Samuel Adams Double Bock (Imperial Series)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Doppelbock, 9.50%

Tonight I'm wrapping up the Sam Adams Imperial Series of beers, at least for now. I haven't picked up their Imperial Stout, but I've had it in the past and it is okay (probably a strong Average beer for me). I do have another Sam Adams' beer coming down the line, but it is from their barrel series

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

Tonight's beer is a straight up German-style, Doppelbock. The German Beer Institute does a nice write-up on the style of beer, but there's a few basic tenets you should know. Bocks are dark, malty, lightly hopped ales originating from 14th century Germany, from the brewers in the Hanseatic town of Einbeck. The style of beer from Einbeck was adopted by Munich brewers in the 17th century, and adapted to the new lager style of brewing. Due to the Bavarian accent that the citizens of Munich had, they called the beer "Einbeck" as "ein Bock," or ("a billy goat"), and thus the beer became known as "bock," and remains that way to this day. Doppel means "double." Thus, a "Doppelbock" is literally a "double bock."

Doppelbocks emerged in the late 18th century as a big lager variant of old monastic strong beer, which was dubbed the monk's "liquid bread." This "liquid bread" was traditionally brewed for the Lenten season when the monks would fast, and they were not allowed to eat any solid food. The monks believed that liquids cleansed the body and soul, and would drink the beer for sustenance in place of the food they could not eat. The secular version of the strong beer was called "Bockbier." The first Lenten strong beer was brewed by the monks at Paulaner at Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Munich. The German Beer institute shares this wonderfully amusing historical piece:

"The Paulaners had arrived in Munich from Italy in 1627. They began brewing beer for their own comsumption shortly thereafter—exactly when is not clear. Depending on which documents one can trust, the year was 1630, 1651 or 1670. The Paulaners felt, however, that such a strong brew with such delightful qualities might be just a bit too much of an indulgence for Lent. So they decided to ask the Holy Father in Rome for a special dispensation so that they could continued to brew it with a clear conscience. The Paulaners dispatched a cask of Lenten beer to Rome for the pope to try and to pass judgment. During its transport across the Alps and along the burning sun of Italy, unfortunately—or fortunately—the cask tossed and turned, and heated for several weeks—a classic condition for causing beer to turn sour and undrinkable. So when the Holy Father tasted the much-praised stuff from Munich, he found it (appropriately) disgusting. His decision: Because the brew was so vile, it was probably beneficial for the souls of the Munich monks to make and drink as much of it as they could. Therefore, he willingly gave the brewing of this new, allegedly rotten, beer style his blessing. Little did he know...!"

Doppelbocks tend to be high in alcohol and sweet, with a large, creamy head, huge malt aromas, toasty notes and aromas, and a rich and malty flavor. There may be some dark fruits in the mix. If you check out Sam Adams' Double Bock page, you can find out all about this beer. This beer uses half a pound of malts per bottle, and doesn't use any black malts to avoid any burnt malt characters. The beer is brewed with pale and caramel malts, and features Tettnang Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops (for support). This beer was first brewed by Sam Adams in 1988 (!!!! I find that surprising!), and clocks in at a giant 9.5% ABV, 25 IBUs, and will increase your waistline by 323 calories per 12oz bottle. This is liquid bread, bitches.

Samuel Adams Double Bock

The beer pours a dark, caramel/brown/red color in low light, with 3-fingers of foamy, thick, root beer float-looking head. The head has a nice caramel/tan color. There is a ton of carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles in this, and the beer looks to be filtered. The beer is dark enough that you can't really see through it, even in bright light. In bright light, the beer is more ruby red/brown, with an eggnog head. The head dissolved fairly quick, but there is about a half pinky's worth of head hanging around. I'm not getting alcohol legs, but I am getting lacing as the super creamy/sticky head hangs to the side of my glass.

It's the damnedest thing with the aroma...this totally uses the same malts or yeast that the Imperial White uses. I get big malts on this, with some caramel, molasses, astringent malt sweetness that is manifesting as Twizzlers and BIG soy sauce. There's some slight toast, and some elusive dark fruits like plums or figs. This is probably an aging bottle, so maybe the alcohol has had some time to settle down, but there is just a hint of booze in the nose.

Ah...finally, the payoff with that huge, thick mouthfeel. The Imperial White and the Wee Heavy both have sticky/dense mouthfeels, probably to a fault. But here, I welcome it. And there is some huge warming on the back end. This opens up with ultra creamy and smooth carbonation, and huge caramel malts, kettle malts, malt sugars, and underlying dark fruits. This rolls into more sweet malts and some toast. The finish is huge, boozy, and you get some nice hints of plums and figs in the mix with the caramelized malts. I'm also getting a hint of spice in the back end of this, maybe from the alcohol? There's some bready/banana/raisin hints in here as well. Overall, hugely malty, dense, creamy, smooth, and nicely warming on the back end. This would make a great Autumn or Winter warmer.

This isn't the most refined Doppelbock I've had, but it's pretty damn accomplished. The mouthfeel is full, sticky, and dense; but also creamy and smooth. I'd say this is a full beer, as it should be. Palate depth is great, and complexity is moderate. Up front is smooth, creamy sweet malt goodness; the middle rolls into malts and toast; the back end is hints of dark fruits, malts, spice, and some big burly warming.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Finally, a beer from the Sam Adams Imperial Series that really owns that huge, sticky mouthfeel. The alcohol is so mellow on this, and you get huge caramel malts, dark fruits, toast, and maybe even some bready-ness. This is worthy of being called "liquid bread." But really, this is just a nice take on a style of beer that I really enjoy. I'd dig this is as a late Fall beer, or an anytime-Winter beer. I'd pair this with a hearty meal, probably dark or red meats or heavy chicken. Really good stuff here, and probably my current favorite from Sam Adams' Imperial Series.

Mikkeller 1000 IBU

Brewed By: Mikkeller in Copenhagen, Denmark

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.6%

Stealing them hops....I do like the presentation.

Mikkeller is that European brewery that does things like an American brewery. The brewery was founded in 2006 by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, a humble math and physics teacher who enjoyed craft beer and homebrewing. Mikkel and his childhood friend Kristian Keller bought a few American books about brewing, and began brewing beer and entering it into competitions (and winning!) for two and a half years. Eventually, Mikkel and Keller began brewing beer at the Danish microbrewery Ørbæk, and Mikkel's twin brother Jeppe began selling their beer at his beer shop. Mikkeller's first big break came with their infamous "Beer Geek Breakfast." Since then, the brewery exports beer to over 40 countries, and brews the majority of their beer at de Proef Brouwerij in Belgium. However, Mikkeller is also nicknamed the "phantom" or "gypsy" microbrewery, as they brew at a number of host facilities in many different countries; they have also brewed over 100 different beers in a wide variety of styles. You can read more about the brewery here. 

Tonight's beer hardly needs an introduction, except: mother fucking hops and more hops. This beer clocks in at "1000 theoretical IBUs," whatever that means. I'm not sure what a theoretical IBU is, but according to the shackles known as the BJCP Style Guidelines, this beer is eight-hundred and eighty (880) IBUs more bitter than a standard Imperial IPA....which doesn't matter that much, because the human palate can only perceive somewhere up to 120 IBUs (+/-30 based on the variety of sources I have seen). 

If the human palate can only handle 120 IBUs, what's the big deal? The fact is, the extreme hopping and extreme bitterness does have an effect on the beer. It changes the acidity, the body, and the whole profile. I've had this beer already, and it is quite the hop bomb (with a few twists). Into the Duvel tulip this goes...

Mikkeller 1000 IBU

This is a dressed up beer. The beer comes in green paper wrapping with (I'm assuming) Mekkel dressed up as a robber on the bottle, holding a bag that says "hops." It's actually pretty clever. The bottle itself is also very nice, and it features one of those over-sized, fancy bottle caps you often find on your Belgian beers.

The head on this beer is OUTSTANDING. We're talking about 4 to 5 fingers of thick, super foamy, light tan/khaki head. And the head is hanging around. I don't even need to mention the lacing, but I'll just say this beer coats your glass in lacing. This beer produces the most epic lacing I have ever seen on any beer, ever. Period. The body of this beer is a murky, copper/dark brown/red color in low light. In bright light, this is a murky, swampy, thick-looking, red/orange beer. This beer has some serious murkiness going on. It pours thick and swampy, and it looks thick and swampy. It looks like juice from concentrate that hasn't been diluted enough. I have to imagine there is a ton of hop goodness just floating around in this thing.

You get a big ass whiff of hops when you pop the bottle, and this beer's nose is like sticking your face into a barrel of hops. This smells bitter. I'm smelling straight up orange juice from concentrate, juicy hops, pineapple, mango, pine, and surprisingly, some bready notes, some caramel, and some honey. I'm also getting huge, dense, resiny, sticky, hops on the nose. Just straight up hops. I am drinking this at a relatively warm temperature, because this is the type of beer that deserves the full attention of your taste buds. If I had to describe the aroma in a nice statement: bitter, surprisingly juicy, intense fresh hops, and a surprisingly evident malt backbone.

Cheers! The taste is so good. Immediately, you get a blast of orange juice, tangerines, mango, and powerful tropical fruits. That fades quickly, and turns into immense bitterness. You get blasted with lemon rind, then wood, then the moisture gets sucked out of your mouth. The finish is dry as hell, as you feel the hop bitterness pulling down into the back of your throat. And that was just a single sip. Sip number two builds on the first sip, with way more earthy and piney bitterness. There's way more rind. You get a cut of malts in the background, but they aren't sweet, and can't hold up to the huge hop profile in this. 

As far as 1000 "theoretical" IBUs go, or whatever...for whatever reason, this is not the most bitter beer I have had. In fact, this kind of feels like a beer chilling around 90-120 IBUs. Personally, I think Green Flash's Palate Wrecker might have a more challenging bitter profile. Interestingly enough, the Palate Wrecker clocks in at 9.5% ABV. This beer is sitting at 9.6%. And you don't really taste it at all, except for some warming on the finish. 

But this beer really cascades and builds up, as immensely bitter beers tend to do. It's kind of like eating a hot pepper. The first bite is stimulating, and then subsequent bites tend to numb your palate. At this point, I'm getting immensely bitter lemon rind, grapefruit rind, woody notes, and just super puckering citrus. Amazingly, there is still some caramel malt dancing around, along with some hints of caramel/honey. But make no mistake, this is bone dry on the finish. This is immensely sweet, as evident by the big malt profile that is standing up to the hops. I can feel this destroying my teeth with every sip though, as I get all those hop acids, oils, and resinous goodness. It's fairly juicy up front, which is really surprising. 

Haha...I just felt a piece of sediment in the beer. I'm assuming that was part of an unfiltered hop. Let's break this crazy beer down. Palate depth is through the roof. If you want a beer that dominates/stimulates your palate, this is it. This is a full-bodied beer. It's also super sweet, full of sugar, and super bitter. At 9.6% ABV, and 1000 "theoretical" IBUs, this is a sipping beer (the price also reinforces this fact). Complexity is high for the style. The palate changes as you drink it, but up front you get sweet malts, sweet hops, tropical fruits; this turns into incredibly bitter hops mid palate; and finishes woody, and dry.

This is so dry and bitter on the finish I can feel it on my lips. This beer is sucking the moisture from my lips. Damn! For 9.6% ABV, there is virtually no heat on this, but some pleasant warming on the back end.

Rating: Divine Brew

 

I'm feeling a light Divine Brew on this. Caveat emptor, this beer is definitely gimmicky, and you definitely need to be a hop whore, and you definitely need to be in the mood. But this beer really accomplishes what I assume it intends to do, which is destroy your palate with hops. I don't know if you can even really compare this to typical Imperial IPAs. But if hops are your thing, you should check this beer out.  

Two Brothers Pāhoehoe (15 Years With 15 Beers Series)

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bomber from Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Golden Ale/Blond Ale, 7.1%

In celebration of 15 years of brewing (Two Brothers opened in 1996), Two Brothers has been rolling out 14 of their past artisan beers as part of a limited series. The 15th release in this limited series is going to be a new artisan beer. A bit about Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant.  

The Pāhoehoe is release number 10 of 15. The bottle states: 

Pahoehoe was originally inspired by a trip to Hawaii to participate in the 2011 Kona Beer Festival on the Big Island. This beer is named after a type of lava flow found at the Kilauea Volcano. This light colored ale uses coconut water and coconut milk in the brewing process and fresh toasted coconut meat in the fermenter. It was produced one time and has been requested regularly ever since then. 

My understanding is that this beer has been available on tap from time to time, but was hard to find in bottles. Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate also peg this beer at 5.0% ABV, which may have been indicative of the original release back in 2011 or whenever it came out. The bottle states that this beer packs 16.1 IBUs, and the addition of coconut water, coconut milk, and coconut meat should give this beer some interesting flavors and aromas.

Since this is such a limited release, this is more like a cheers to Two Brothers. And cheers, indeed. I'm happy to have Two Brothers in my backyard, and look forward to whatever they are doing in the future.

Two Brothers Pāhoehoe

The pour yields a hazy, orange/straw colored beer, with 2-fingers of white head. The head is made up of finely packed bubbles, and maybe has a slight straw tint to it. At 7.1%, you can see a little alcohol on the side of the glass. The head did dissolve fairly quick, but a nice, foamy, centimeter coating is sticking around. There is some lacing. When held to a bright light, this is a hazy, golden beer, with moderate to high carbonation in the form of small bubbles rising upwards. It actually looks fairly effervescent.

The aroma on this reminds me of a Pils or a Kölsch. I'd have a hard time pulling coconut out of this aroma in a blind taste test. But you do get a sweet, fruity, mellow aroma on the nose. I'm pulling out a sweet Kölsch fruit/floral note, some pineapple, and coconut water. There is maybe a bit of grain on the nose as well. It smells very light, and refreshing.

The taste is effervescent, tingly, and refreshing. I'm getting some grains in the back end, and a little bit of alcohol heat in this. The coconut does come through in the taste a little more than the nose, and I'm pulling out the coconut in two or three ways. I definitely get a grainy/heated alcohol-coconut note that reminds me of coconut rum. When I swish the beer on my tongue, the creamy carbonation plays off the coconut and I get hints of coconut milk. And you do get some hints of coconut pulp in here. But all of these coconut flavors are pretty subtle. It's not like drinking an Almond Joy or whatever. I'm tasting grain, alcohol, various coconut flavors, some fruity notes....ethanol and fusel alcohols are in this.

I sort of wonder what it would be like to age this beer. It's a bit hot right now, and I wonder if this would mellow out at all over time. You get a nice lingering pineapple/bread taste on the back palate, which is nice. This is carbonated and effervescent, which makes it drinkable despite the 7.1% ABV and the slight heat. Palate depth is full, complexity is low, and the mouthfeel is somewhere around medium-light. Up front you get carbonation, grain, and burgeoning coconut water; the middle is coconut water, alcohol; the back end is coconut, grain, heat, and some warming. It's smooth, and it does have a slightly creamy profile if you let it sit on your tongue.

Rating: Average 

 

I'm feeling a light Average on this. It's interesting, but I wish the coconut was a little more prominent, and the heat a little bit less. I wish I had a second bottle to throw into the cellar for a year, because I bet that would be interesting. I'd totally drink this on an island though, and I bet this would pair nicely with some coconut infused shrimp or food. I bet you could also pair this with some coconut curry, or anything Asian. I'd love to see Two Brothers brew this again, perhaps with a greater emphasis on the coconut. Seriously, Two Brothers...brew this again. And cheers to 15 years!

Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts

Purchased: Giant 22oz Bomber bought at Jewel-Osco in Naperville, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegebtale (Pumpkin Ale), 8.5%

This is how I feel.

It's hard to believe that I've been blogging about beer for over a year, so I'll try not to bitch about the same stuff I did last year. I'm talking about Fall beers showing up in stores in the middle of August. What. The. Fuck. It's August, and the sweat is dripping down my ass crack. Ladies, be happy you can wear skirts. It was like 93 today, and it still feels like Summer, despite the little blast of colder air that we had last week.

And yet...here I am, with all that egg pumpkin on my face drinking a pumpkin beer in the middle of August. I guess I'm just excited for all the Fall beers on the radar. I say that as a relative newcomer to craft beer; we'll see how I feel in 5 years. Anyway, I stopped at Jewel to pull out some cash to get a haircut, and thought I'd buy some beer instead of absorbing an ATM fee. I was looking at their (scant) beer selection, and I saw this bomber of Fat Jack. I paid around 3 dollars per bottle for this beer!!! I'm sure it was some sort of pricing error, but hot damn! I had to pick up a few bottles of this beer, especially at that price. It's not often you can snag a 22oz bomber of 8.5% ABV beer for 3 dollars. I mean, at that price, who cares what it tastes like, right? Right? (word on the street is proper retail price for this is around 6 to 10 bucks).

I have pretty high hopes for this beer. I've heard this beer is more like a malty, Barleywine-style beer, rather than a pumpkin-spice-rape beer. And I really, really enjoyed Sam Adam's Harvest Pumpkin Ale from last year. That was a good beer. Speaking of Sam Adams...

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

I believe this beer used to go under the moniker "Double Pumpkin." The addition of "Fat Jack" seems to be recent to this year. At least, that's my understanding from crawling around Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate's forums. If you check out Sam Adams' Fat Jack page, you can get the breakdown of what makes this beer tick. This beer is brewed with 28 pounds of pumpkin per barrel, for "full bodied sweetness and deep russet color." In addition to all that real pumpkin goodness, this beer uses cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. The pumpkin-spice-rape trifecta...plus one. This beer is also loaded up with roasted malts, including two-row pale malt blend, rye, Special B, and smoked malt. Yes...this beer has smoked malt in it. This beer is also hopped with East Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops. Clocking in at 8.5% ABV and 25 IBUs, this beer will cost your diet 288 calories per 12oz serving. 

Sam Adams dives into the history of the Pumpkins Ales, which is worth noting. This style is inherent to America (fuck yeah!), and is one of the oldest styles of beer known to America. Back when New England colonists were unable to get their hands on grains, they used other fermentables including molasses, squash, sweet potato, and pumpkin to make beer. Modern Pumpkin Ales are more of a traditional tip of the hat to these classic brews, as the traditional Pumpkin Ales used pumpkin for sugars in the brewing process rather than flavor. Nevertheless, there is a very interesting history that goes with this style of beer, and it really brings that Fall/Autumn/Colonial/October/Halloween/Thanksgiving feeling home. Nostalgia, bitches! Let's get this into a glass.

Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin

The beer pours a reddish-brown color, with a nice finger's worth of caramel-colored head that does not stick around. The head leaves behind wonderful lacing, some alcohol legs, and a nice cauldron effect. When held to a bright light, this is a reddish/brown colored beer, with moderate carbonation in the form of small bubbles rising upwards. It's a very Fall-esque looking beer.

Right away I can say the aromas on this are very complex, especially for Sam Adams. I've been reviewing some of their Imperial Series beers as of late, and this blows those out of the water in terms of aroma. I smell pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, hints of booze, and a giant malt backbone. I'm picking up big smoked malts on the nose, and they are surprisingly constrained. I'm not getting any meat or bacon: just smokey, Autumn goodness. The smoked malts absolutely shine when you smell them with the spices. I'm also getting just a hint of bready/dense heaviness in here. You can tell there is a malt backbone. Overall, big pumpkin and spice, and some nice smoked malt drive the aromatics on this beer.

Wow...yes. Mmmm. The taste is perfect. You get a blast of pumpkin and spice, and then the huge malt profile wallops your palate. This is a thick beer up front, and drinks like a (lighter but) sticky Barleywine. Then, on the back end, you get another blast of giant pumpkin and spice, and the beer thins out, leaving some lingering pumpkin and smoke. This is not Pumking. This is not your typical spice-rape-pumpkin beer. This is an incredibly complex, boozy, malty, Barleywine-style take on a Pumpkin Ale. Wow! I'm getting caramel, smoked malt, smoke, hints of Oktoberfest/Marzen, and big pumpkin/malt notes. There is some less sweet pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies in here. And I'm getting spices, but they seem to be in check (no spice-rape here). I'm getting cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. 

This is incredibly complex, with a good palate depth. I'm finding drinkability to be rather high with this, as it is not cloyingly sweet (Pumking) or overly aggressive with the spice (just about every other Pumpkin Ale). At 8.5% ABV, and with a slightly sticky/thick feel, there is enough density here to make this a sipper or warmer. But moderate carbonation and all the tingling spices cut through any density, making this beer approachable and drinkable. I'd say this has a medium body. Up front you get full-bodied pumpkin and sticky malt; this rolls into smoke and spice; the back end is spicy, smoky, and finishes a bit cleaner with some lingering pumpkin/smoke/spice. 

This beer is everything Autumn in a bottle. 

Rating: Divine Brew

This is a decent Divine Brew if there ever was one. I'm really digging the balance and complexity of this beer. It has a really big malt body, which is what I want as the temperatures dip. The sweetness in this beer seems to come naturally from the malts rather than added sugars, and the spices are kept in check. You can taste real, organic pumpkin in this beer, and it has a meaty, full pumpkin taste. The smoked malts REALLY compliment the spices and vibe of this beer. Basically, this beer is like a mix of a Barleywine with a Pumpkin Ale with an Oktoberfest. Really good stuff here, and this is by far one of the best beers I've had from Sam Adams in a long time. If you can hunt a bottle of this stuff down, pick it up! And remember: this isn't your typical Pumpkin Ale. Treat this beer like the complex sipping beer it is.

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum 2012

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack, bought at Jewel-Osco in IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 10.4%

 

Let's call it Hoptimum, because that's clever.

The only thing more original than an American brewery cranking out an extreme Imperial IPA full of a metric fuck-ton of hops is an American brewery using some witty "hop" pun in the title of their beer. Hoptimum has to be a stroke of marketing genius. What is next, Sierra Nevada? Hoptimus Prime? The Hunt For Red Hoptober? The Hoppit? 

I'm just busting balls, of course. What else are they supposed to call this shit? "Resiny Citrus Bitter Shit?" Pay the marketing man, pay him well. I can't tell if he is smiling, or regretting that morning cup of coffee before the meeting.

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010.

Anyway, if you check out Sierra Nevada's Hoptimum page, you can get some info about this beer. This beer is brewed with whole-cone hops, resulting in a massive, 10.4% ABV, 100 IBU monster of an Imperial IPA. This beer is hopped, dry-hopped, and torpedoed (see my review of Sierra Nevada's Torpedo Extra IPA for more info on their "Torpedo"). This beer also uses a number of "exclusive new hop varieties" from Sierra Nevada. The beer is described as having flavors of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar, and tropical fruit. The beer is uses (all-in-all) German Magnum (bittering), Simcoe (aromatic, cat pee, distinct), Citra (tropical fruits), Chinook (spicy, piney, citrus), and "New Proprietary Variety" hops. Last but not least, my understanding is that when brewing beer with whole-cone hops, you need to add a lot more hops compared to using hop extracts or hop pellets. I'm not homebrewing (yet), but that's my understanding. With that said....onto the beer.

Hoptimum 2012

First off, I love the bottle. It's all green, and features a portrait of a dude with a hop cone for a head. The bottle cap is a kick ass green color as well. When I opened up the beer, it wanted to escape, as some carbonation peaked out of the bottle. The beer has a dark orange/amber/copper color in low light. I worked out 3 fingers of foamy, soapy head, but it faded down fairly fast into a nice centimeter coating. The head is just slightly copper-tinted. In bright light this is an amber/orange beer. There appears to be a hint of sediment in the beer? It could just be chill haze. It's mostly transparent, with a lot of carbonation in the form of small bubbles. There is some nice lacing and some alcohol legs.

The aroma on this is fresh (I think), but it's really subtle. I'm not smelling "Imperial IPA," and definitely not "West Coast IIPA." I smell resiny pine, and resiny hops. There are some pine cones, as well as pine forest in here. It's very earthy, pleasant, and mild. There is some spice on the nose. Slight lemon/orange zest, or even salt. I'm also getting some malts on the aroma, including some caramel, sweet bread, and lemon curd.

Wow...maybe it's just one of "those nights," but this is a fairly dense Imperial IPA. I'm getting a lot of caramel, marmalade, breads, and sweetness mixed in with really dense, resiny, thick, sticky hop goodness. I'm reminded of Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA, to some extent. There is a lot of bitterness in this, but I'm getting it more in the middle and back. And wow, this beer dries up your back palate. It's not a woody dryness either like you often get. I'm just getting intense, hop dryness. It's actually a really nice finish if you're into that uber bitter/dry back end. As I continue to sip, the front palate gets a bit smaller, and I'm getting a lot of spices mid-palate. I'm pulling out earthy hop spice, peppery spice, and some salty zest. This is super sweet, and fairly malty (as you might expect at 10.4%).

The alcohol in this is subdued and well-hidden. Granted, that may just be my alcoholism speaking. If anything, the spicy hops hide any alcohol bite, and the super dry/hoppy finish masks any booze in the finish. This is creamy, and smooth...but quite dense and thick. It does have a bit of a resin/oil thing going on. I'd say medium-full to full, with soft carbonation, and a smooth drinker. The finish is super dry, with giant hop dryness. Up front you get a dash of sweet malt; the middle rolls into hops and hop spice; the back end is lingering hops, with a drying hop finish. I'm pulling out some earthy/spicy hop flavors, and a bit of citrus in the dry finish. Palate depth is huge, complexity is moderate for the style. You do feel the 100 IBUs, for sure...making this a bold beer to sip, or pair with some aggressive food.

Hard to rate this beer, it is. Right now...this is not hitting the spot for me. But I'm attracted to this! What I am interpreting here is a HUGE hop bomb that needed a huge grain bill to balance the hops and push up the ABV. As a result, this reminds me of a liqueur almost. It's super hoppy, and super bitter, and all super dry, so it does fill its big shoes. It's just not a typical West Coast IPA.

Rating: Average 

 

I'm feeling a strong Average on this. This is by no means a bad beer, it's just not blowing me away at the moment. I'll leave this one open, though. I have 3 more of these left, and plan to revisit this soon. Like tomorrow (haha). Overall though, it's a really nice change in pace from your stereotypical West Coast IPAs. And that finish. Hot damn!

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

Brewed By: Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 6-pack purchased at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2012
Style/ABV: American Pale Ale, 6.4% 

 

There's a lot of hype (or was) around Three Floyds' Zombie Dust. But then, what Three Floyds beer doesn't command a ton of hype. Zombie Dust was formerly known as "Cenotaph," and I believe may have only been available on tap when it went under that alias. A few years ago, Three Floyds announced they would be bottling the beer, and changed the name to Zombie Dust. Zombie Dust is a much cooler name than Cenotaph, although Cenotaph literally means: "a tomblike monument to someone buried elsewhere." Creepy shit, right? Zombie Dust is pretty creepy too, and also doubles as a narcotic cocktail of Triazolam and Cocaine. Mmmm...cocaine. Actually, Zombie Dust is known for its use of Citra hops. Citra hops are relatively new and relatively distinct: they bring tropical fruit notes to the table. With all that said, let me talk about Three Floyds and then tonight's beer:

Today we go to Munster, Indiana, where Three Floyds has been brewing beer since 1996. The brewery was founded by brothers Nick and Simon, and their father Mike Floyd - hence, the name, Three Floyds. The first brewery was originally located in Hammond, Indiana. Eventually Three Floyds outgrew their original location, and moved to Munster, Indiana. After moving to Munster, and seeing an increased demand for their beer, Three Floyds began to bottle their beer. Since 2000, the brewery has continued to grow. And in 2005, the brewery opened its first brewpub. The brewery is probably most famous for their Dark Lord Stout. If you haven't heard of it, Google "Dark Lord Day." And then weep at the beer you probably will never be able to drink.

If you go to Three Floyds' beer page, you can read about Zombie Dust. Clocking in at 6.4% ABV, and packing 60 IBUs, this is an intense pale ale. The artwork on the bottle is awesome, and is done by Tim Seeley. I have to say, Zombie Dust is flirting with being more than just an APA. Coming it at 60 IBUs and 6.4% ABV, this is outside the typical range for the style. But whatever. American Pale Ales remind me of the true younger sister/brother to the Imperial IPA. So seeing these extreme American Pale Ales kind of makes sense. Let's glass it.

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

 

Zombie Dust pours with a huge, foamy, fluffy, 3-fingers worth of head. The head has a nice yellow tint to it from the body of the beer. The beer itself is a darker yellow color, with a nice haze. There may even be a bit of sediment in here. The beer has moderate to high carbonation, in the form of small bubbles rising upwards. The head dissolves into a nice, thick, centimeter coating, and it leaves some nice lacing behind.

I'd say the fun starts with the massive tropical fruit aromas you get off this beer. I'm pulling out giant tropical fruit notes: peach, tangerine, mango, strawberry, pineapple, and kiwi. You know, that spectrum of aromas. There is a little bit of grass and lemon, and some cleaning products/soapy aromas. It smells fairly acidic. There is maybe a hint of bready malt, but mostly tropical hops.

The taste is phenomenal, with a bittering pull towards the front and middle palate, followed by a short malt kick, and then grassy, lemony, lingering hop dryness. This is creamy and smooth up front, thanks in part to the sustaining head and carbonation. I am noticing a nice malt presence, in the form of caramel, bread, and biscuit. I'm getting lemon, pine, grass, tropical fruits, grapefruit, and cleaning products/soap/acid. 

 

This is just a big, tropical, fruity, bitter beer. At 60 IBUs and hopped to high heaven, this is a bit turbulent on the finish and unbalanced. But the reward is worth it. Complexity is very high, and palate depth is huge. The mouthfeel is medium-light, thanks in part to that creamy beginning and carbonation. The finish is a bit biting and dry. There is a slight density to this beer, and it is a bit resinous and sticky from all the hops. I'm guessing this is dry hopped? Nevertheless, drinkability is good if not great. Up front I get carbonation, a dash of malt, and then some hops; the middle is more hops; and the back end is malty, then fruity from the hops, then bitter and dry. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm going to have to conform to a Strong Divine Brew rating on this beer. I don't know if this is the perfect American Pale Ale, or the king of the mountain. But it's a lot of fun, and it's incredibly big and bold. It lives up to the hype with giant mango, pineapple, and tropical fruit notes. It is unbalanced for sure, and may even be outside the typical style guidelines...but isn't that ever the case these days with all the new beers coming out. Style guidelines seem to be increasingly traditional, if not restrictive. Useful, yes. Dogma, I dunno. Anyway, if you can get your hands on this...pick it up.

Sixpoint Resin

Brewed By: Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, New York 

Purchased: Tall 12oz can from a 4-pack bought at a Kroger in Athens, Ohio; 2012

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.1%

Hops: First World Problems

I can already feel my teeth hurting just murmuring the name of tonight's beer. "Resin." Yup, there goes my enamel. And last time I was at the dentist, he told me I had a "D9" or some shit. Basically, I'm a pussy who can't brush his teeth without using Sensodyne because wahhh wahhh I drink craft beer. Mother fucking first world problems. 

It's actually the hops that blast away your enamel, and apparently tonight's beer is full of hops. I mean, it's called Resin for fuck's sake. Resin is a de facto descriptor for many Imperial IPAs. It's that super oily, dense, hop wallop that coats your palate. Resin. 

Sixpoint Brewery is relatively new to the world of craft beer, as they were founded in 2004. The brewery was founded by brewer Shance C. Welch, as he began brewing in an 800 square foot garage in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. Wikipedia states that the brewery was co-founded by Andrew Bronstein, who met Welch at the University of Wisconsin. Andrew provided the cash investment needed to lease the facilities and begin brewing. The brewery is known for its philosophy. More specifically, Sixpoint is all about not defining their beers according to style guidelines. This point is echoed if you visit their Beers page. They state that they have brewed hundreds of different beers, and they have no plans to stop this proliferation of styles. Of final note, Sixpoint began canning their beer in 2011, which is pretty cool, especially for a craft brewer.

Tonight's beer, Resin, is a giant Imperial IPA. There is a cool video on the Resin at Sixpoint's Resin page. I encourage you to check it out. This beer clocks in at 9.1% ABV, and packs 103 IBUs. It's loaded up with hops, and all that good stuff. Let the teeth smashing commence!

Sixpoint Resin

This is a gorgeous looking Impy-IPA when you pour it into a glass. The body is this lovely, hazy, orange/juicy/murky looking color, with hints of yellow on the sides. The beer pours with 4-fingers of thick, foamy, fluffy, off-white head. The head picks up some orange in the color from the body of the beer. There is nice lacing as the head pulls away, and there appears to be moderate to high carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles rushing upwards. Gorgeous.

The aroma on this beer is incredible. This beer lives up to its name, at least in aroma. Huge resiny aromas wallop your sense of smell. I'm pulling out resiny grass, resiny citrus, lemon rind, Pledge, a touch of earthy wood, and some sweeter caramel malts. Maybe just a hint of biscuit if I go searching for it? Mostly resiny hops though.  

Holy shit, I can feel my teeth melting upon the first sip. And then I get walloped with a blast of super biting, resiny citrus. And then...peaceful biscuits and malt...and then more teeth grinding citrus. Wow! This is intensely bitter, with a lot of intense flavors bouncing around on the tip of my tongue. I'm even getting a hint of salty zest from this beer. There is a nice malt balance to complement the insane resin-hop-wallop. I'm getting waves of biscuits, caramel, and even a moment of honey. I taste lemon zest, resiny citrus, grass; the usual hop suspects. Then I get some malts; biscuits, caramel, honey. And then more resiny citrus. The alcohol and/or the extreme hoppiness are also adding a peppery/salty kick to this beer, and the resin just punches your palate. Maybe a hint of tobacco/wood a la the Stone 15th Anniversary Ale.

Enough rambling. Let's summarize and shit. This is not the most bitter beer I have had, but it is perhaps the most concentrated in terms of resiny hop profiles. The resin is big and bold, with some peppery/salty/zesty alcohol-resin kick thrown into the mix. The mouthfeel is medium, and the carbonation is moderate to high. This is fairly easy to drink for the style, and would pair magnificently with some pizza (<-trust me, I did it). Palate depth is...full...but the real "experience" of this beer lies in the little bursts of "Resin assault" on your palate. And there are many of them. Complexity is fairly high for the style, with a nice balance of malts and hops. You get a dash of malt up front, followed by a resinous assault; mid palate warms up to some malts; the finish is resinous, dry, and slightly warming. Peppery/zesty/salty resin pops throughout. 

Wait 'til you try meth!

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a teeth-crushing Decent Divine Brew rating on this beer. This beer is not for everybody. If you hate extremely hoppy beers, or the trend in American craft brewing to push the "hop envelope," stay away. Also, you might hate this beer if you are a dentist. It is kind of gimmicky, naming your beer "Resin." But this actually delivers! How often does a brewer name their beer after something, like *coughDoughnutBaconMaplecough*, and it ends up tasting more like asshole than the actual flavor it was named after? Okay, maybe that just happens to Rogue. But my point still stands, for what this beer is, it is good. It's also a standout Imperial IPA, deviating from the typical experience. I have to recommend this, and some Sensodyne.  

Samuel Adams Imperial White (Imperial Series)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Witbier, 10.3%

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EDIT: 

So I had another one of these last night, and I'm really surprised that Sam Adams is calling this an Imperial White. This beer is straight up malty as fuck, and it is incredibly fruity and sugary.

While drinking a bottle last night, I was getting huge Doppelbock-esque malts. I was pulling out giant Twizzler notes, and licorice, and maybe even a pull towards that sweet soy sauce note. I was also pulling out huge cherry notes, and I was reminded quite a bit of Ommegang's Three Philosophers, minus any tartness.

This is quite a strange beer, and it's really heavy and dense. It's a sipper, and maybe a sipper you don't want very often. But it is intriguing, and very hard to categorize. But Imperial White? WTF. 
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An Imperial Witbier? Whatever you say, Sam Adams. A Witbier, or "white beer," is the Belgium version of a wheat beer. This style of beer was traditionally not brewed with hops, but instead used spices to preserve the beer. The style is known for having coriander profiles, as well as zesty orange notes. It's a style that is supposed to be fairly refreshing and easy-going. But at 10.3% ABV, tonight's beer is anything but. Before we dive in:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

Tonight's beer is weird. If you check out the Imperial White page, you can get a sense of what to expect with this beer. Sam Adams states that: "Witbiers are normally light and refreshing with a fruity finish." This version is not that. This beer is supposed to be a "wine substitute," and is meant to be sipped. This beer is brewed with malted wheat, and two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts; it also uses Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble Hops. Clocking in at a stupid-big 10.3% ABV, and packing 15 IBUs, this beer will cost you ~320 calories per 12oz bottle. I'm kind of excited, so let's get this into a glass and see how it tastes.

Samuel Adams Imperial White

The beer hardly pours like a Witbier, which you kind of expect at this crazy ABV. The beer pours with 3-fingers of yellow/bronze-tinted head. The head quickly faded down into a nice cauldron effect. There are huge alcohol legs on this beer, and some lacing is being left as the head pulls on the glass. The body of the beer is a copper/caramel color in low light. In bright light this is a hazy, orange beer, with golden/copper tones. There is some sediment floating around in my beer, and there appears to be a decent amount of carbonation. This is atypical for a Witbier in that it is fairly dark. Cool stuff.

The aroma reminds me of the Sam Adams Wee Heavy, so I'm guessing the two beers share the same yeast or use similar malts. The aroma is heavy and dense. I'm smelling eggnog, cream soda (that artificial vanilla flavor), peppery alcohol, coriander, booze, some hints of clove, some hints of wheat malt, and some elusive fruitiness. There's actually quite a lot going on with the aroma, and I'm reminded of a complex Belgian style ale (like a Tripel or a Belgian Ale). 

Wow, the taste....you get a huge, sticky, boozy blast of beer up front. This rolls into some peppery spice and coriander. Then you get more sticky booze, and the finish is warm and spicy. I don't know how old this bottle is, but there's a lot of booze in this, and it's all fairly mellow; the alcohol is subtle and subdued, and not hot. I'm picking up a range of boozy fruits: raisins, overripe bananas, banana bread, some hints of caramel/sugar, a smack of clove and wheat, and pepper and coriander. Somewhere deep in here are some oranges, but they are coming across as candied oranges. There's also some vanilla in here. This is really fucking interesting.

Holy warming, batman. And holy full mouthfeel. This is a giant beer, with a sticky, dense and creamy mouthfeel. At 10.3% ABV, and with a mouthfeel like this...you want to sip this beer. Palate depth is astronomical, as this beer grabs hold of your tongue and doesn't let go. Complexity is pretty damn high as well. This is moderately carbonated, and it is welcomed. Up front I'm getting orange, fruit, sugars, sticky booze; the middle is rolling into some spices like coriander and peppery alcohol; the back end is wheat, malts, fruits; the finish is lingering spice and giant warming. There's a lot of sugars in this, but somehow it doesn't overwhelm you.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average rating on this "thing." I mean, what the fuck is this shit? Seriously...is this really a Witbier? This drinks like a complex, boozy, Belgian Ale or Tripel brewed with wheat. I'm pretty sure they added sugar to this, and the typical spices and orange you get in a Witbier are absolutely subdued. But it's fairly tasty. Somehow, Sam Adams has managed to keep this drinkable despite the density and sugars. This is a lot more intriguing than their Wee Heavy, I'll just say that. This beer is subject to a lot of controversy...it seems like most people hate this beer. I would treat this beer like a wine, or a liquor. And I would hardly compare this to a Witbier. All that aside, whatever we have here, I enjoyed it. I may have to pick up a 4-pack of this stuff come winter.

Samuel Adams Wee Heavy (Imperial Series)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, 10.0%

Holy crap! A Sam Adams beer that pushes the envelope? Yeah, they make those. Tonight...we dive into the depths of Sam Adams' "Imperial Series."

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

The Sam Adams Wee Heavy is a Scotch Ale, and a big one at that. You can read up on Scotch Ales at the BJCP, or read my ramble about them here. Basically, Wee Heavies/Scotch Ales are giant, malty beers, with peaty/earthy/smoky notes. If you check out Sam Adams' Wee heavy page, you can get some info on this beer. This beer is inspired by traditional Scotch ales and Scotch whiskies, and combines deep roasted flavors with an earthy smoke character. This beer uses dark, caramelized malts, which is typical for the style. It also uses peat smoked malt, an ingredient found traditionally in Scotch whiskies. This is an unusual ingredient for the style, and it will be interesting to see how it tastes. To get peat smoked malt, the malt is smoked over peat, which adds earthy and smoky flavors. Clocking in at a giant 10.0% ABV, 30 IBUs, and 350 calories per 12oz bottle...this beer is brewed with a bunch of malts, and some Zeus Hops. On a final note, Sam Adams does a good write up on the history of the Scottish/Scotch ale:

Scottish brewers have been renowned for their strong Scotch Ales for centuries. Their characteristic taste comes from the large amount of highly roasted malts to flavor and sweeten the beer rather than using brewing sugars or crystal malt. Barley is a signature ingredient of Scotland as used in their whiskies and its character comes through in their beers. By contrast, hops cannot survive the short Scottish growing season and are thus only used in limited amounts for these beers.  

With all that said, let's get this into a glass and see what is up. On a final note...I have no idea how old this bottle is. I have noticed that the Imperial Series tend to sit on shelves for a while...not that it matters. At 10.0% ABV, and being a Wee Heavy, this is a beer you can toss in your cellar for a little while. It will do just fine.

Samuel Adams Wee Heavy

The pour, in low light, yields a deceptively raisin-brown looking beer, with a raisin/tan colored head. You get a pinky's worth of head, but it doesn't hang around for long. In bright light, this beer has ruby red highlights, and appears to be reddish brown. It also has quite a bit of carbonation and effervescence (though it is not transparent). There are big alcohol legs on this, and you can stir up the head when you swirl the beer. There is a nice cauldron effect.

The aroma on this beer is huge, and sweet. Giant caramelized malts hit your nose, and they are sweet. You get raisins, plums, brandy; the caramelized malts flavor wheel. You also get some booze, but it's not Fusel alcohol-y. And maybe a hint of peat, but it is fairly elusive. 

The taste is interesting...if a bit surprising. Maybe I'm lucky, in that I'm guessing this is an older bottle. The malts seem fairly mellow, and I'm getting more malts than booze. The malts come across first, and in a thick/dense/sticky way. My first impression is that this drinks like a liquor. On the back end, you get those peated malts. The peat smoked malts give off more than just earthy and smoky notes: you get some meat and bacon. Yay, Rauchbier! I'm definitely getting warming on the back end, but again: it's not aggressively boozy or Fusel-y. I'm pulling out raisins, caramel, molasses, and then earthy peat malt.

This beer's mouthfeel is somewhere between medium full to full. It's fairly sticky and dense, and sugary as all fuck. Palate depth is good. Complexity is just okay. The 10.0% ABV seems elusive; but it's possible this bottle is anywhere from 6 months old to one year plus. Up front is a big wave of malts, with some dark fruits; this rolls into more caramel, and some peat; the back end is lingering peat, some smoke, drying/cloying sweetness, and then a warming finish. 

Rating: Average 

 

I'm feeling a decent Average  on this. I wonder what one of these tastes like when it is hot. For me, this drinks more like a dessert liquor. The peat smoked malts are noticeable, but don't hold a torch to the huge, sugary, caramel malts that dominate this beer. I know this style is inherently one-dimensional, but I kind of expected a little more in terms of balance and complexity. It's also a bit cloying on the finish...which is fine. This is definitely a sipper, and a beer to pair with dessert or something heavy (goulash anyone?). It's not a bad beer by any stretch, and it's a good take on the style. And the peat malts are intriguing...when you do get a kick of smoke, peat, or bacon, it's a welcome flavor. Given how easy it is to find this beer, this beer may be worth trying.

New Belgium Shift Pale Lager

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: 16oz CAN (1 pint) from a 4-pack from Jewel-Osco in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: American Pale Lager, 5.0% 

How about that. A pint of Pale Lager, in a can. And it has a catchy name, and features minimalistic artwork. Could this be the macro killer? Should the silver dildo train take cover? Let's find out.

New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. For reference, New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their website.

If you roll over to New Belgium's Shift page, you can read all about what goes into this beer. This beer clocks in at 5% ABV, and 29 IBUs. The beer is brewed with Target (pleasant and intense), Nelson Sauvin (fruity and grape), Liberty (slightly spicy), and Cascade (flowery, spicy, citrusy, grapefruit) hops; and uses Pale, Munich, and Caramel malts. The aroma is described as hoppy with a touch of honey and toasted bread. Let's get this into a pint glass, and see how it stacks up. 

New Belgium Shift

The beer pours with 3-fingers plus of big, pillowy, fluffy head. The head is thick and creamy, and has a slightly off-white tint that is orange/yellow mirroring the color of the beer. This is a transparent, fairly carbonated, golen/yellow beer with hues of orange. When held to bright light, the head is clearly just white, but the body still has a golden/yellow/orange color. There is already some lacing on the glass as the head pulls away.

The aroma is slightly spicy and fruity. I'm getting peaches, passion fruit, and distinctive Nelson Sauvin hop aromas. There is a sweet fruity note on the nose, like peaches or strawberries or something; maybe oranges. I am getting a touch of honey on the nose. Slight earthiness and spice from the Nelson Sauvin hops. A hint of biscuit. 

Upon my first sip: biscuits, honey, lightly toasted bread, earthy hops, herbal and very spicy, and big Lager smoothness and crispness. This is going down real easy, but has a surprisingly dense quality to it with pretty big flavors. I'm getting the Nelson Sauvin in the finish, with a bit of earthy passion fruit (even a hint of wood). Up front is a flat and light kick of honey and malt. You get hops in the middle, with earthiness, spice, a hint of citrus and lemongrass, and some bitterness; the back end is light, smooth, and just a touch dry and earthy. There's some honey and biscuit in the mix in here as well. If you gave me this beer in a blind taste test, I'd have a hard time pegging it as a Lager. 

Well carbonated, this has a medium-light mouthfeel. Palate depth is wonderful, and complexity is mighty. Up front are malts that grab you; the middle rolls into hops; the back is biscuits and honey, then a hint of earthy hops. The finish is clean, maybe a touch dry. This is super easy to drink, but has some surprising density to it thanks to the biscuit/honey notes. It reminds me of the Ranger IPA and the New Belgium Dig. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew rating on this beer. I gotta rate this by the style, baby. And for an American Pale Lager, this is an excellent beer. Big flavors, excellent palate depth, and it comes in a 16oz can. Can you do wrong by this beer? A 4-pack of this is like 9 bucks. But you're getting 16oz cans. I think that makes this a worthy beer to stock in your cooler for the summer. This would be a great beer to drink as a standalone, or you could easily pair this with some chicken or fish. I'm actually a little surprised, but this is an excellent release from New Belgium. I hope they keep this one around for a while. Could this be the Coors killer? Only if you like flavor. 

Arcadia Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout

Brewed By: Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: American Stout, 7.0%

This shit's loco!

Tonight we are getting loco ese, or something. I won't act like I remember anything I learned in Spanish. Tonight's beer is a Stout, brewed with chocolate, molasses, and lactose. The bottle art depicts a woman pouring cocoa from a cocoa plant/pod/whatever into a beer. An oompa-loompa told me you can't go wrong with chocolate. I told him you can't go wrong with free labor. About Arcadia:

Arcadia is a brewery that hails out of Battle Creek, Michigan. The brewery was founded in 1996 as a microbrewery specializing in British-style ales. The brewery produces beer in small batches using brewing techniques that originated in England. The beer is brewed with authentic British equipment, uses malted barley from England, and uses hops from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. 

What's up with these chocolate Stouts anyway? BeerAdvocate is calling today's beer an "American Stout." Ratebeer is calling this beer a Foreign Extra Stout. At 39 IBUs, 7.0% ABV, and featuring the addition of chocolate, molasses, and lactose...this beer could fall within a handful of styles. 

What we do know is that this beer is not a Dry Stout, Oatmeal Stout, or Russian Impy. So that leaves Sweet Stouts, American Stouts, and Foreign Extra Stouts. This thing is outside the ABV of a Sweet Stout, and features chocolate. So it's not a Sweet Stout (or a Milk Stout). This does fall within some of the specs of a Foreign Extra...but the question is: does using chocolate, molasses, and lactose constitute using adjuncts? And looking at the American Stout category, they mention nothing about the use of chocolate or molasses. I'm guessing this is truly a "spice/herb/vegetable" or specialty beer. But who knows. Who cares? I'm happy calling this an American Stout. 

Anyway, if you roll over to Arcadia's Cocoa Loco page, you can get the low down on this beer. This beer uses three different chocolate malts, cocoa nibs, and 63 percent semi-sweet chocolate. The beer also uses molasses, which are supposed to result in an earthy, caramelized tone. Lastly, Arcadia states: "It's creamy, milkshake-like mouthfeel earns this beer the distinction of being dessert in glass." And again, clocking in at 7.0% ABV and 39 IBUs...this is a fairly big beer. Let's get it into a glass and see how it stacks up.

 Arcadia Cocoa Loco

The beer pours with a dark brown body that appears black. The beer poured with one-finger's worth of dark brown head, but the head did not stick around for very long. There are some alcohol legs on this, and the head does pull on the glass, and there is already some lacing. This is not transparent due to the thick body.

Superb aromas on the nose. The lactose and chocolate impart a nice coconut aroma, along with some chocolate and caramel. The nose is really dense and aromatic, and you get some slight booze, along with molasses. I'm also getting bitter chocolate, and a hint of roast. Overall: coconut, chocolate, molasses, slightly vinous, slightly boozy, possibly a hint of rum.

Constrained, complex, and warming are three words I'd use to describe this beer. Up front you get some dark malts, and chocolate profiles. The middle rolls into something sweet; molasses, elusive dark fruits. The back end is drying, with giant chocolate and cocoa notes. Bitter chocolate hits your palate on the back end. The finish is sweet and dry, with hints of lactose. I'm pulling out some coconut and some earthy coffee. I'm definitely getting sweet caramel in here as well. I also get flashes of dark cola in this...

This is quite complex, and boasts a fairly medium-full mouthfeel. As dense as this beer is, it is also rather highly carbonated, which does seem to keep the density down a bit. It is a sweet beer, for sure, and at 7.0% ABV, this beer is boozy enough that you can enjoy (sip) it. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. Up front is chocolate, caramel; the middle is molasses, fruitiness; the back end is dry, earthy cocoa and coffee; finish is warming, with lingering lactose/coconut/roast.

Rating: Above-Average 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average rating on this beer. I'm kind of conflicted though. I really like this beer, and I'm loving the subtle complexities and flavors that it brings to the table. On the other hand, I think other beers might bring that full 7.0%, molasses and all, without as much carbonation. But it is a minor gripe, because if anything, it makes this beer all the more easy to drink. So it really comes down to personal preference. Do you want to sip the thing, or drink it? I'll have to sleep on this beer. And by sleep on it, I mean I'll have to drink the other three beers from the 6-pack. *belch*

(highly recommended...<3 Arcadia and I look forward to my next encounter with their beer)