off.

Overall: This is a style that people are divided on. Myself, I like it when it's done well. Firestone's Wookie Jack and the Stone 15th Anniversary beers (not to mention Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous, which I also like, but not as well as the former two) are my favorites of the category. This one is a good tasting beer, but does fall a little short in the exact balance and seems to be tipped more in the robust toasted malt flavor. Not bad drinking, but not my favorite effort.

3/5

Hill Farmstead Brewer - Society and Solitude #6

About Society and Solitude #6, the most recent of their D/IPA "philosophical" series, Hill Farmstead simply says: "Imperial Pale Ale brewed almost exclusively with Mosaic hops from the Pacific Northwest. 8% abv"

This was also received and tasted back in March, so sorry for not getting the official review up until now! I'm so lucky to have friends near Vermont that send me beer from this brewery, so I want to make it clear that I drink HF growlers immediately after I receive them to ensure that the beer is as fresh as possible.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy orange-amber, with a dense soapy head that pours to about 3-4 fingers in height and sticks around for awhile, eventually leaving webbed lacing and rings along the side of the glass.

Smell: I've been loving the recent explosion of Mosaic hop use, and they lend a ton of character to the nose here. It's dank, resinous, and herbal, but there is also a ton of juicy fruitiness -- especially tropical.

Taste: On the palate, the fruit is much more upfront. Grapefruit, orange, and mango dominate here, but there is a bit of pepper on the finish and a bit of breadiness that counteracts the acid and sweetness from the hop notes. The hops are punchy, which I like, but there is some weight behind the beer that balances it and keeps it from being too hot or astringent.

Mouthfeel: This beer is smooth on the palate and is medium bodied. The finish is moderately dry, fairly average for the style.

Overall: Another delicious DIPA from Hill Farmstead. There really isn't much left to say: I'm continually impressed by the high quality output of their beers, and how there are distinct differences in character across the IPAs in the series that make them uniquely enjoyable.

5/5

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Double Sunshine IPA

Lawson's says of their Double Sunshine IPA: '"his American Double India Pale Ale is packed with juicy tropical fruit flavors and bright herbal aromas, thanks to the abundance of US-grown hops. ~8% a/v"

Check out what I finally got to try! This has been on my most wanted probably ever since I started exploring the wide world of craft beer, but its limited production out of Vermont made it difficult for me to ever procure a bottle. Finally I was able to trade for it this March, so I can tick this one off. I did taste this back in March when I received it, so this review is for the fresh bottle despite not posting it until now!

Appearance: This DIPA takes on a light copper hue, and a head is a pretty clean white of medium density that doesn't leave much lacing or rings on the glass.

Smell: I found the nose on this one to be pretty subtle. I got this bottle shortly after the most recent release of Kern's Citra (which I still count as my favorite beer) and a lot of people include that beer and Double Sunshine in their favorite IPAs, so I couldn't help but compare them even though they are really completely different IPAs. One of the biggest differences was that Citra, on the nose, is explosively fruity. Double Sunshine has some nice lemon and tangerine citrus character and a solid backbone of resin and pine, but as I mentioned earlier, it's subdued.

Taste: I get the citrus and pine character like I got from the nose, but I also taste more of the tropical notes that were promised on the bottle, including mango and pineapple. The flavor is juicier and punchier than the nose, which I liked. The malt backbone is noticeable to me, not in an overly sweet way, but it's present enough to provide noticeable balance.

Mouthfeel: For the style, the mouthfeel is actually pretty thick. It's oily and does seem to leave behind a bit of a residue that's reminiscent of a thick juice. It's got the effect of ripe richness, which isn't bad, but I think I personally prefer a more dry finish.

Overall: This was a delicious DIPA that I'm fortunate to have tried; however, now that I have, I can safely say that I don't think I'll be needing to seek it out again. I traded away some Citra for it, but I know now I'd rather have the Citra. Since there is no shortage of fabulous IPAs here in California, and since Heady Topper is available year-round from Vermont, I have plenty of other options! I think I preferred Lawson's Triple Play IPA, which may be an unpopular opinion, but to me and my preferences this one didn't quite live up to the hype.

3.5/5

Two months later...

Hello readers (those of you who are out there)!

I got some nice feedback a week or so ago encouraging me to keep up my reviewing on this blog, and I fully intend to do that! In the meantime, I wanted to apologize for my absence and explain what's been going on.

In the first place, I had been spending a lot -- too much -- on beer. This can get to be a quite expensive hobby, unfortunately, and it had started to put a strain on other things I enjoyed doing. The second point, which is tangentially related to the first, is that though I still have a LOT of beer I can drink and review for the blog, I had started to see more of the value in sharing it rather than drinking it by myself and taking detailed notes. I could, I suppose, still take notes in these social situations, but when I'm around other people, even when we're discussing the beer, I still prefer to be in the conversation rather than observing it and writing furiously in my notebook.

I have a few smaller excuses, but that's the big one. I did help pour beer with my friends at Eagle Rock Brewery at the LA Beer Fest on April 6th -- maybe you saw me there!

I do have two reviews upcoming on some notes I took last month but never typed into a proper review. So you can look forward to reviews of two delicious Vermont IPAs (I just love receiving these) that will hopefully be posted in the next week or so. Thanks to the encouragement I received, I'm happy to keep posting notes for those out there who are interested, so hopefully afterward I can get back on a schedule to review a new beer once a week again!

Cheers :)
Amanda

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Fayston Maple Ale aged in maple barrels

Lawson's says of the regular Fayston Maple Ale : "A huge, rich, and strong stout brewed with a maple twist. Designed to keep you warm on sub-zero nights and for sipping with a fine meal or dessert."

Of the barrel aged version, the bottle says: "Brewed with loads of roasted and black malts, & over two gallons of VT maple syrup per barrel, this beauty was carefully aged for over a year and Sapling Maple Liquor oak barrels from Saxton's River Distillery in Brattleboro, VT. This rich & complex beer will mature for many months... 11% ABV. Bottled December 2012"

Out of Vermont, Lawson's is known for their stellar IPAs and maple-themed beers. One such beer, the Maple Tripple, is on my wishlist. Until then, I was lucky to receive the maple barrel-aged Fayston Maple Ale in a trade.

Appearance: No light comes through this. It's completely pitch black, and I couldn't get much head to pour from the bottle. When I swirl the beer, it definitely leaves legs down the side of the glass, but I don't get any lacing.

Smell: There are definitely prominent oaky notes from the barrel, as well as a sweet hint of maple. The oak cuts through the maple nicely so that it's not overly cloying. There are also scents of chocolate, coffee, and tobacco.

Taste: The maple taste is delicious, and there is almost a spiciness that layers on top of the chocolate character, which is really nice. These flavors are backed by a heavy roasted malt foundation and a hint of vanilla.

Mouthfeel: A little thinner than I expected. It's still smooth and creamy, but it doesn't quite have the weight and viscosity that I associate with a barrel aged stout.

Overall: I love maple, and the maple characteristics elevated this beer beyond the ordinary for me. I do wish the body wasn't so thin; a bit of a thicker mouthfeel would have kicked this up another level. As it is, on the flavor alone, this is still one of my favorite new stouts I've tried this season, but I can't award full marks.

4/5

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Choklat

Souther Tier says: "The Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, unfolds a complex web of mystery around a beverage known as xocoatl (ch-co-atle). At Southern Tier, we’re not surprised that hieroglyphs of the ancient Maya depict chocolate being poured for rulers and gods. Even through the many voyages of Columbus, the mystical bean remained nothing more than a strange currency of the native peoples.

Moving through centuries, the circular journey of cacao has been realized in our brew house, encompassing the complexity of the darkest, bittersweet candy together with the original frothy cold beverage of the ancient Maya to bring to you our Blackwater Series Choklat Stout. We have combined the finest ingredients to tempt your senses and renew the power and interrelation of history in every bottle."

This 10% ABV Imperial stout is released in the late fall to most of the eastern US, as well as Washington and Oregon. It's okay, Southern Tier, California still loves you even if you don't love us. As one does, I traded for this bottle.

Appearance: Opaque pitch black with a practically non-existent head. I had to do a really hard pour to get the thin tan layer you see in the picture.

Smell: Rich, sweet chocolate is at the forefront, and there are also some notes of coffee and wood. Some caramel malt adds to the sweetness. Though some bitterness from the coffee cuts through, the overall mode of the nose is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Taste: Exactly as advertised! Huge chocolate, with some undertones of dark fruit and a bit of woodiness as well. As expected in a stout, the coffee note is there, but it's not very prominent. I rather like the woody character of this, as it adds a bit of uniqueness to an otherwise very chocolate-heavy beer.

Mouthfeel: This beer has a nice full body that's creamy on the palate but still manages a relatively dry finish. It's an appropriate feeling for the style.

Overall: This is a really enjoyable, solid beer, but I guess for some reason I can't put a finger on it didn't really knock my socks off. I think the nose may have been a bit too sweet -- even though it wasn't cloying in the taste, as I would raise the glass I'd get a blast of sweet aroma that was kind of off-putting. Otherwise, as I said, I enjoyed this. It's not a perfect imperial stout, but it's one I'd be glad to drink again.

3.5/5

Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2010)

Goose Island brewer's notes: "Everyday Goose Island smells the wonderful coffee roasting next to our brewery at Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea. This world class roaster puts the same passion and skill into their coffee as Goose Island does with its beer. This excellent stout is made with a different coffee from our friends next door each year. With the change in coffee comes a change in the flavor profile, making each release truly unique from the previous years.

Recipe Information:

Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Stout
Alcohol by Volume: 15%
International Bitterness Units: 60
Color: Midnight
Hops: Willamette
Malt: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black
Coffee: 2010 Release - Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso Beans"

Another bottle I acquired in a trade, Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (BCBCS) is brewed annually since 2010 in the fall/early winter months. It sees mostly Midwest and East coast distribution, and is one of those bottles that people tend to chase down; it flies off the shelves (if it even makes it to the shelf.) I'm fortunate to have a bottle of this, and so happy to finally try it for the first time!

Appearance: Pours opaque, jet black, like motor oil. A lacy tan head of about one finger in height eventually recedes to a thin tan ring, and no lacing is left on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Bold notes of coffee, dark fruit, molasses, and bourbon.

Taste: The bourbon flavor is massive and immediately apparent. Though the coffee is also noticeable, it's also less than I would have expected, especially considering this is meant to be a coffee stout. It's probably from the age -- the coffee has faded over time. There isn't a huge presence from the barrel itself -- not a lot of woody or earthy notes. Other than the bourbon and coffee, there is a sweetness from the roasted malt that tastes like dark chocolate, and molasses like in the nose.

Mouthfeel: Pretty standard on the palate. Rich and creamy, thick and viscous. The huge body carries the big flavors well.

Overall: This was really good, although I wish I hadn't hung onto it for as long as I did. I would have liked to taste more of the coffee. My mistakes aside, this brew nicely balances all of the heavy-hitting flavors and drinks really smoothly, especially considering the high ABV on it. I have a 2012 that hopefully I'll be able to open fresh and get more of the coffee, and I'll definitely be seeking it out in the upcoming years!

4.5/5

Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout (2012)

Founders says:
"What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight.

• ABV: 11.2%
• IBUs: 70
• Availability: April"

As with almost anything from the Midwest, I got this in a trade.

Appearance: Pitch black, completely opaque, with a very thin head that doesn't really recede since it was so thin to begin with.

Smell: I smelled, in the following order: coffee, molasses, and bourbon spice. These scents are pretty well blended and balanced together; none dominates any of the others. Apparently, when this beer is more fresh, the coffee is much more dominant.

Taste: A big hit of coffee, followed primarily by notes from the barrel, like oak and vanilla. As the beer warms, a tannin-like note (leather) is more apparent. I don't get much sweetness overall except for the vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for an imperial stout -- fuller bodied, with a smooth and creamy texture that isn't too sticky or oily.

Overall: This beer is pretty hyped up, and it's good, but among what I would consider its peers (Bourbon County Stout, Parabola, etc) this isn't the best in class. I am going to try to get a 2013 bottle and try it again fresh to see how it compares, though. At this age (almost a year) I found the notes from the barrel overwhelmed the rest of the beer.

3.5/5

Weyerbacher - Heresy (2012)

Weyerbacher says: "This incredibly intriguing ale is made by aging our Old Heathen Imperial Stout in oak barrels that were used for making fine Kentucky bourbon! The result is an extraordinary, dark, and mysterious stout whose very essence has been enhanced. The aroma is filled with vanilla, cocoa, and roasted coffee beans.

This silky-smooth brew has notes of oak, whiskey, roasted barley and vanilla that meld together on the tongue to create an incredible sensation."

This 8% Russian imperial stout came to me by trade, since Weyerbacher is out of PA and we don't see their distribution here in California. The brewery says this is released in February, and I'm drinking last year's vintage.

Appearance: Pitch black with a foamy brown head that pours about 1 finger in height and recedes completely away, leaving no lacing or rings on the glass.

Smell: Cocoa, leather, oak, espresso, smoke, in that order. As the beer warms, a touch of alcohol comes out, but it's not too strong.

Taste: Huge notes of oak and chocolate. It's very barrel-forward. There is a bit of coffee on the back of the palate, as well as traces of cherry and vanilla, but mostly I taste the barrel.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with a creamy texture and slight pricks of carbonation. Very smooth and a light finish. This is very nice.

Overall: This is a good-tasting RIS, but I find the complexity a bit lacking. I don't get any booze taste on the palate, which is nice, but the barrel dominates the flavors. Even though I can pick up the notes I expect from a stout, they're not particularly balanced and blended in a way that gives me an "Aha!" moment when I'm drinking. Overall this is a solid effort but not an exceptional one.

3/5

Central Waters - Bourbon Barrel Barleywine (2012)

Of this 11.5% ABV beer, Central Waters says: "A barleywine ale aged for a full year on used bourbon barrels, this beer has flavors of dark fruits and wood, winner of the Gold Medal at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival." 

I received this from a friend with access to CW's beers, since it's not available in CA. Thank you! I'm drinking the 2012 vintage.

Appearance: Deep, slightly cloudy, copper. A small head pours from the bottle, less than 1 finger in height, and it recedes fairly quickly to nothing and leaves no lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Vanilla, fig, cherry, oak, and a bit of alcohol. Sweetness comes from caramel and brown sugar notes in the malt.

Taste: There's definitely a big kick from the barrel, as spice and vanilla from the bourbon are dominant on the palate. Underneath that is sweetness from dark fruit and the malt. Toward the end, there is a trace of heat from the alcohol, especially as the beer warms. I started sipping at around cellar temp, and the beer is now closer to room temp; the alcohol is much more obvious.

Mouthfeel: Quite full bodied, thick and syrupy, with faint low levels of carbonation and an overall smoothness. The heaviness here contributes to the huge overall impact of the beer.

Overall: This is definitely a good beer and a heavy-hitter, one that I've been sipping slowly like a fine spirit. I'd say generally I like the flavors, which play nicely together, but this isn't a standout barleywine for me. I've had others I much prefer.

3.5/5