Brasserie Dupont - Saison Dupont

Widely considered to be the king of saisons, this original Belgian ale is 6.5% ABV.

Appearance: The beer is golden straw colored, cloudy, with a thick 3-4 finger head that recedes down to about one finger's worth with thick lacing left on the glass.

Smell: It's musky (or do I mean musty?) and vaguely woody, or possibly grassy. I'm reminded of hay. There is also an undertone of ester -- banana possibly. Given that saisons are known as "farmhouse ales," it's really rather appropriate that this kind of smells like I'm eating fruit inside of a barn. (As an aside: it's interesting how often the taste and smell of some beers are described using traditionally unflattering adjectives or descriptions. It's why I include an "overall" section at the end of my reviews, so that I can be much more clear on whether or not I actually like it. I'll cut to the chase here and say that despite saying Saison Dupont smells like a barn, it's actually not unpleasant. You'd have to smell it yourself to understand what I mean.)

Taste: Very nice. Apple cider opens on the palate, and it gives way to earthy spiciness and lemon. I suspect the yeast is contributing the majority of the character here, as there is no sweet maltiness present at all and very little bitterness from grain. It's all earth, fruit, and (pleasant) funkiness.

Mouthfeel: Light and clean. Saisons always strike me as being great for spring and summer, with their (usually) low alcohol content, refreshing carbonation, and earthy tastes evocative of laying in a field next to an apple orchard.

Overall: This is absolutely exemplary of the style. Many saisons brewed stateside have some kind of adjunct or other gimmick, but this is definitely traditional. It's uncomplicated but still delightful, and as I mentioned earlier, I suspect that the carefully-cultivated Belgian yeast used in the origins of the style is largely responsible for the finished product. It's not an in-your-face beer or one that is necessarily a standout amongst all beers, but amongst saisons it's easy to see why this is a must-try. It's quietly accomplished and likely to be enjoyed by all, from novice beer drinkers to seasoned experts.

4/5

New Belgium Lips of Faith - Clutch

The Lips of Faith series beers frequently includes collaborations between New Belgium Brewery and another brewery. Clutch is a dark sour ale, and the collaborating group here was the Maryland Hard-Rockers. It's 9% ABV.

Appearance: As promised, Clutch is dark -- opaque cherry-black. Though I wasn't able to snap a photo quickly enough to capture it, a thick three- to four-finger head gathered when poured. There is minimal lacing on the glass, and both the full head and the residual head are a dark cherry brown color.

Smell: A chocolate-covered cherry lollipop. Seriously. On the nose, there's not a lot of evidence of sourness that I expect from the taste. It's  simply a very sweet smelling beer that has a smidge of coffee character at the end.

Taste: Now here is a beer that tastes exactly how it smells -- the first to hit the palate is rich dark chocolate with cherry, followed by a short but pronounced coffee note. There is a bit of a sour funk that comes through right at the finish, but it is very, very mild.

Mouthfeel: This is a thick, viscous beer, very similar both in taste and physical character to a stout. It's really much more reminiscent of a stout overall than of a sour ale, which it is supposed to be.

Overall: This is no doubt a tasty beer, but I have to say, I'm still kind of disappointed. It's basically a less sweet version of Stone's recent collaboration on the Cherry Chocolate Stout (which I'll review here at some point,) and given that it's billed as a dark sour ale and not a stout, I was expecting something completely different. There is, as I said, a bit of funk at the end, but honestly, if I wasn't expecting a sour, I may have just as easily thought that the very slight sourness at the end was just residual bitterness from the roasted malt/coffee flavors. I have another bottle of this that I'll hold onto for awhile to see how the flavors develop and change, because as of now it doesn't really live up to what is promised on the label. Though, as I said, it's not a bad tasting beer, it's so far my least favorite of the Lips of Faith series.

3/5

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

This is my favorite pumpkin beer I've had. It has a rich ale base and great pumpkin spice, compared to some other pumpkin beers that are a bit on the subtle side when it comes to the actual pumpkin / pumpkin pie flavor.

Appearance:  The beer is the color of deep cherry wood, or "burnt sienna" (don't you just love creatively named colors that no one is really sure what they actually mean?) The head receded very quickly from originally being about one finger's worth. There is negligible lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and brown sugar malt are predominant. There is a bit of sweetness, but it's not sickly or overpowering because there's a nice spice element that lightens it.

Taste: The first wave of flavor includes all of the pumpkin pie spices -- the cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg apparent in the nose are clear here. The pumpkin itself is also a lot more apparent in the flavor than in the smell. Throughout the body the spice mellows out and there is a bit of a bite from the alcohol, which then gives way to the brown sugar and more malty sweet flavors.

Mouthfeel: It's medium-bodied, a bit on the heavier side. However, both the savory spiciness of the beer and the effervescence prevent it from feeling sticky or viscous.

Overall: This is a great seasonal beer for autumn, and as I mentioned, my favorite pumpkin beer. It's very drinkable, and I could very easily see someone who is not really a "beer person" enjoying this. It's rewarding for the seasoned beer pro as well due to its richness of flavor, but familiar and warming enough for the neophyte as well.

4/5

Alpine Brewing - Pure Hoppiness

Double IPA, 8% ABV

I totally spaced and forgot to take a picture. So this one is lovingly "borrowed" from bonbeer, who from the looks of it has tasted a whole hell of a lot of beer.

Appearance: It's clear and golden honey-colored, with about two fingers of head, minimal lacing left behind.

Smell: The predominant smell is floral hops, including rose and lavender, with a skotch of honey. There is a bit of tropical fruit as well, but mostly it's hops hops hops.

Taste: This beer is very hop-forward and not too heavy on the malt, which you know by now is what I like. Hops are present throughout, but different characteristics become present throughout the body of the beer. The beginning to mid notes are fruity, like tangerine or apricot, and then it transitions to a spicy-piney hop character on the finish.

Mouthfeel: It's got a rather satisfying feel on the tongue. It's rich and thick, but both the carbonation and the spicy bitterness of the hops add levity.

Overall: This is definitely a hop-enthusiast's beer. It smells absolutely fantastic, and the taste is no b.s. -- it's hops all the way. I can't imagine anyone who loves IPAs and double IPAs who wouldn't like this beer. Despite the forwardness of the hops in Pure Hoppiness (apt name), it's not medicinal or soapy or astringent-like, as can happen. It's very clean, aromatic, and all-around a great example of the style. It's almost certainly too much for someone who isn't an IPA fan, but for those of us who are, this is a very drinkable and enjoyable DIPA.

5/5

Stone - 15th Anniversary "Escondidian" Imperial Black IPA

As the title says, this is an imperial "black" IPA -- a relatively new term (also sometimes known as "Cascadian Dark Ale" or "India Black Ale") -- to describe a beer with all of the hoppiness of a (double or Imperial) IPA except that it is black in color. Generally, a dark brown or black beer has that color because roasted malts were used in the process of brewing the beer, and those roasted malts have characteristic flavors that are more commonly ascribed to stouts and porters (the traditional "dark" beers.) So, the "black" IPA will have some of the roasted malt character of a dark beer, but those flavors are really supposed to be bit players in the overall taste, leaving the hops dominant. It's a bit of a trendy brewing trick with varied results.

Appearance: As the name suggests, this beer looks like a stout to the unsuspecting eye. It's a deep black in color, with about two fingers of mocha-colored head that leave thick, sticky lacing on the sides of the glass. It's completely opaque, and there is no visible carbonation in the glass.

Smell: The dominant smell is resiny, piny hops. There is a vague hint of a smoky chocolate from the roasted malt, and a less dominant residual hint of acidic fruit from the hops.

Taste: This is a big beer. Hops are predominant, as expected from an imperial IPA, but the roasted malt provides an intriguing and solid backbone to the punchy, piny hops. I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of overmalting an imperial or double IPA to balance it, but roasting the malt is an interesting trick that allows for a strong malt profile without making the beer (to my palate) sickly sweet. I do get a bit of an alcohol bite as the hop characteristics transition to the malt, which is neither unpleasant nor unexpected in a beer as strong as this. One thing that was lost in this hybrid style, for me, are fruity subtleties that can usually be detected in a hop-forward beer. Though I was able to faintly smell some fruit on the nose, perhaps pineapple or grapefruit, the extra bold roasted malt overpowered a bit of the softer characteristics of the hop, leaving behind only the resiny bitterness.

Mouthfeel: The beer was medium bodied, and very appropriately carbonated given the huge taste. At the front of the sip, the carbonation lightens up the beer, contrasting nicely with the huge flavors. Further back in the mouth, the beer is creamy, which gives the contrasting flavors the opportunity to meld on the palate.

Overall: As you can see from the lengthy (or lengthier than usual) description, I found this to be a very unusual and exciting beer. I've only had the opportunity to try two other black IPAs ever, and I've found the three (including this) to be similar; however I think that, despite not doing a detailed profile of it at the time, there was a black IPA offered by Kern River brewing that is probably my favorite, based on memory alone.

If the internet is any indication, there is a bit of contention among beer geeks if this style really deserves to be called its own style. Some feel that there is no reason why there can't be such a thing as a hoppy porter or stout. Though I'm really only a (mediocre) taster and not a beer historian or label expert, it kind of seems to be that this argument is really just a reversal of the current name -- IPA with roasted malt vs. porter/stout with extra hops. If this ends up being a style that grows and isn't merely a trendy brewing idea that dies out within a few years, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be considered its own style. After all, even within IPAs, there are "American-style" IPAs, "West Coast" IPAs, etc. You get the picture. And the way that styles are today, I wouldn't think that it would be appropriate to just call this an IPA or a porter/stout. It's truly a blend, and as such, deserves its own moniker.

But back to this particular beer. For the time being, I'm going to say I love this. It's easily the most acceptable way that I've had of allowing the malts to have a front-and-center performance in a beer that otherwise showcases hops. I love that the chocolate notes lent by the malt becomes bittersweet chocolate when the hops have had their say. And obviously, I just love hoppy beers in general. I'd love to see with time how this holds up -- if other examples of the style are going to eclipse this in my memory of favorites, or if this is going to remain at the top of the list. As of right now though, all I can say was that for me, this was truly different and great, even if it won't be drinkable for people who don't love hops (because let's face it -- Stone never shies away from hoppy-ass beers, and this is no exception.)

5/5