The Drunken Polack

In the land of beer heaven known as San Diego, Californa lies the giants like Stone, Ballast Point, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, Alesmith, etc.  It’s easy to forget about breweries such as Karl Strauss.   They aren’t known as making extreme beers.  They are known for taking certain styles of beers and making them well. But it seems they decided to go a little bigger around this time and release a big and tasty Double IPA.  It also just so happens that they made it with possibly my favorite hop, Nelson Sauvin.  Ever since I’ve had Alpine Nelson I’ve just loved what the hop from New Zealand can do.  What’s even better is that I got this beauty as an extra in a beer trade.  I had no idea it was coming and was the biggest surprise in the box.  It was so good that I asked the gentlemen who traded with me if he could get me more.  A week later a few more showed and I devoured them too. 

This DIPA pours a clear copper color with a ton of bubbles floating up top.  Fluffy white two finger heads.  Good lacing throughout the glass.

Now since Alpine Nelson is the only beer I can think about when I think about Nelson hops, you might hear me compare this beer to Nelson.  Alpine Nelson was a much more balanced mix of a APA and an IPA.  This beer is a full on DIPA.  Alcohol is definitely noticeable and it’s a beer that is rough around the edges.  Still a fantastic mixture hops, malt, and fruits.  Mango, grapefruit, citrus, and grape undertones.  There are other kinds of hops used this beer and you’ll pick those up to in the aroma and taste of pine.  The backbone is primarily caramel malt. 

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and more on the heavy side of medium.  It’s smooth and goes down really nice.  There’s a very bitter aftertaste that just sits on your tongue.

This is a really good DIPA.  I’m in love with the Nelson Sauvin hop.  But I still believe if you want to truly get what this hop is all about, try a fresh bottle of Alpine Nelson.  This is a kickass beer though and it’s really put Karl Strauss on the map for me.

Found: Extra in a beer trade
ABV%: 9.00%
Price: Around 6 dollars a bomber
Website: http://www.karlstrauss.com/
What the company says: Big Barrel Double IPA is an intense West Coast IIPA for hop lovers. Abundant imported New Zealand hops give this medium-bodied ale fruity citrus and white grape-like flavors over a firm maltiness. It finishes dry with a lingering bitterness.
Other beers to try from this brewery: First brew tried from these guys
Other beers to try within the same style: Brewdog Hardcore IPA, Founder’s Hand of  Doom
Rating: A

The Bruery Orchard White - With Dark Lord Day quickly approaching it seems that I’ve become lazier and lazier.  I think I’m behind like 10 reviews or something.  So over the next few days I will be boring you with smaller reviews.  Well hopefully smaller, I like to go on rants sometimes.

First up is Orchard White from The Bruery.  This is one of their Year Round beers and it’s a brew that I really enjoyed and would easily pick up another bottle of.   Orchard White pours a golden color with a small fizzy white head that quickly disappears.  The smell is pleasant and is full of coriander, citrus, banana, lavender, Belgian yeast and wheat.  Really surprised me for some reason. 

Taste is crisp and refreshing.  It has more of a lemon presence that I didn’t really get in the smell.  Mixed in there are the spices, citrus, wheat, and yeast.  Like I said it’s really nice and refreshing.  Would go well on those hot California days.  The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and has a nice bit of carbonation.  Another good beer from these guys.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 9.99 a bottle
Website: http://www.thebruery.com/
What the company says:Orchard White is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned Belgian-style witbier. This hazy, straw yellow beer is spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender added to the boil and whirlpool. A spicy, fruity yeast strain is used to add complexity, and rolled oats are added for a silky texture.
ABV%: 5.70%
Other beers to try from this brewery:The Bruery Saison Rue, The Bruery Mischief
Other beers to try within the same style:Voodoo Brewing White Magick of the Sun, Samuel Adams Imperial White
Rating: B+

Wolaver’s Will Stevens Pumpkin Ale - Up next is a beer I got from my buddy Jeff.  Always like getting some beer I would never have a chance to try.  He comes through a lot.  I know I’m a little late on this once since it did come out around last October but I really don’t think this brew lost any of it’s flavor.  This beer is actually brewed by Otter Creek but the Wolaver’s line is their Organic line of brews. 

Will Steven’s Pumpkin Ale pours a deep clear copper color with minimal head and no lacing.  The aroma is defintely on the spicy side with small amounts of pumpkin coming through.  Cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar are the main aromas. 

Same really goes for the taste.   Spices dominate.  Cinnamon came to mind at first, followed by the cloves and brown sugar.  The pumpkin is there but is hiding most of the time.  Up front are the spices and in the end the spices linger on the tongue.

The mouthfeel is very clean, medium bodied, and goes down easy.  This is not a pumpkin ale to write home about but I’m glad I got to try it.  There is just so much better out there.

Found: My Buddy Jeff
Price: No idea on this one
Website: http://www.ottercreekbrewing.com/
What the company says: The pumpkins were grown by Will Stevens and his wife Judy, of Golden Russet Farm in Shoreham, Vermont. They have been growing organic vegetables and flowers for over 25 years.
Their farm is less than 15 miles away from our brewery!
ABV%: ?
Other beers to try from this brewery: Wolaver’s IPA, Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout
Other beers to try within the same style:Clipper City Heavy Seas The Great Pumpkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Rating: B-

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – Seriously how the hell did I miss this beer throughout the years?  I just amaze myself sometimes.   I’m amazed that I know the greatness of a certain beer and I just keep on passing it up.  Tisk tisk.  When I visited the Bier Garden the other day I said enough is enough and ordered one hell of a Doppelbock.

Celebrator pours a dark mahogany color with a two finger, creamy, tan head.  Lacing throughout the glass.  Smell is fantastic.  Sweet up front.  Molasses and dark fruits.  The backend has a nice bready malt aroma.   Not an overpowering aroma, just really nice. 

Taste is even better.  Once again it’s sweet but not overpowering.  Maybe just right.  Mixture of dark fruits, molasses, cherries, and the bready malt character.  Leaves a slight bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is more on the heavy side and was chewy.  Goes down nice though.  Really smooth and creamy on the palette. 

Hell of a beer that I will be revisiting again.   Heck I think I’ll pick up a bottle or two today.  Deserving in being ranked in the top 100 on BA.

Found: On draft at the Bier Garden, Portsmouth, VA
Price: Around 7 dollars a glass.
Website: http://www.ayinger.de
What the company says: Yeah I can’t read the site.
ABV%: 6.70%
Other beers to try from this brewery: First brew from these guys
Other beers to try within the same style:Victory St. Victorious, Stoudts Smooth Hoperator
Rating: A

What we have here is the #12 beer in the world according to Beer Advocate.  Hands down this is the best Barleywine I’ve ever had.  English or American.  Pelican Pub and Brewery took their Stormwatcher’s Winterfest Barleywine and aged it in 1998 Evan Williams Bourbon Barrels for four months.  What it did was created one of the most complex beers I’ve ever had.  So much going on that I don’t think my review can really explain it.  But of course as always I’ll give it a try.  =)

The Perfect Storm pours a deep opaque amber.  At first a slight bit of head was poured but quickly became what you see in the picture.  No lacing, no head.  A flat beer.  Which for this kind of beer is just fine with me.  The smell on this beer just blew me away.  I sat there for a good 5 minutes just smelling this beer.  If you love bourbon, well then you’re in luck.  It blasts the nose and is the biggest smell you’ll get from this beer.  I haven’t had a beer with some much bourbon or oak in the nose.  Just fantastic.  While the bourbon is the star by far, other fantastic aromas attack the nostrils.  Vanilla, toffee, caramel, and dark fruits.  It gives a very sweet aroma mixed in their with the bourbon.  Like I said above it’s very hard explaining just how fantastic and complex the smell is. 

Sometimes the smell of a beer is more impressive then it’s taste.  Not here folks.  It’s on par with the smell.  Friggin fantastic.  Once again the bourbon is just up front and kicking you in the teeth.  Only beer I can think of that comes close to having this amount of bourbon might be Bourbon aged Angels Share but not even that really holds a candle to the amount in this beer.  Some of you might think that it’s a bad thing and that the bourbon might get in the way of everything else.  Nope.   Because while the bourbon is really big (and damn tasty I might add) everything else is big and mixes in their perfect.  The caramel and toffee add a really nice backbone to the beer.  Mixed in with the dark fruity flavor it’s just amazing.  I also picked up a little bit of vanilla and chocolate in the aftertaste.  So much going on. 

Last but not least, the mouthfeel.  It’s just as amazing as the taste and smell.  Full bodied.  No carbonation.  Syrupy and sticky. 

Once again this is the best Barleywine I’ve ever laid my lips on.  I will be buying more of this when it comes out next year.  I’m just sad I traded all of the rest of the bottles away.  Damn trading bug!!!

Found: Mail Order
Price: Around 20 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.pelicanbrewery.com/
What the company says:The Oregon Coast is famous for its winter storms. Exciting, tumultuous, captivating, their allure is unmistakable. But on rare occasions, there’s one both mighty and generous. Just such a one is what inspired The Perfect Storm. Based on Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, our English-style barleywine, The Perfect Storm spent four months aging in 1998 Evan Williams Bourbon barrels. Now at its peak, The Perfect Storm delivers flavors of deep toasted malt, bourbon and oak. The finish rewards with whispers of vanilla, toffee and caramel. Best enjoyed with gusts exceeding 60 mph.
ABV%: 13.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: First brew I’ve had from this brewery
Other beers to try within the same style:Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot. Dominion Millenium Ale
Rating: A++

So when does an A- rating really disappoint me?  When we are talking about Darkness 09.  You see, Darkness 08 is one of my favorite beers of all time.  I remember popping that bottle open and being in love.  I really thought I was going to feel the same way about the 09 version of the brew.  While 09 is still a very good beer, they changed the recipe.  It has stout like qualities but it really doesn’t scream stout to me.  Maybe the recipe didn’t change all that much, heck I’m not a brewer but Darkness 09 doesn’t even come close to 08.  Totally different.  I understand breweries need to change things, keep people interested but this is such a big change and to me they kind of ruined a great thing.  On to the review.

Darkness 09 pours a pitch black color ( I bet you’re sick of hearing that on all my stout reviews =)  Big frothy mocha colored head dies down to a one finger head.  Darkness 08 had a really nice sweet cocoa smell.  09 replaces that with a big piney/citrus hop aroma.  I swear to god when I poured this beer I thought I poured a Black Double IPA and not a Russian Imperial Stout.  As you let the beer warm a little bit more the hops still take a front seat but more stuff starts to come through.  Chocolate, roasted malt, and molasses.

It’s really more of the same with the taste.  When you take your first sip, the hops are pretty much all you get.  Totally reminded me of an IPA.  Then the beer transforms into more the traditional stout.  The creamy chocolate comes in nicely and has a nice aftertaste along with the slight roasted malt, caramel, and molasses.  For being almost 10% the alcohol is nicely masked.  You do get a little bit of a warming feeling as it goes down.  The mouthfeel is more on the thicker side and smooth like velvet.

This is a good beer.  I would never turn down a bottle of it.  It’s doesn’t have the greatness that 08 has.  Maybe we’ll never see that version again but I’m glad I got to try it.  Thanks to Aaron and Stu for providing me bottles.  I can’t wait to age one and see how it turns out.

Found: Beer Trade
Price: I believe a bottle of this runs between 20-25 dollars
Website: http://www.surlybrewing.com
What the company says: This massive Russian Imperial Stout brings waves of flavors; chocolate, cherries, raisins, coffee, and toffee. We add a touch of hops to make this delicious brew even tasties.
ABV%: 9.60%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Surly Furious, Surly Cynic
Other beers to try within the same style: Otto’s Jolly Roger Imperial Stout, Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Rating: A-

The Bruery Autumn Maple – So my brother is a Coors Light drinker.  But on Thanksgiving night there was no Coors Light to be had.  So I took out some Autumn Maple.  What’s that he says?  Well it’s a beer brewed with yams, maple syrup, molasses, etc.  He said no way, count me out that sounds horrible.  I eventually talked him into having a small glass of it.  He put his nose up to it, hrmm he said, that smells pretty good.  He then took a taste.  That ain’t half bad!!  Give me more!  Before you knew it, his glass was done and he wanted more.  I never saw someone drink an 10% abv beer so fast.  I said slow down buddy.  He then savored another glass.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I too was really impressed with this seasonal from The Bruery.  I picked this beer for Thanksgiving because well come on, it screams Thanksgiving!

Autumn Maple pours a cloudy caramel color.  Kind of reminded me of a glass of apple cider.  A nice decent sized head is pours but quickly disappears into small lacing around the glass.  The smell is of vegetable.  Yup there are the yams.  In there with the yams is a nice sweet aroma.  I imagine this is the maple syrup doing it’s thing.  Spices then come in.  Nutmeg and cinnamon.  Top that off with a little bit of brown sugar and you have quite a interesting mixture.  Definitely something I have never smelled before.

In the taste the maple syrup is what I got first.  Nice and sweet.  Next in line is the spices.  Then in the end I picked up some Belgian yeast notes and the yams.  A unique beer.  It’s amazing how some of these brewers come up with a mixture of all these things and make them work.  The mouthfeel is medium bodied, slick, and smooth as it goes down.  This really is a taste of Thanksgiving in every sip.  Hey even a Coors Light drinker liked it and that was something I would of never expected.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: Around 12-14 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.thebruery.com
What the company says: Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this autumn seasonal is a different take on the “pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup, and fermented with our traditional Belgian yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening.
ABV%: 10.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery: The Bruery Black Tuesday, The Bruery Saison De Lente
Other beers to try within the same style: Allagash Odyssey, The Lost Abbey 10 Commandments
Rating: A-

Founders Red Rye P.A. – Wow just wow.  Founders is amazing.  I mean they go on and create a ton of different styles of beer.  The thing is, all of it is fantastic.  From their stouts to their hoppy stuff, not a bad beer in there.  This is no different.  Amazingly this is my first beer classified as a Rye Beer.  I’ve had IPAs with rye in it but I guess I’ve never had an actual Rye Beer.  Well this beer is a great mixture of a Rye beer and an IPA.    I could drink this stuff all night long.

Red’s Rye pours a dark amber color.  A small head is formed.  Minimal lacing.  The smell on this beer is great.  It’s a great mixture of Rye, citrus, floral hops, and spice.  Like I said above this is basically an IPA with a nice healthy dose of Rye.  When I took my first sip of this beer I wasn’t that impressed.  I got some citrus but that was basically it.  I then let the beer sit for a little bit.  As it warmed up a bit the rye and spice came through huge.  The rye was rough and raw on the palette.  Mixed in with the nice citrus backbone it makes for a hell of a combo.  If it wasn’t for Harvest Ale this might be my favorite tasting Founder’s brew.  The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and nicely carbonated.

This is a beer I will be revisiting again and again.  Good thing it’s a year round beer from these guys.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: Around 3-4 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.foundersbrewing.com/
What the company says: Serious hop bitterness along with unyielding grapefruit bouquet from the Amarillo dry-hop. Balanced with the malty richness of four varieties of imported Belgian caramel malts. Pours a spectacular crimson with a creamy tan head. A generous addition of rye malt accentuates a spicy crisp finish.
ABV%: 6.60%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Founders Breakfast Stout, Founders Double Trouble
Other beers to try within the same style: First beer I’ve had in this style
Rating: A

Founders makes some fantastic beers.  I love their stuff.  But I think I’m about to give their highest score yet.  This stuff is liquid gold.  One of the best tasting, easiest beers to drink that I’ve ever had.  Harvest Ale is a Wet Hop Ale.  My buddy Aaron over at The Vice Blog also recently reviewed this beer and he loved it too.  In his review he also posted a link to an article about Wet Hop beers.  You can check out the article here.

Harvest Ale pours a nice clear golden color.  Tons of bubbles shoot from the bottom to the top of the glass.  A thin layer of head is poured.  The smell on this beer is awesome.  Fresh and I mean fresh pine and citrus backed by a small amount of caramel malt.  Just a fantastic fresh smell.  OK I think I mentioned it was fresh enough.

The taste on this beer matches the smell.  I could easily drink this stuff all night long and if this wasn’t a seasonal beer this would be in my fridge at all times.  When you find this beer, make sure to drink it as soon as possible.  Fresher the better when it comes to this brew.  The taste is full of citrus and a small amount of grapefruit.  Piney with a nice earthy malt background.  Bitter, clear, dry from start to finish.  Crisp with perfect carbonation.

Not much more to say about this beer other that to date this is my favorite Founders beer.  Taste and drinkability are amazing.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 2-4 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.foundersbrewing.com/
What the company says: This liquid dream pours a hazy golden orange straw color with a large puffy white two-finger head. First sip of this beer rewards with a super juicy hop presence bursting with fresh orange and lemon citrus then continues to introduce toasted malt undertones.
ABV%: 6.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Founders Double Trouble, Founders Breakfast Stout
Other beers to try within the same style: Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
Rating: A

Hello there it feels like its been a while since I wrote a review but actually it was just this Monday.  But I am slacking these days.  Only 4 reviews horrible!!  I promise I’ll get better.  This around we have two brews from Founders Brewery located out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  While they are well known for their Kentucky Breakfast Stout (I need to get a bottle of this!) the two brews I got to try are fantastic on their own.  First up is there Double/Imperial IPA Double Trouble.  I believe this is a fairly new brew from Founders.  It’s not even listed on their website.  I jumped at the chance to pick one of these up when I made an order from Archer Liquors.  I’m glad I did.  It’s really good.

First off the color of this brew really threw me off when I poured it.  You don’t see this kind of color in IPAs usually.  It’s a hazy/cloudy pale straw color.  It pours a small fluffy head that quickly disappeared.  It has a nice generous amount of hop flavor and aroma.  Citrus and grassy.  But what this brew really is, is bitter and sweet.  The bitterness starts off small in the beginning but quickly adds up.  There’s also a nice amount of tropical fruit in this one.  When you throw the hops, bitterness, fruit, and sweetness together you get a dangerous brew.  It tastes fantastic and you’ll want another and another.  Thank god I only ordered one.  At 9.40% a few of these will add up quick.  You don’t realize that it’s almost 10% because it goes down so darn easy.  This is a great beer.

Found: Archer Liquors, Chicago, Illinois (Mail Order)
Price: 3 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.foundersbrewing.com
What the company says: This beer is pretty new and not on their website yet.
ABV%: 9.40%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Founders Black Rye
Other beers to try within the same style: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Bells Hopslam
Rating: B+

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better it did.  The next night I tried their Breakfast Stout.  This beer is currently sitting at #16 on Beer Advocates top 100.  This beer took me by surprise with it’s rich ingredients and mouthfeel. 

Breakfast Stout pours a pitch black color with a very thin tan head.  The smell on this beer is rich.  Full of coffee, coffee, and coffee with toasted malt.  Yes it has a nice big coffee smell if you didn’t get what I said in the sentence before this one =)  Up front when you taste this baby you of course get the rich coffee.  But halfway through the coffee changes to a nice sweet chocolate with the oats coming in last.  It’s smooth, creamy, a little thick, and a little sticky.  It’s just lovely.  That’s the best way to explain it.  Lovely.  I’m glad I have an extra bottle laying around.  Thanks to the boys from Minnesota.  Oh the rumor is Founders is signing soon to distribute in Virginia.  Oh boy!!

Found:A bottle from The Captain and a bottle from Dirtyspeed.  Thanks fellas!!
Price: No idea!
Website: http://www.foundersbrewing.com
What the company says:You’ve got to love coffee to truly appreciate this phenomenal brew. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose toped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever.
ABV%: 8.30%
Other beers to try from these breweries: Founders Curmudgeon, Founders Harvest Ale
Other beers to try within the same style: Southern Tier Oat, Bells Java Stout
Rating: A

It just so happens this beer has already been reviewed on Drunken Polack.com.  But you might not remember it by the same name it’s brewed under today.  You see a couple of years ago, Stone came out with their 11th Anniversary Ale.  Which was classified as a Black IPA.  It just so happen I couldn’t find this beer anywhere near me.  I pretty much threw in the towel and chalked it up as one of the beers Id just never get to taste.  Until one day I said for the heck of it “Let’s check out Ebay”  Sure enough there it was.  Sure it was almost a year old.  But I wasn’t going to pass it up.  When I drank it, you can tell it might of lost some of it’s greatness.  It wasn’t the freshest beer ever.  But it was still damn good and I was ecstatic I had to chance to give it a try.  Fast forward to this year.  I spot a article that a certain beer was coming back under a different name.  The fans have spoken.  They loved the beer.  So Stone decided to make  it a year around choice in their lineup.  Now everyone can try it.  And believe me, you’ll want to.  

Self Righteous pours a black color with a good moderate sized fluffy head.  Nice lacing as you drink this wonderful brew.  The smell is full of grapefruit and piney hops.  I also sensed a bit of roasted malt and chocolate.  It’s a small aroma but it’s there.  The taste is just fantastic.  One of the best IPAs I’ve ever laid my lips on.  Just make sure of one thing.  Drink this baby as fresh as you can.  I had two of these.  I tried one about a month ago and I tried one just yesterday.  The one I had a month ago was just a bad bit better.  Not much difference at all but just enough.  It’s still fantastic.  The taste is huge on grapefruit and piney bitter hops.  As you get to the end of the taste, you get a little bit of molasses and chocolate.  It’s not huge.  But it adds to the fantastic ending this beer gives off.  All throughout the taste there is a warming alcohol mouthfeel.  This brew is also dry and crisp throughout. 

Now that I’ve got to try this beer fresh, I will say it’s one of my favorites.  Stone is just amazing. 

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/
What the company says: You can check out what they say about it here http://www.stonebrew.com/sublimely/
ABV%: 8.70%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA
Other beers to try within the same style:  Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, Alesmith IPA
Rating: A+

Let me first say that this beer is not your fathers Pilsner.   I got this brew sometime last year from South Bay Drugs.  It seems when I see a new Port Brewing offering that I must give it a try.  They make quality stuff and I haven’t had a bad Port product yet.  Including this bad boy.  When I first heard about this yet, I remember seeing that it was going to be a one time offering.  But according to BA this is a Fall Release.  So look for it again this year if you didn’t get to try it.  Also there’s a cool little story about this brew.  Stolen from Beernews.org

“Another week, another new beer for Tomme Arthur and Company at Port Brewing. Arthur revealed last night that he has brewed ‘Panzer Imperial Pilsner.’ The recipe comes from Southern Californian musician and
Long Beach Homebrewers Club President, Julian Shrago, who was there to help brew it on July 3rd. Considering that lagering time for an imperial pils can take several weeks, the beer is still in process. A search for recipes on the LBHB website came up empty. Arthur projects less than 200 cases total and little, if any distribution, outside of the SoCal area.”So how this beer?  Read on!

Panzer pours a cloudy dark straw color with a nice fluffy white head.  The aroma is sweet, almost sugary.  It’s also full of citrus and I sensed a little bit of lemon.  Grassy hops and biscuit like malt.  Weird combination of aromas but it all comes together decently.  Now for being Imperial, nothing really kicks you in the face when it comes to the taste.  Maybe this is imperial due to the ABV%?  Who knows but what you get here is sweet and sugary front end followed by grassy hops, a good amount of fruit, and the biscuit malt ending.  This beer threw me off a bit.  Wasn’t expecting what I got.  The mouthfeel is a little thick but smooth.  It leaves a tangy and bitter after taste. 

For me this beer was hard to review.  I didn’t know what to think of it. But I came to realize that I did enjoy it.  The main reason is because well it’s a different beer.  Never had anything quite like it and that’s why I commend Tomme and the guys from Port for making it and getting it out.  Would I try it again?  Yes.  Would I ship it all the way from California to try it again.  Probably not.

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.portbrewing.com/
What the company says: Nothing on the site about this one.
ABV%: 9.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Port Brewing Hop-15, Port Brewing Old Viscocity
Other beers to try within the same style: Clipper City Small Craft Warning, Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner
Rating: B

This past weekend I had my buddy Jimmy over to watch some movies.  He usually doesn’t like hoppy beers or really big beers so I figured it was a good time to bring out three lagers I had laying around from Shmaltz.  These are the same guys who make the He’brew line.  Sometime last year they started coming out with a new line, Coney Island.  The Coney Island line is a line of lagers only.  Usually lagers don’t do much for me but these were decent little beers.  Well two out of the three were anyway.  Now on to the reviews!

Up first is their Freaktoberfest Lager.  It’s classified as a American Amber/Red Lager.  It has a 6.66% ABV.  Gotta love how they got the percentage to match the number of the devil since this brew came out around halloween.  This one pours a raspberry color.  Freaked the hell out of me when it poured.  Awesome!  The head on this one was small and a very light red color. 

The smell and taste really didn’t have much going on.  This was more of a gimmick beer really.  It really does match the halloween theme.  All I really got from this beer was muted fruit.  Cherries and raspberries came to mind.  Also it had some sweet malt and caramel throw in.  Overall it’s really hard to like this beer because of the lack of any real taste or smell.  Theres hints of ingredients but nothing really stands out.  The feeling was smooth and goes down easy.  I wouldn’t recommend this brew to anyone, well anyone who wanted a lager that had some taste it in.  Like I said it’s a gimmick beer, it does work in that fashion.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.shmaltz.com/
What the company says: Site is in flash.  No copy and paste here kids.
ABV%: 6.66%
Other beers to try from this brewery:He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., He’brew Genesis Ale
Other beers to try within the same style:Schmaltz Coney Island Lager
Rating: D

Up next is a lager I actually did like.  It’s their on a American Pale Lager.  I also remember my buddy Jimmy saying this is one he liked a lot.  From what I remembered in my drunken haze anyway.  This one pours a clear light amber color with very little head.  The smell on this on is full of bready malt, grassy hops, honey, and some citrus.  It’s a really nice smelling lager.  I loved the hop smell, while it wasn’t big, it was there and you really don’t get that to much from lagers.

Out of the three, this was defintely the best tasting.  Again the hops is what makes this brew.  Not big, just right for a session lager.  Grassy and citrus.  The honey and fruit also make a really nice appearance.  It all ends with the bready, biscuit like malt. 

This one like all three go down really easy.  It’s nicely carbonated and smooth.  If you’re looking for an over the top beer, don’t look here.  It’s just a nice lager to sit down with.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.shmaltz.com/
What the company says: Site is in flash.  No copy and paste here kids.
ABV%: 6.80%
Other beers to try from this brewery: He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., He’brew Genesis Ale
Other beers to try within the same style: First beer I’ve had in this beer style
Rating: B-

Last but now least was my second favorite (almost favorite) out of the three lagers.  Here we have Albino Python, which BA says is a American Pale Wheat Ale.  Go figure, the bottle says Lager on it.  I’ll believe the bottle. 

This brew is a nice golden straw color.  Very cloudy.  Pours a nice sized crater filled white head.  Good retention and laces the glass all throughout.  The smell is spicy.  It’s full of wheat, lemon, and citrus.  Hops are there also and mesh well with everything else.  I really like the smell on this one.

The taste was just as good as the smell.  The spiciness hits your tongue and follows up with the lemon and citrus.  It ends with a nice bit of grassy hops and wheat.  Like I said this was my second favorite but not by much.  Now that I think of it, maybe I liked it more.  Really hard to say =) Both would be very good on a hot summer day but I think this one might be a tad bit better for that.  Overall just a really nice lager. 

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.shmaltz.com/
What the company says: Site is in flash. No copy and paste here kids.
ABV%: 6.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery: He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., He’brew Genesis Ale
Other beers to try within the same style: If you believe Beer Advocate then….Bell’s Oberon Ale, Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Rating: B-

Before I get started with this review, just a few things.

I’ve had this beer for months now.  For some reason I’ve been putting off drinking it.  I think I was waiting for a special occasion.  I thought about drinking it on Christmas night but that never happen.  For some reason I just kept on holding off.  Yesterday I got a call from my mom.  A lot of the viewers here don’t know that my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer about 6 months ago.  It wasn’t just any brain cancer (no cancer is good of course) it was a grade 4 tumor.  The worst you can get.  After reading about how bleak this cancer is, it changes your aspect on life.  Well yesterday I got the call from her letting me know that she is now in remission.  The cancer is going away.  I felt like this is the occasion I was waiting for.  As I took my first sip I toasted my mom and her battle against one of the worse things in the world.

Secondly thanks to Aaron from The Captains Chair for trading me this beer.  Thanks for standing out in the cold state of Minnesota and thinking of me.  Thanks for allowing me to try a truly rare beer.  Cheers.

Now on to the review of possibly the best beer I have ever laid my lips on.  When I say that I really do mean it.  Darkness is just on another level.  It’s really hard to explain.  First off what is Darkness.  Darkness is a Russian Imperial Stout from a brewery named Surly.  Surly is known for releasing their beer in cans and let me tell you their stuff is just fantastic.  Never believe the hype that good beer can’t come in cans.  Once a year they release Darkness on a day called Darkness Day.  Last year it just happen to fall on my birthday, October 25th.  Go figure!  People line up very early at the brewery to get their hands on this brew.  I think last year they allowed 6 to 8 bottles a person.  Aaron was nice enough to pick one up for it.  This brew is rare, beer traders all over the US want a bottle of this stuff.  I believe it also comes in tap form but no matter what, once it’s gone, it’s gone until next year.

Darkness pours like no other beer I’ve ever seen.  It’s very dark with light brown highlights as you pour.  Just like other stouts out there, but the head on this beer is the creamiest, biggest, and smoothest head you will ever lay your eyes on.  It just looked so damn good I couldn’t wait to dive in.  The aroma of this beer is second to none.  First thing you’ll notice is cocoa.  It’s the biggest part of the smell.  It’s up front and just says hello here I am.  You’ll also notice smokiness, coffee, toffee, molasses, dark fruits, a little bit of floral hops, and a tad bit of alcohol.  So much is going on here.  But so much is going right here.  The smell is just fantastic.  It’s just sweet, rich, deep.  It’s a overload of goodness.

As I dove into my first sip, the first thing you notice is just how creamy, smooth, and thick this beer is.  It just goes down your throat.  The taste is huge.  You will not find this kind of taste in other Russian Imperial Stouts.  None that I’ve had to chance to try.  Cocoa is up front again.  Molasses, roasted malt, cherries, raisins, coffee, smokey flavor, and a nice big hit of alcohol that warms you up.  The taste is just unbelievable.  The texture of this beer is just beautiful.  Lacing everywhere.  Smoothest and maybe the thickest beer I’ve tried.  Drinking this beer was an experience.  Nothing out there like it.  I’m glad I got to try it.  I’m also glad it’s only available once in a year because it’s such a damn treat and if I drank it all the time I might go into a diabetic shock.  To bad most people out there won’t be able to try it.  If you get a chance to, sell a kidney if you have to.  It’s worth it =) 

Found: Beer Trade
Price: No idea (Priceless to me)
Website: http://www.surlybrewing.com/
What the company says: Nothing on their site about it.  They were updating the beers page.
ABV%: 10.30%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Surly Bender, Surly Furious
Other beers to try within the same style:Great Divide Yeti, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Rating: A++