The Drunken Polack

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: Around 3 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.flyingdogales.com
What the company says: Flying Dog writes quite a bit about this brew so it’s best to go check out its page at http://www.flyingdogales.com/beer-specialty-gonzo.asp

What I say: I’m starting to fall in love with Flying Dog.  I’m especially starting to fall in love with their Canis Major series as well as their seasonals and Wild Dog series.  This brew is part of their Canis Major series.  This is a fantastic beer folks.  Read on. 

The Look: Poured a very dark brown with a huge fluffy light brown head.  I just wanted to dive into the glass. 

What the nose thought: Coffee, licorice, and chocolate. There is also a nice faint hop smell in there.  Alcohol is present but hides well. 

And the tastebuds?: Nice roasted malt.  Coffee and chocolate with a very nice sweet taste.  The alcohol is there but it doesn’t come until the end of the taste.  It’s not huge.  Just right.  Hops hide in their a little bit just like with the smell.  This is a fantastic blend.  Easily one of my favorite porters of all time.

The feel: Smooth.  Very smooth.  Makes it a pure joy to drink.  I wish I would of bought more. 

Would you drink more?: Wow yes I would love more of this stuff. I couldn’t help but drink this baby quick.  I just wanted more.  This is close to Victory’s Baltic Thunder.  It’s not as good but it’s damn close.

Ending notes: Flying Dog is easily becoming one of my favorite breweries.  There’s a Wild Dog Doppelbock waiting for me in the fridge.  Can’t wait to give it a try.

Rating: 4.5/5

Tags: Baltic Porter, Flying Dog, Rotating Release

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Victory Whirlwind Wit

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: Around 3 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.victorybeer.com/
What the company says: A swirling dynamo of flavor, with a steady calm of satisfaction at its heart, that’s Whirlwind Witbier. Offering a tamed tempest of flavors both spicy and sublime, this softly fermented ale greets the nose and tingles the tongue. Imported Belgian yeast charges Whirlwind with an energy all its own. It is a refreshing interpretation of the classic, Belgian ‘white beer’ style.

What I say: Witbiers are always hit or miss with me.  Bell’s version is pretty good but others I’ve had I could do without tasting ever again.  While this version is decent it’s really not for me and probably won’t visit again.  Read on!

The Look: Wheat colored and cloudy.  Very little head.  Whatever head that forms is quickly gone. 

What the nose thought: Citrus, lemon, yeast notes, wheat and some spices thrown.  A complex smell.  

And the tastebuds?: Yeast and lemon rules this brew. Citrus and coriander thrown in with the spices.  Wheat taste is in there but doesn’t overpower the beer.  A little bitter.  I’ve had a lot of wheat beers that taste a lot like this so it’s nothing out of the ordinary or special.  For some reason I cannot get into this type of brew.

The feel: With the low alcohol volume on this one it’s very easy to drink and might be good for a hot summer day.

Would you drink more?: Yes.  This is not a horrible beer but for some reason I really can’t to much into it.  I wouldn’t go out searching for this one again though. 

Ending notes: Not a bad brew from Victory but these guys make some other fantastic beer. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Tags: Summer Release, Victory, Witbier

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He’Brew Jewbelation 11

Found: State Line Liquors
Price: Around 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.shmaltz.com/
What the company says: You can check out the ad for the beer here.  http://www.shmaltz.com/j11.html

What I say: This would be my first He’Brew beer.  I’ve always heard great things but for some reason never gave them a chance.  First time for everything! 

The Look: Dark brown with light brown highlights.  Good amount of head that disappears really quickly.  Good amount of carbonation.  Bubbles were jumping out of the glass when the head disappeared.

What the nose thought: A fruity smell. At first I thought it was cherries but then I realized it more of a raisin and plum smell.  There are 11 different kinds of hops and 11 different kind of malts in this brew but you wouldn’t think that. The smell is balanced.  Nothing really stands out and wins. 

And the tastebuds?: This beer kind of played some tricks on me.  At first it really didn’t do much for me.  It was kind of boring but after about the half of the first glass I really noticed the taste.  The dark fruit taste with some roasted malt with caramel.  The hops were a little more evident and the malt was much more evident.  The taste is very complex and these guys had to be magicians to mix all those different ingredients and come out with something good.  The taste is rich.  Just tastes good.  It’s very hard to classify this beer.  Different then anything I’ve tasted before and that’s always good in my book. 

The feel: A little carbonated.  A little thick. 

Would you drink more?: Yes but I don’t think I’ll be seeing this one again anytime soon or never.

Ending notes: Can’t wait to try their other brews.  I have one more in the fridge waiting.

Rating: 4.5/5

Tags: American Strong Ale, Brewed Once, Shmaltz

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Smuttynose Maibock

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: Around 6 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.smuttynose.com
What the company says: Link to the description was broken on the site.

What I say: This would be the third beer from their Big Beer series I’ve reviewed.  Their Stout and IPA were pretty good.  Sadly this one doesn’t hold up against the others.  But it’s not to bad at all.  Read on!

The Look: Nice orange color with a good amount of head.  A little cloudy with a good bit of carbonation.

What the nose thought: Earthy malt smell with spiciness.  Malt smell is the main component to this brew but I also got some lemon, citrus, a little bit of other fruits and maybe some caramel thrown in.  But the earthy malt smell is the number one smell I got from this one. 

And the tastebuds?: Earthy malt once again rules.  Got a lot more of the lemon and citrus with the taste and the spiciness is there.  Nothing overpowering.  Everything is nicely mixed. 

The feel: This beer is a joy to drink because it goes down so crisp and easy.  You could easily down a few of these big bottles. 

Would you drink more?: Yes but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again. 

Ending notes: I feel kind of conflicted reviewing this beer because I really did like it but it’s nothing special or fantastic. 

Rating: 3.75/5

Tags: Maibock/Helles Bock, Smuttynose, Spring Release

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Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: $4 a can
Website: http://www.oskarblues.com
What the Company Says: Ten FIDY Imperial Stout - Now (11-21-07) available in cans, our winter seasonal beer is immensely viscous and loaded with neck-deep flavors of chocolate, malt, coffee, cocoa and oats.

It’s the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with malted-milk balls and Heaven’s best chocolate ice cream. Ten FIDY is about 10% ABV and is made with enormous amounts of two-row malts, chocolate malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Its huge-but-comforting flavors hide a whopping 98 IBUs that are deftly tucked underneath the beer’s mountains of malty goodness.

Ten FIDY is the ultimate Rocky Mountain winter warmer, and further proof of the creative muscle of our beloved brewing staff. Look for fourpacks of Ten FIDY in select beer stores in Colorado. Out of state? We hope to send a few cases to a few of our other states in early ‘08.

The Intro: I’ve been on the wait list for this one for a while at my local beer store.  The gentleman who runs the store keep on telling me you have to try this.  Finally it came in and I’m glad I did.  But you say beer in a can!  It’s what I thought also.  I usually associate low end beer being in cans.  Crappy light beers.  But this is different.  It’s well just fantastic.

The Look: Pours out like motor oil.  While not totally black, it’s a very dark brown and it looks awesome coming out of the can.  The company calls it the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake.  I might have to agree with them here.  Huge caramel head.  If the taste and smell are as good as the look then we have a winner here.

What the Nose Thought: Nice roasted malt smell with a huge amount of chocolate, coffee, maybe some fruits and I thought I actually smelled some hops in there.  Overall a pleasure to smell.

And the Tastebuds?: This is heavens Beershake =)  Nice roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, dark fruits.  A little bitter and unlike a lot of the stouts out there you get a nice hop flavor.   This is hands down one of the best Imperial Stouts I’ve had. 

The Feel:Creamy all the way through.  Goes down very nicely and yes once more this might be heavens beershake.

Would You Drink More?: Yes. This stuff really isn’t easy to find.  Around my area anyway. It comes in 4-packs.  Do yourself a favor and get 2 or 3.

Ending Notes:Beer in a can?  Yes beer in a can.  I will never be scared to try one again.  Thanks for proving me wrong Oskar Blues.  I will be trying your other stuff soon.

Rating: 4.75/5

Tags: Oskar Blues, Russian Imperial Stout, Winter Release

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Boulder Beer Mojo India Pale Ale

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: $4.50 a bottle
Website: http://www.boulderbeer.com/
What the Company Says: I couldn’t copy the text from their site and I’m being way to lazy this morning to type it all out.

The Intro: With so many IPAs out there it’s really hard to remember them all.  A lot of them are good, some great, some horrible.  So what really made me try this one was the artwork on the front.  Yes the artwork.  So brewers out there, yes the artwork does matter =)

The Look: This one pours a nice light copper color with a fluffy head that stuck around and laced the glass. 

What the Nose Thought: A lot of IPAs are starting to mesh into each other.  I’m always looking for something a little different in each and this one has that.  In a lot of IPAs you’ll get a nice grapefruit smell.  With this one you get a huge grapefruit smell.  Very big.  Also you’ll get some piney and floral hops thrown in with bready malt. 

And the Tastebuds?: Just like the smell, you’ll get the nice big taste of the grapefruit with a little bit of citrus, bready malt, and piney hops.  This is a very well balanced IPA.  Really enjoyed it.

The Feel: Up front the piney hops will bite your tongue but right after that comes a nice smooth feel.

Would You Drink More?: Yes. This is a very enjoyable IPA.  Easy to drink more than one.

Ending Notes: Really no ending notes here.  Just can’t wait to try their other stuff.

Rating: 4.25/5

Tags: American IPA, Boulder Beer, Year Round

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Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: $4.50 a bottle
Website: http://www.dogfish.com
What the Company Says:

Palo Santo Marron (Holy Tree Brown)

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, so it’s coming back… into full production!

At 10,000 gallons each, these are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before Prohibition.

It’s all very exciting. We have wood. Now you do too.

The Intro: This is one of two new beers Dogfish Head will be releasing this year.  I’ve been waiting patiently for this one for a while now and I finally got to try it.  I was not disappointed. 

The Look: Very dark brown with a caramel color head.  Pours a little bit like a soda.  The head is highly carbonated.  Fizzes. Bubbles pop out of the glass.

What the Nose Thought: Nice complex smell.  Molasses, Toffee, Vanilla, Caramel, with a yeasty smell.  The smokey smell rounds out the complex smell.

And the Tastebuds?:The taste is as complex as the smell.  It’s a powerful taste.  Kicks you in the face.  A different taste.  Not like anything I’ve ever tasted before.  Roasted malt, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, some fruits and the fantastic wood taste. I’m sure there’s more in there but it’s hard to pinpoint.  Awesome experience.  The 12% abv is hidden nicely.

The Feel: A little thick and chewy but goes down easy.

Would You Drink More?: Yes. This is not an everyday beer though.  A once and a while treat.

Ending Notes: Unique beer.  Nothing like this out there (that I’ve tasted anyway).  Everyone should give it a try.

Rating: 4.75/5

Tags: American Brown Ale, Dogfish Head, Rotating Release

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Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: $4.50 a bottle
Website: http://www.dogfish.com
What the Company Says: A blend of oak-aged English strong ale and our 90 Minute I.P.A.. Citrus notes from Northwestern hops meld with vanilla notes from the oak.

10.0+% abv

On average, a 12-ounce serving of Burton Baton has 320 calories.

The Intro: OK so you are probably guess this is going to be a favorable review for Dogfish Head.  First off they are in my top 2 favorite breweries (Stone is the other and I can’t decide which is my favorite) and 90 Minute IPA is one of my favorite if not my favorite IPA.  As you can see above this is 90 Minute IPA mixed in with Oak-Aged English Strong Ale.  Folks this beer is well just fantastic and easily in my top 5 of all time.

The Look: Pours a nice deep amber color with a nice head that sticks around. 

What the Nose Thought: Beautiful smell here.  Just fantastic.  You get the 90 Minute smell which consists of citrus, grapefruit, small piney hop smell and then you get the vanilla, caramel, and smokey smell from the oak aged ale.  Wow just wow.

And the Tastebuds?:  If you thought the smell was good, well the taste is better.  The mixture of everything in this beer doesn’t overpower itself.  Everything is balanced.  Piney hops, citrus, vanilla, caramel, and the oak taste. A little sweet.  Balanced.  Wow.  Perfect.

The Feel: The feel is slightly thick.  The oak aged ale gives off a smokiness feeling in your mouth and nose.  Hard to explain but just adds to the beer. 

Would You Drink More?: Yes.  I have nothing else to say.

Ending Notes: This is the best American Double IPA out there.  Sorry everyone else.   If I had to drink one kind of beer for the rest of my life this might be it. 

Rating: 5/5

Tags: American Double/Imperial IPA, Dogfish Head, Rotating Release

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Out of commission

Recently I’ve come up with a weird of case of not wanting a beer.  Whenever I would drink a beer I would get a really bad tooth ache.  This didn’t happen with anything other then beer.  So I went to the dentist today and got some xrays and it ends up I need a root canal.  Oh boy.  Looking forward to that.  No reviews for a few days while these antibotics work.  I’ll miss you beer.  I’ll be back soon.

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Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.lagunitas.com/
What the Company Says: Site lists the beer but doesn’t have anything written about it.

The Intro: Another red ale from Lagunita.  This time around it’s their Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale.  Last review I did was of their Imperial Red Ale.  While it was good, something about it kept it from being great.  I’m happy to say that this beer comes through with flying colors. 

The Look: Poured a nice amber color with a medium fluffy head that stuck around and laced the glass. 

What the Nose Thought: A very nice balanced smell.  Piney hops mixed in with a sweet malt. 

And the Tastebuds?: Now this is a fantastic tasting red ale.  It’s really just a fantastic balanced taste. Up front the hops hit you a bit but nothing in here is overpowering.  It all comes together just right.  Piney hops, citrus, sweet malt and alcohol is what you’ll get but like I said it all mixes in perfect.   

The Feel: The hops might hit your tongue a bit in the beginning but after that it’s just a smooth ride.

Would You Drink More?: Easily.  One of the more enjoyable brews I’ve had in a while

Ending Notes: Sorry I missed last nights review.  Wasnt feeling up to having a brew but I promise something new for you 2 readers tomorrow =) If you see this beer please give it a try.  It’s totally worth it.  It’s not a overwhelming brew.  It just tastes fantastic and would love to try this on draft.  I’d imagine it’s even better. 

Rating: 4.5/5

Tags: American Strong Ale, Brewed Once, Lagunitas

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