The Drunken Polack

I know I just recently did something just like this a few months ago but here I am again.  I’m at the crossroads of do I really want to continue with this site.  So instead of saying goodbye totally, I’m going to be taking a little hiatus.  Instead of worrying about getting the latest beer, I’m actually selling some of my more rare beers and saving up for better homebrewing equipment.  It’s my dream to brew one day for a living so it’s time to get away from hunting like a madman and actually brew more of the beer I drink.  I’ll still drink craft beer.  So follow me on twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/drunkenpolack

or on Untappd

http://untappd.com/user/drunkenpolack

Feel free to email me at dregelsky@gmail.com if you have any questions.  Or you can check out my homebrewing blog at http://blog.dpbrewing.com.  I’ll be updating that more and more.  I’ll probably be back somewhere down the line.  But for now, Adios!

I first heard about Almanac Beer Company from Jay at the Beer Samizdat.  What really got me interested in them is their fancy labels.  Yes I wanted to try a beer based on a label, I’ve done it in the past and I’m sure it will happen again.  So he was good enough to send me three of their beers.  Thank you sir!  I owe you!  Especially after hearing how much these bottles cost.   I took a look at their beers on Ratebeer and it ends up they’ve only ever brewed four total.  The other one is retired so basically I just drank their whole lineup.  They’re a contract brewer so basically they brew their beers at other breweries.  They have no home base to call their own.  They’re located out of California.

Almanac Beer Company Summer 2010 – First one I tried was their Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with Blackberries and aged in Wine Barrels.   Anything barrel aged always adds a little bit of excitement for me.  Yes I’m bad I know.  It pours a hazy amber color, fluffy two finger white head.  Bubbles shooting everywhere.  When put up to the nose I picked up mostly deep blackberries and the effect from barrel.  I also get some citrus and spiciness.  Inviting smell and couldn’t wait to take a sip.  Once again the berries come through mixed in with oak and sweetness from the barrel.  Slight tartness.  Citrus and spices linger on the back end of the palette with a small bit of alcohol peaking through.  Not an overwhelming taste but nice and my favorite out of the three beers. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice amount of carbonation.

Rating: A-

Almanac Beer Company Winter 2012 Winter Wit – This one is made with Oranges and Ginger.  In the end I really enjoyed this one.  At first I thought it was just another Wit but as it added up I felt different.  Pours a very cloudy pale orange color with a big fluffy white head and great retention.  Aroma is mostly what the bottle says.  Oranges and taking a back seat a bit, the ginger.  Mixed in is some coriander and slight aroma of banana and Belgian yeast.  The taste on this one won’t wow you.  It’s just a nice drinking Wit.  One that I would be proud of brewing and one that I would like to have on tap at my house for the hot summer days.  It’s mostly citrus,  wheat, coriander, ginger, and the yeasty bite you get from this style of beer.  Mouthfeel is light, nicely carbonated, and crisp.  It comes in at 7% abv and for the profile on the taste I would of liked to see it maybe coming in at mid 5 to 6% due to it’s drinkability.  I would easily pound these during the summer

Rating: B+

Almanac Beer Company Autumn 2011 Farmhouse Pale – Last but not least is a Saison brewed with plums.  Interesting combination.  It pours a dark amber color.  Small amount of off white head is poured with good retention.  Mixture of plum, bready malt backbone, slight funkiness, grape and yeast in the aroma.  Taste is more plum, yeast comes through more in the taste.  Ends with slight citrus and some funk and tartness.  Mouthfeel is medium bodies and a tad bit dry.  This beer was my least favorite out of the three.  Not bad at all but the beer tries to go a few different ways and doesn’t completely come together.

Rating: B

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve visited one of my local beer bars a few times.  The Birch has been around for maybe a little bit over a year.  I could be wrong though, if anyone knows please correct me =)  It’s currently ranked as one of the best beer bars in the world according to Ratebeer.  If you know me you’ll hear me bitch about The Birch once in awhile because of their lack of American beer and how when I walk out I feel like I’ve been raped out all my money but in the end I do really like the place.  They do offer half pours for a cheaper bill.  Owners are nice people and know their beer and I do like the atmosphere.  I just need to not go twice in a two week period like I did recently.  So enough talking about the place, here is what I drank.  Oh one more thing.  Sorry about the photos.  I know they’re shitty but it’s hard to take good pictures in this place.

BFM/Terrapin Spike and Jerome’s Collaboration Ale –  First off don’t ask which beer it is in the picture above.  I was about 3 beers in already when I took this.  This is a 10% abv English Barleywine aged in Rum Barrels.  They call it a Rye Barleywine.  This beer has some low scores on BA and Ratebeer.  I really don’t get that at all.  I really enjoyed this beer.  Now I didn’t expect what I got from this beer.  I was expecting a straight up Barleywine but I was pleasantly surprised that when I put it up to my nose, there was a bit of sourness to it.  It was nice.  Aroma is full of sourness, oak, funk, and spice.  Taste is more of the same really.  It really tasted a lot like a Flanders Red Ale to me and I loved every bit of it.  Something I would sip on again.  Don’t expect a Barleywine here, expect something different.

Rating: A-

Nøgne Ø Sunturnbrew – Here is another Barleywine.  This time it’s a 11% abv.  It’s sort of a Smoked Barleywine if there was ever such a thing.  It’s brewed with 30% Smoked Malt and 20% Rye.  The smokiness from grain comes through big time here.  Smoke, rubber, band aid, dark fruits, and caramel.  Unique Barleywine just like the one above.  When I told my fiance it smelled and tasted like a band aid she’s like you’re nuts but seriously it’s what I got from this brew.  In the end I really liked it and would of drank more.

Rating: A-

Allagash Old HLT – Last night they had a Allagash Steal the Glass night at The Birch.  They had two brand new Allagash beers.  Both draft only at this point.  The first one I tried was Old HLT.  I was really excited to try this one.  Here’s a little bit about it

Old HLT, a new limited-release sour ale. Old HLT is named for the stainless hot liquor tank in which it was aged. “Roughly 30 barrels of the base beer sat in the tank for just around two years, with 2,000 pounds of Michigan cherries,” Germain said. The draft release will be followed by a brewery store-only release of 375ml bottles.

So after reading that it would only be available at one of their small releases I had to drive over and give it a try.  When put up to the nose this one is pretty damn nice.  It’s a nice sourness, not over the top, and the cherries come through really nicely.  But both the fiance and I agreed that the taste was rather lacking.  The really nice sourness and cherries were there but it was just really really light and faded away really fast off the palette.  I just kept on drinking and drinking it hoping it would all add up but it didn’t.  I really just wanted a bit more from this beer.  It’s not horrible, just felt like it had the chance to be great and fell flat.

Rating: B

Allagash Saison Mihm – The other Allagash beer was Saison Mihm.  Once again here’s a little about the brew

Saison Mihm (a draft only release at 8% ABV), brewed with local honey from Overland Apiaries, a sustainable beekeeping operation in Maine owned by Allagash’s controller, Erin Forbes. Brewer, Ryan Mihm, created the recipe, adding botanical hints of lemongrass and juniper berries.

In the end I liked this one much more than the other Allagash offering.  This is a beer I would of drank all night.  A nice Saison, a style I’m learning to just love more and more and something I need to brew soon.  The honey in this beer is the star in my opinion.  It doesn’t come through to much but what is there is really nice.  Mix in the sweetness, grassiness, and spiciness and you have a really nice enjoyable brew.  I’d put a keg of this stuff in my house for the summer months.  Refreshing and yes I know it’s not exactly session able but it honestly feels that way.

Rating: A-

Evil Twin Biscotti Break – Last but not least is a 8.40% American Porter brewed with Espresso, Vanilla Beans, and toasted almonds.  Sounds pretty damn fantastic doesn’t it.  In the end yes I thought it was pretty damn good.  Stouts and porters with coffee really just get me.  Which the Espresso used here wasn’t really strong it was still there and was great.  Chocolate, espresso, almonds, vanilla, and char.  Mix that in with a thick, smooth, and slick mouthfeel and you have a winner in my book.  Now to find a bottle.

Rating: A-

Green Flash Brewing Co. Palate Wrecker – Once again I’m really behind on reviews.  So here is some very quick reviews on four beers I got to try lately.  First up is Green Flash Palate Wrecker.  This is a Imperial IPA ringing in at 9.5% abv and over 100 IBU’s.  Yes it’s a hoppy son of a bitch.  This one starts off really nice by having a solid nose.  Tropical fruits, pine, and a small malt backbone.  Loved the smell.  The taste is where it falls apart a little bit for me.  Up front this beer is lovely, once again it’s full of tropical fruits.  Nice and hoppy, then mid palate the hoppiness stops and a huge dose of alcohol makes it way in.  Just pretty much kills the beer.  I really wanted to love this beer, really did.  Great brewery and great start to this beer but I just couldn’t get over it.  Still it deserves a decent rating and I would drink it again.

Rating: B+

Ommegang Art of Darkness – Now here is a beer that I just loved from start to finish.  This is not to be confused with The Bruerys Tart of Darkness which is a very tart type stout.  This one is catagorized as a Belgian Dark Ale.  Ommegang is one of the first craft brew type beers I ever had.  I remember loving their Abbey Ale and Rare Vos a lot back in the day but lately their new offerings did nothing for me, until now that is.  This is a nice and malty beer.  Aroma is full of malt, chocolate, dark fruits, and a Belgian yeast smell.  Now what I loved about this beer when it came to taste is the amount of sweetness it gave off.  It wasn’t to sweet but it was sweet enough.  The sweetness lasts from start to finish and is mixed in with a small bit of tartness, coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit.  It’s just wonderful and I finished my glass wanting more.  I am definitely picking more up.  I might even age one.  Great stuff.

Rating: A

Brooklyn Brewery Mary’s Maple Porter – This was a nice treat to have.  This is part of their Brewmasters Reserve.  I believe it’s draft only and I found it at Tortilla West in Ghent.  I was hyped to try it because we usually don’t see their draft only stuff around me.  This porter won’t knock your socks off but it’s tasty and something I could drink all night even though it comes in close to 8%.  The aroma is slightly sweet with some roasted malt, maple syrup, and a small dose of chocolate.  In the taste you won’t be blown away with flavor but instead it’s highly drinkable and very enjoyable.  Roasted malt and chocolate hit the palate first then the maple kicks in.  It’s not sweet really.  As stated on their site the yeast likes to eat a lot of the sweetness the maple gives off.  In the end it’s just a really good drinkable porter.

Rating: B+

High Water Brewing Pom Cherry Bomb – Last but not least is something I got from the Beer Samizdat himself!  We did a little trade and this is one of the first bottles I opened up.  It’s brewed with Pomegranate and Cherries.  I didn’t know what to expect when I pulled this from the fridge but when I got was a nice and different brew.  The aroma is of course fruity with the Pomegranate coming out more than anything else.  Honestly it was kind of hard to find any cherry in it.  Mixed in their was a nice spiciness from what seemed to be Belgian Yeast and some tartness thrown in there.  It’s pretty much the same with the taste.  The cherry might come out a little bit more here but the Pomegranate still reigns supreme.  I would love to know the amounts used for both fruits.  There’s some spices in there but the yeast does more than it does in the smell, a more yeasty taste comes out with a nice tartness.  It’s nicely carbonated and it smacks the lips.  I like this brew, it’s something I usually wouldn’t get into but I think it’s done pretty nicely.

Rating: B+

What we have here is a 10% RIS from an brand new brewery out of New York.  I received this as an extra in a beer trade.  It came in a grenade type bottle which are 32oz.  I don’t think these guys bottle their beer yet.  So on to the review.

Boris pours a pitch black color with a small tan head.  Bubbles shoot up from the bottle to the top of the glass.  The smell on this beer is pretty damn nice.  I was impressed from the start.  It has a lot of the same characteristics of a lot of the RIS out there.  Nice cocoa smell up front, small amount of coffee, dark fruits, and alcohol.  I would of love more of a coffee aroma here but overall nice aroma.

Taste doesn’t exactly match the greatness of the aroma but it’s still very nice.  Roastiness comes through more here with the chocolate, coffee, and dark fruits rounding out the taste.  The alcohol in this beer is pretty well hidden for being 10%.  None of the ingredients really take each other over.  Pretty damn balanced from start to finish.

Mouthfeel is full bodied, slick, coats the mouth.  Carbonation is fairly high here.  There’s a pretty big bitterness.

This is just a really nice RIS.  It doesn’t overpower your senses like some other ones do.  It’s nicely balanced with all the ingredients.  Nothing overtakes any of the other ingredients.  Just a nice drinking beer.  If this was around me I’d easily buy again.  Really nice seeing a great beer come from such a brand new brewery.

Found: Beer trade
ABV%: 10.00%
Price: N/A
Website: http://www.facebook.com/SpiderBiteBrewing?sk=wall
What the company says: Nothing on their site, oops Facebook page =)
Other beers to try from this brewery: First beer I’ve had from these guys
Other beers to try within the same style: Surly Darkness, North Coast Old Rasputin
Rating: A-

I haven’t updated my Home Brewing Blog in a while but I plan on updating it a ton in the future.  I made a little post today to keep anyone who cares updated on what is going on.

http://blog.dpbrewing.com/

What’s up all.  Sorry for the laziness lately.  Last night I opened up one of the most hyped Barleywines out there period.  Here’s a little background on this brew.  Sucaba is a almost 13% English Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels.  This beer used to be called Abacus but due to a wine company owning the rights to the name Firestone Walker decided to reverse the name and what you have is Sucaba.  I had this brew earlier this year, I sat on a bottle from the first run.  I was excited to try it but what I got was a dull beer, something was missing.  It didn’t wow and wasn’t even close to being good.  I chalked it up to maybe aging this beer isn’t a good thing.  So I took another stab at it this time around and drank the brew pretty fresh.  Well it’s pretty freaking amazing.

Sucaba pours a dark brown with a small tan head.  No lacing and basically no retention.

When I poured this bottle I was instantly hit with greatness.  This smelled totally different than the first bottle I had.  Wasn’t even the same beer.  You’re hit with bourbon, oak, caramel, toffee, and vanilla.  It’s rich, deep, and complex.  I could sit here and just take it in all night.

The taste is just as amazing.  Sweet caramel and bourbon sit on the lips and coat the mouth.  Slightly roasted malt and vanilla dance on the tongue.  Vanilla and charred wood hit the palette mid way.  A slight bitterness hits on the end and aftertaste.  Just fantastic.  A different beast than the first time I had it and I can definitely say, have this as fresh as you can.

Mouthfeel is just as amazing as the taste.  On the thicker side, very sticky, coats the mouth and just sits there.

I love this beer, but I love this beer fresh.  Between this and Parabola Firestone Walker makes some of my favorite barrel aged beers period.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
ABV%: 12.50%
Price: Around 12-13 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.firestonebeer.com/
What the company says: Big boozy bourbon and American oak aromas combined with soft chocolate malty undertones. Complex malt flavors framed in oak, with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coconut and just a touch of dark cherry. This is definitely a sipping beer, best served in a brandy snifter. This ale pairs well with dark chocolate and sturdy cheeses.
Other beers to try from this brewery: Firestone Walker Union Jack, Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin
Other beers to try within the same style: Deschutes Mirror Mirror, Pelican Pub and Brewery Mother of all Storms
Rating: A+

For the past two years Cigar City has brewed a beer for the Criterium & Street Festival.  Last year it was an ESB.  This year they decided to make a American Pale Wheat Ale.  It’s an almost session able 5% abv.  Basically don’t expect something that will blow your mind here.  At first I was “Meh” when I took my first few sips of this beer but in the end I actually really enjoyed it and really wanted more.

This years version pours a dark orange at the bottom of the glass that goes to a lighter version as you go up.  Small amount of bright white head is poured.  No lacing.

Smell is lacking at first, as you let it warm up you get some graininess, wheat, and small amount of orange and grassiness.  Nothing huge here.

Like with the smell, it took me a while to warm up to this beer.  But in the end I wanted more.  Small amounts of wheat, grass, bread, and citrus.  A nice little hop punch here with bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very crisp.  Goes down great.  Works well for what it was probably brewed for, a nice refreshing beer after a bike race.  I would enjoy this beer again if I had the chance.  Great for a summer day.

Found: Beer trade
ABV%: 5.00%
Price: Believe this ran about 10 dollars
Website: http://www.cigarcitybrewing.com/
What the company says: Criterium Ale is a wheat ale with bitter curacao peel added. It’s a very easy-drinking beer and the curacao adds a touch of citrus to make it incredibly refreshing. Check outtampacrit.com for all the info about the Cigar City Criterium & Street Festival!
Other beers to try from this brewery: Cigar City Jai Alai, Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale
Other beers to try within the same style:  Bell’s Oberon Ale, Three Floyds Gumballhead
Rating: B+

On night two we rounded out the night with 3 more beers.  Well 2 for her and 3 for me.

El Diablo Verde – This beer took me by surprise.  Read on.

El Diablo Verde is the first beer from our co-worker Small-Batch Brewing Program to make it to the taps of the brewpub. This program encourages any Dogfish Head co-worker with an off-centered brew idea to team up with a couple co-workers and create their beer on our 10 gallon Sabco Brew-Magic system at the brewery in Milton. (click here for a story on the program and the beer!) These beers are then informally judged by all co-workers during our weekly Beer:30 on Friday afternoons. The highest scoring brew from each quarter then moves on to have their beer scaled up at the brewpub. El Diablo was the winner for the first round of brews, which were all made in the last quarter of 2011, and was brought to life by Lou Carrazzone and Ryan Harvey, both brewers in Milton. As the name suggests The Green Devil is a hoppy double IPA brewed with heaping amounts of jalapeno pepper and cilantro. The aroma is full of jalapeno twang and a grassy green brightness intermingled with citrusy hops. Jalapeno hits the taste buds first with heat up front and a delicious smack of hops with a malty middle and bitter finish. Undoubtedly the quintessential pairing for our Fish Tacos.

So what we have here is a Double IPA coming in at 8.20% abv.  It’s brewed with a healty dose of Jalapenos and Cilantro.  My fiance was dreading this beer a bit, shes doesn’t like hot stuff but I talked her into getting a glass of it.  She was glad she did in the end and so was I.  El Diablo pours a hazy orange color with a fluffy white two finger head.  Lacing throughout the glass.  Now I was expected to get some burning heat from the aroma of this beer.  The peppers were there, but only the aroma of the peppers were there.  Slight citrus aroma with a backbone of caramel malt.  Now this is where the beer took me by surprise.  Even though I didn’t get any heat from the peppers in the smell I was fully expecting it in the taste but no, the actual taste from the peppers is here and it’s great but there is really no burn at all.  Basically none.  Instead you’re getting the pepper taste, earthy characteristics, citrus, and the caramel.  It’s honestly a lovely taste and it’s a bit of a magic trick.  It goes down really easy, medium bodied, slightly bitter and crisp.  In the end it was one of my favorite beers I had all weekend.

Rating: A-

Lil’ Hoppy – Next was Lil’ Hoppy.  By the name of it I thought it might be a hoppy Pale Ale or maybe a hoppy ESB but it’s actually a twist on a Belgian Wit or Belgian Pale Ale beer if I had to put it in a style.

Lil Hoppy is an ode to the delicious monastic brews of Trappist Monks from Belgium, in a style that is typically reserved for the Monks themselves and rarely sold to the masses. This Americanized version was brewed with 100% certified organic malts, a dash of Belgian clear candi syrup and a choice blend of both American and European hops, and then fermented with a true Belgian yeast strain. Crisp and wonderfully dry with slight notes of tropical fruit and biscuit followed by a wave of floral earthy and herbal hop character that finishes with a soft bitterness that slowly builds as you sip. A perfect beer for when the sunlight begins to last longer and the days grow warmer. Lil Hoppy is a great session beer but also perfect for pairing with lighter dishes like the Cobb Salad or Fish Tacos.

Lil’ Hoppy pours a bright orange color with a white fluffy head and lacing everywhere.  The aroma was citrus, slight bubble gum, Belgian yeast, and grass.  Taste was more of the same and had a nice bitterness to it.  Lighter bodied and goes down like a champ.  Decent beer but not something I wanted to end the night on.  So I ended the night with..

An 2009 Olde School Barleywine.  I’ve reviewed Olde School before and honestly I wasn’t the biggest fan of it, I always thought there was a million better barleywines out there but let you tell you that aged Olde School is a amazing.  All the ingredients meld together just fantastic, the alcohol almost disappears.  It’s fantastic.  I’m going to age some from now on.

So the night was over but early that next morning we got up and headed back to the brewpub for their Brewers Brunch.  We both ate some Fried Chicken and Waffles which were really damn good and had an awesome waiter who gave us a free shot of their Bacon Vodka, I love Bacon and Vodka is OK but goddam this was some serious stuff.  Pure bacon fat up front, then the vodka hits.  Just to much for it.  But anyway, on to what this site is about, BEER!

Namaste with Lemongrass and Organic Dried Orange Slices Soaked in Coconut Rum – By itself, I think Namaste is a pretty decent beer.  You can see my review here.  Basically take that review and add just a tad bit more citrus coming through.  The Randall really didn’t do much here with this beer.  We both agreed it was OK and not very mind blowing.  Something you can drink all day.  The rum really didn’t come through at all and if your read the review, I picked up what I thought was Lemongrass the first time so nothing changed there.

Rating: B+

World Wide Stout with Vanilla Beans, Fresh Coffee Beans, and Cocoa Nibs (Good Morning World Wide Stout) – Once again here’s another brew I’ve had but never quite like this.  Here is the original review from way back in the day.  This time though, the Randall did some amazing stuff to this beer.  I was in love, take WWS, add very fresh coffee to the middle of the experience, add in slight undertones of Vanilla and Cocoa and you have a great beer.  The alcohol is still there and it’s a beast but all the other stuff added tries it’s best to get in the way and it does a good job.  I loved this creation, the fiance and I shared a snifter of it and we both agreed it was fantastic.

Rating: A+

Count Chocula – Last but not least is another Brewpub Exclusive, this one is a Sweet Stout.  I’m not going to actually rate this one since the waiter told us straight up that the carbonation was off and well it was.  The mouthfeel was flat and dead.  I still wanted to try it for the hell of it, the taste was decent, oats, chocolate, cherry. Nice flavor profile and aroma like I said the mouthfeel was off.

This Brewpub Exclusive is a sweet, chocolaty, creamy Milk Stout fermented with Belgian yeast. Jason and Matt (two of our brewpub managers) had fun creating and brewing this one to celebrate the birth of Delaney Weissburg, Jasons daughter. 

We used loads of roasted barley and chocolate malt then added flaked oats and lactose to make it nice and creamy. We aged the beer on some cocoa nibs from the small artisan chocolate producer, Askinosie, who also provide us the chocolaty goodness for Theobroma. 

Rating: N/A

Overall what a great experience, we got to try a ton of beers we will never see again probably, the atmosphere was nice and I always love going to the Brewpub.  I’m sure we’ll be back during the summer.

For the past two years Dogfish Head has held Weekend of Compelling Ales and Whatnot.  It’s a weekend where they have special events and tours at the brewery and brewpub.  During the day on Saturday Sam was at the brewery pouring special beers and chatting with everyone.  The fiance and I couldn’t make it for those events but we did drive up for Saturday night and enjoy all the one offs they had available at the brewpub.  You know me and DFH one offs,  I have to try as many as I can!

We rolled into the brewpub around 8pm and we were seated upstairs.  The place was pretty packed, so packed they kicked the last bit of one of the brews I was looking forward to trying, Positive Contact.  Good news is they’re actually bottling that soon so no big deal.  But we did get to try the following

Dirty Fermentini – This is the first one we tried.  Here’s a quick description for the brew

Dirty Fermentini is the latest collaboration between Dogfish Head and BeerAdvocate founders Jason & Todd Alstrom. The theme of this beer is Extreme Session, so Sam and the Bros set out to create a unique brew at 5% ABV to prove that beer doesnt necessarily have to be high in alcohol to be considered Extreme. The result is a brew based on a Dirty Martini, utilizing olives as a funky and off-centered ingredient which, to our knowledge, has never been used in a beer before. Along with the olives, the botanicals used in our Small Batch Distilled Jin whole leaf cascade hops, juniper, black peppercorn, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, and angelica root were all added to a blonde ale base which was then fermented dry with an ale yeast originating from a popular London brewery (as a nod to the popularity of Gin in the Mother Country). This one-of-a-kind ale is characterized by spicey juniper and floral pepper notes combined with a splash of citrus which then gives way to a rich earthiness contributed by the olives. Extreme ingredients and process, without a hit-you-over-the-head alcohol content, make this beer a fun pint to drink that wont leave you wondering where you left your keys the following morning. Cheers!

Sounds interesting doesn’t it?  I was looking forward to this one big time.  Honestly though, it left me wondering, where the hell are all these ingredients that were used in this beer?  It pours a orangish amber color.  Nice white fluffy head.  There isn’t much to the aroma on this one.  Everything that comes in is faint and I had to keep putting my nose up to it to really get anything.  Faint aroma of lemon and citrus with a grainy characteristic.   Really not much more.  The taste was more of the same here.  It does go down easy and nice and before you know it our glasses were empty.  Taste is more lemon, grassy hops, small amounts of spice.  Just not an amazing beer.  Not much taste here.  Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp.

The last time these guys got together, they made more of a unique, tasty beer.  Wrath of Pecant.  This really just did nothing for me.  We both agreed.

Rating: B-

Black Lodge (Pictured above) – Next up was Black Lodge which is an American Porter.  Once again here is a quick description of the brew.

This damn fine ale is the first in a series of beers inspired by the cult show Twin Peaks. Ingredients from some of Agent Coopers Pacific Northwest favorites were incorporated into this beer cherry puree from Oregon, proprietary Seattle Sunrise blend coffee from Notting Hill in Lewes, and Douglas Fir needles clipped fresh from a tree high in the Oregon Cascades. Black Lodge pours blacker than midnight on a moonless night with a thick milk chocolate colored head, and an aroma filled with notes of subtle spruce, mocha, and the smokiness of a sawmill mysteriously set ablaze. The flavor follows suit with layers of mocha and bittersweet cocoa interwoven with a restrained tannic acidity from the tart cherries and Columbus hops, similar to an aged merlot, all wrapped in a lingering smokey veil. Best enjoyed with the company of fellow black spirits in a room with red curtains and a black and white floor; once you enter the world of this beer, there may be no coming back! The second beer in this series, White Lodge, will be brewed in the warmer months, culminating in an early June Philly Beer Week event at the Grey Lodge in Northeast Philly, where both beers will be featured along with a special blend of the two (Grey Lodge) which will only be available one time for this event.

Now this is more like it.  Right up my alley.  Pours pretty much pitch black.  Small amount of head is poured.  Lacing throughout the glass.  When put up to the nose it’s a nice dose of fresh and strong coffee.  Loved it.  Mixed in there is some smoke, pine, and roasted malt.  This brew is brewed with cherry puree but I really didn’t pick it up.  It might of given the brew some of the sweetness it had but I just couldn’t pick it out of the lineup.  Taste on this beer was nice.  The coffee didn’t come through as much as it did in the aroma but it was still there and fresh.  The pine is there and lingers with small bit of smoke that’s left in the after taste.  I would of loved to seen a bit of a heavier mouthfeel on this beer but still it was nice, smooth.  I really liked this beer and I would love to see this bottled at least once.  I wanted another glass but with so many beers to go, we had to go on to the next one

Rating: A-

Bricolage - This is a beer that took me by surprise when it came to it’s taste.

When you Google the definition of Bricolage, the first thing that pops up is this: (in art or literature) Construction or creation from a diverse range of available things. This style-defying ale lives up to this definition. When our pub brewery Ben arrived at Dogfish there were LOTS of various grains and ingredients left over from numerous off-centered ales brewed before him. So, he set out to brew a dark saison-ish styled beer utilizing many of the various available things that he had to work with. Coincidentally, this also corresponds with the true spirit of the saison style during the 19th century and earlier, every harvest season the farmers of Belgium would take all of the left over grain from the previous seasons harvest sometimes barley, rye, wheat, spelt, or whatever else the farmer happened to grow – and would brew beers to make way for the fresh grain that would be hauled in from the fields. This complex yet easily drinkable ale was brewed with 9 different types of malt and grain: pilsner, wheat, rye, oats, rauch (smoked), munich, Special B, caramunich, and aromatic. Along with those, Buckwheat honey, sorghum syrup, dark Belgian candi syrup, and molasses were added in the kettle along with Grains of Paradise, Long Pepper, and Rosea root powder, and a special unnamed variety of hops from the Pacific Northwest, which are yet to be put into production. It was then fermented with two types of yeast, including one from Belgiums most popular Saison brewery. The marriage of all of these various ingredients resulted in Bricolage, a delicately nuanced ale that leaves one discovering new flavors with each and every sip.

As you can see by the description there’s a lot going on in this beer.  But unlike Dirty Fermentini, this beer actually produced a ton of flavors and a very strong aroma.  It pours a ruby red color, thin white head is formed.  The aroma is pretty strong here like I said.  Very sweet aroma from the honey with underlying spiciness and pepper.  Caramel malt backbone.  I will say this about this brew, I’ve never tasted a saison like this.  So many ingredients here but in the end I don’t think they really meld together really well.  While the fiance and I thought this was better than the first beer we had, it was a bit funky, weird, and just didn’t work well.  The taste is spicy from the pepper and the rye.  Sweetness from the candi syrup, molasses, and honey.  Mouthfeel was medium bodied with a dry finish.  I’ll give this beer this, it’s unique.  Just to much going on and it doesn’t mesh really well together.

Rating: B

We finished the night up with 3 more beers and 2 more brews the next day.  Part two coming tomorrow!

Here’s another winner from Hill Farmstead.  Overall I enjoyed the two IPAs I had from them more than this brew but this is still really really good.  Flora is Florence their Wheat Saison aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 6 months with some wild yeast.  I think what I liked most about Flora is that the barrel didn’t over take the beer here.  It’s still a delicate taste and aroma.  It’s not the most mind blowing Saison I’ve ever had but it’s well done.

Flora pours a cloudy pale yellow.  Nice fluffy white two finger head is poured.  Decent retention and lacing throughout the glass.  A ton bubbles shoot from the bottom of the glass.  Nicely carbonated.

The smell on this one is nice and delicate.  Wheat of course, floral hops, lemon, orange, white grapes.  I’m used to barrels doing more but it’s done very little to this beer.

The barrel does a little but more in the taste.  The grape characteristics stick around more this time especially at the end and after taste.  It’s a crisp delicate taste.  Once again lemon, wheat, citrus, and some nice tartness.  Not a overwhelming tartness, just a tad.  Lovely taste.

Mouthfeel is medium bodies, crisp, and well carbonated.  Carbonation smacks the lips.  Dry finish.

Really did enjoy this one.  It’s refreshing.  The barrel doesn’t do much here other than adding some grape characteristics and the wild yeast adds a slight tartness to it.  Nothing overwhelming here.  Just a nice balance of everything.

Found: Beer trade
ABV%: 5.50%
Price: N/A
Website: http://www.hillfarmstead.com/
What the company says: Flora(Barrel aged Wheat Saison) is our Wheat Saison (Florence), brewed with Butterworks Farm Organic Vermont Winter Wheat, aged for 6 months in Pinot Noir barrels and complimented by the terroir of wild yeast…
Other beers to try from this brewery: Hill Farmstead Abner, Hill Farmstead Society and Solitude #2
Other beers to try within the same style: Fantôme Saison, Goose Island Sofie
Rating: A-