Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

Purchased: 750ml bomber bought at Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor, MI; 2012

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 4.5%

Reported IBUs: ?
Batch 1210, Bottled 10-01-2012

Two things come to mind when I think of Dexter, Michigan: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, and the Showtime television show, Dexter.

Jolly Pumpkin actually has a couple of locations. My understanding is that their main brewery is located in Dexter, Michigan. Dexter is about 15 to 20 minutes away from Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is located (the university is fucking GORGEOUS, by the way). Jolly Pumpkin has a cafe/restaurant located in Ann Arbor, and they supposedly do some brewing there as well. And lastly, Jolly Pumpkin has a location way up north in Traverse City. Me and the girlfriend took a trip up to Ann Arbor over Turkey Weekend to check out the campus and just relax. It was a good trip, and we ate at the Jolly Pumpkin's Ann Arbor cafe. The food was great, the service was even better, and the beer was fantastic. We also drove through Dexter during the evening hours to scope out the brewery, and check out the town. Let me tell you something about Dexter...that's a creepy little town! It has a huge Halloween vibe, has a creepy cemetery, and features some dark, winding country roads. Check it out.

The other Dexter is the TV show Dexter...of which I'm obviously a fan. To be honest, the show has sort of declined since season 2, reaching the -- literal -- bowels of mediocrity with Season 6. There's very few nice things I can say about the decline of Dexter, except they are fortunate that Michael C. Hall is such a fucking pimp. Michael C. Hall is the glue holding that cobbled piece of poorly written shit together. I mean really, Mos Def? I like his music, but really? And "how do I reach deez kidz?" Bleh.

FORTUNATELY, Season 7 of Dexter is like...really good. I don't know what happened. Season 7 of Dexter has turned things around, righted the ship, made the show good again. Hell...some of the dialog and cinematography in Season 7 is surpassing stuff from Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4. Season 7 of Dexter and Season 3 of The Walking Dead have to be this year's biggest surprises. Shit, this isn't TV Guide...about Jolly Pumpkin:

Jolly Pumpkin has three enterprises: a restaurant, brewery, and distillery located in Traverse City; a cafe and brewery in Ann Arbor; and a factor for their Artisan Ales in Dexter. The brewery itself was founded by brewmaster Ron Jefferies. Ron began brewing professionally in 1995, and quickly became known as a respected brewer among the Michigan craft beer scene. In 2004, Ron opened Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is known for brewing beer that is aged in wine barrels containing brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is a naturally occurring yeast that is typically unwanted in beer because it imparts a "sour, leathery, barnyard, horse funk" profile. When used properly, beers made with brettanomyces can have desirable flavors. These flavors are often found in Lambics and Geuzes, and more recently in American Wild Ales.

If you check out Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Bière page, you can get the lowdown on this beer. Now...I'm not going to lie. While me and the girlfriend were enjoying dinner at the Ann Arbor location, I ordered me a flight of beer. I fell in love with this beer. The Bam Bière is just a lovely beer, with huge fresh dry hops, big citrus, prairie, and light barnyard/hay funk. It's a clean, light, refreshing beer. Jolly Pumpkin describes this as an "artisan farmhouse ale" that is golden, cloudy, bottle conditioned, and dry hopped. At 4.5% ABV, this beer is aged in oak barrels, and should feature some light Brett notes. Let's see how this holds up in the bottle versus on tap.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière

As with all Jolly Pumpkin beers...I do recommend opening this over a sink, or on a counter you don't mind getting wet. This beer did not gush, which is good. The beer pours a lovely hazy straw/golden color, with 3 fingers of white/yellow-tinted head. When held to a bright light, the head is super white, foamy, dense, and Belgian Strong Ale-esque. There's a ton of visible, peppery, small-bubbled, effervescent carbonation rising upwards. In bright light, the body is murky yellow with hints of orange: it's kind of juicy...lemonade.

I love the aroma on this...with big, bright dry hop aromas. You get that hop leaf/hemp aroma, which fades into peppery lemon, citrus, grass, lemongrass. There is just a hint of hay and barnyard funk in this, and the whole thing is super light, refreshing, and pleasant.

The taste follows through with the nose, only a touch lighter. At 4.5% ABV, this is a pretty mild beer. You get apple and herb salad, pears, peaches, and strawberries up front...it cuts into a light, grassy, dry hop bitterness. There's just a hint of must, hay, and barnyard throughout, with moderate acidity. 

I love this stuff. It's light, crisp, refreshing, and just really drinkable at 4.5% ABV. Palate depth is decent, complexity is decent, but the mouthfeel is lovely. This is light, effervescent, and SUPER DRY. This vanishes off your palate, leaving some nice dry hop kick. Up front is carbonation, apple and herb salad, some strawberry, pears, peaches; this rolls into some grass/hemp dry hop; the back end is super dry with big dry hop finish. Mild barnyard and hay is present throughout, and you get some acidity in this.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is fantastic stuff, especially for a very mild beer at 4.5% ABV. I like how drinkable this is...and this is also sessionable too. Give me 1500ml of this stuff. My only gripe is there's a slightly anise/licorice finish from the dry hops, which is kind of weird. It could just be me though. Given that this is somewhat acidic...I would pair this with a salad that has a mild dressing. You could definitely pair this with some fish or chicken, or anything that would benefit from a little citrus/acidic kick. Like I said, this is a great beer, albeit a bit pricey per bottle.

Random Thought: Despite that Season 3 of The Walking Dead is pretty good....I still maintain that mid-season breaks are dumb. Do you know who doesn't do mid-season breaks? Dexter and Showtime. Suck it, AMC.

Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle from Binny's in Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 9.0% 

Reported IBUs: 50

Merry Christmas! Today, I woke up to snowfall (which was a small miracle, as the snow was very scattered). Me and my girlfriend played with our new kittens, and then caught up on Dexter over some shitty Domino's pizza. It was...relaxing. ABC was running A Christmas Story all day long, so I watched that three or four times before turning on Bad Santa.

But enough about how great Christmas is. We wouldn't be here if the Mayans weren't wrong. The end of the world didn't happen, probably to a few people's dismay. I didn't commemorate the occasion with a party or anything special like that, but I had a hunch I'd live to drink my 12.12.12 another day. So that day is today. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer.

The Vertical Epic Series is a series of 11 beers that Stone has been releasing annually since 2002. Starting with the 02.02.02 Vertical Epic release, Stone has released a new beer, every year, corresponding to the numbers and date in the series. In March of 2003, Stone released the 03.03.03 Vertical Epic. Probably out of sheer coincidence, Stone released the final Vertical Epic beer on December 12th, 2012 (a few days before "the end of the world"). The idea behind this series of beers is that you save the beers as you go, and drink them all at once. Unfortunately, I only joined the fun starting with the 11.11.11 Vertical Epic...but I digress. You can learn more about the Vertical Epic Series in this Q&A (like...why there wasn't a 01.01.01 Vertical Epic Ale).

Tonight's beer, the 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale, is a beer brewed in the style of a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. According to Stone, this beer features lots of cinnamon and allspice, along with fruity banana esters and clove. You can get a little more info on this beer if you check out Stone's Blog: this beer is brewed with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, orange peel, and rosehips. Clocking in at 9.0% ABV and packing 50 IBUs, this beer uses Simcoe, Tettnang, and Willamette hops; and should feature prominent Belgian Yeast and lots of malt body. Let's see if this is the last beer you would want to drink.

Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale

WOAH. I don't even know what's going on here. This beer pours a pretty DARK BLACK, with 2 to 3 finger's worth of dark, coffee-brown head. The head is dense and foamy, and frankly...quite Stout-like. Head retention is great, and there's a ton of sticky lacing being left on the side of the glass as I swirl this. Even in bright light, I'm just catching shades of ruby red on the side of the glass (like a Stout!). A centimeter of dark brown, bubbly head has settled in.

At 50 IBUs, this is messing with the style guidelines (the BJCP puts most Dark Strongs/Quads at 20-35 IBUs). It's darker than most Quads too. But then...that's Stone for you. The aroma on this is huge nutmeg and clove...clove hard, like a clove cigarette. I'm even getting a hint of earthy smoke, reinforcing that clove cigarette vibe. I'm getting fruitcake, plums, chocolate, and some yeast funk...maybe a hint of bread and orange spice. But really, lots of clove and nutmeg. 

This is delicious...but it's not traditional Belgian Dark Strong, which is totes okay. I'm getting big cinnamon, orange peel, hop bitterness, slight malt astringency, and nutmeg in this. The big surprise: coffee. I swear, there's coffee in here. This is quite bitter, in fact...and not really ratcheting up the sugary sweetness and dark stone fruits typical for the style. I'm getting some clove and Belgian-banana-funk, but it's hidden behind the spices, orange peel, and big hop bitterness. The hop bitterness in this grows as you drink, with hints of citrus and pine. It plays off the roast and coffee...and it finishes with nutmeg and clove. Boozy complexity sits beneath all this, but you don't really taste it.

I don't know if it's intentional or not...but this shit is super complex. It also has great palate depth, finishes dry and slightly sticky, and goes down pretty damn easy for 9.0% ABV. It also has some alcohol complexity, which is always a nice feat. The mouthfeel on this is full-bodied, slightly oily/sticky, and supported by lively, thin carbonation. It's effervescent, but not quite as lively as many Belgian ales. Up front is bitterness, Belgian funk, and huge clove; this rolls into orange peel, cinnamon, noticeable hop bitterness, coffee, roast; the back end is lingering nutmeg, roast, hops, and boozy complexity. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Where Stone often cranks out big, bold, aggressive beers...they sometimes don't have the complexity associated with top-tier, comparable examples. This beer is both big and complex. It's not really a Belgian Dark Strong Ale though, is it? I mean, style guidelines be damned...this is very Stout-like at times, and quite bitter. If I had to pair this beer with food, I would pair this with cocoa and chile-rubbed pork tenderloin (per Stone), or anything covered in coffee (coffee-rubbed beef?). This would go great with coffee flavors, and desserts. Given how bitter and bold the hops are right now, I do wonder how this would settle down with some age. Maybe grab a few of these, and let one lay for a couple years. 

Random Thought: If the world was ending tomorrow, would I reach for this beer? I don't know, but it's no La Fin du Monde. 

He'Brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York 

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

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 16.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Nothing says Christmas like Hanukkah. Today I'm looking at a beer made by the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company contract brews most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, and they operate a brewery in Brooklyn New York. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a shmuck, and drink good beer!

Tonight's beer is a part of the He'Brew Anniversary Ale series. The Jewbelation series began with Jewbelation 8, and since then, the brewery has released a new beer annually to celebrate the occasion. The beer uses the same number of malts, hops, and alcohol as the anniversary they are celebrating. Today's beer uses 16 malts, 16 hops, and clocks in at a mean 16% ABV. If you roll over to the Sweet 16 page, you can see all the ingredients used in this beer. The list of malts include: specialty 2-row, vienna, munich, wheat, chocolate, crystal rye, dark crystal, rye, roasted barley, spelt, flaked quinoa, roasted wheat, flaked oats, caramunich 40, carapilsner, and kiln amber. The list of hops include: Fuggle, Willamette, Golding, Palisade, Tetnang, Crystal, Athanum, Columbus, Zythos, Cascade, Centennial, Apollo, Simcoe, Summit, Citra, and Amarillo. If that wasn't crazy enough, you can actually see the instructions for brewing this. It looks like this beer has 16 hop additions, and gets boiled for over 2 hours. Crazy...

Initial reports suggest this beer is a bit hot...but I am reviewing this fresh. I did grab 3 bottles of this, with the intention of aging this. And it should age nicely. With that said, let's glass this up and see what we got.

Jewbelation Sweet 16

This beer pours surprisingly dark, with a black/molasses/brown body, and one to two fingers of brown head made up of struggling carbonation. Getting head on this is harder than drowning your girlfriend (after getting head?..har). This is so boozy, the whole beer slides on the glass, with fast streaking legs. And BROWN TONES. Really though, this is some dark stuff. Sticky lacing is hanging to the sides, and you get a brown ring with a streaky cauldron effect. (I just realized, the pink elephants on my glass totes match the bottle).

The aroma on this is insane waves of fruity molasses, malt wallop, and hops. There's definitely an underlying boozy aroma present, but it doesn't smell like vodka (so quit bitching that your 16% ABV beer is boozy). I'm getting molasses, raisins, plums, prunes; hints of chocolate and chocolate fudge (ala BCBS); hints of woody esters and some vanilla. You don't really get hop aromas, but there's a sticky, elusive hint of hops on the nose.

The taste follows through with the nose nicely...the only difference is you pick up on some of the hops, and you get some rocky booziness. Up front is really nice cocoa, chocolate fudge. There's a big punch of Sherry or hot red wine. I'm picking up plums, cherries, dark fruits, hints of vanilla/wood, plenty of molasses, and touches of piney/citrus hop on the finish. There's definitely booze in the taste, with an almost Bourbon-like heat...it's hot, but it's not too bad...

But still, at 16% ABV, this is a sipping beer. It has to be. If you can't swirl this in your snifter, and enjoy the nuances, then why bother dialing this up to 16%? Fortunately, this is quite complex, and fairly drinkable now. This is medium-full to full-bodied, but is supported by nice carbonation and has some slight thinness mid-palate. The finish is dry and sticky, but the beer itself is not syrupy. Palate depth is good. Up front is chocolate, cocoa, brownie, some wood and vanilla; this rolls into dark fruits, cherries; the back end is hop bitterness, lingering fruit, molasses...fade to dryness. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...at this point in time. This is surprisingly good, despite the booziness. If you like Bourbon, or spirits, and you also enjoy beer...check this out. There is nice alcohol complexity with this beer, novelty aside. And I think this should age nicely with time. I plan to pull a bottle of this out in 3 years, and then 5. By then...I think we will have something really nice on our hands. This beer is also a huge steal at 7-10 dollars per bottle. Food pairings? Does a cigar count? This is a straight up dessert beer...either drink this beer for dessert, or pair it with some cheesecake or dry chocolate cake. L'Chayim!

Random Thought: I can't wait for the 17th Anniversary Ale...but this beer must be getting expensive for the brewery, and I would imagine somewhat difficult to brew.

Goose Island Night Stalker (2012)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in Illinois; 2012 (bottled on 11/19/12)

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 11.5% (my bottle says 11.5%...)

Reported IBUs: 60

Oh Goose Island...clever girl. The plot just keeps thickening with these guys:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2012, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

A little disclaimer about the Night Stalker. It's my understanding that all of Goose Island's stouts come from the same base beer. That base beer is the "Cook County Stout." I'm fairly certain the Cook County Stout has never been released commercially. Using the base beer...Goose Island does a bunch of different things. The Bourbon County Stout takes the base beer, ages it in various barrels, and then they blend that shit like Blendtec. The Bourbon County Coffee and Vanilla get aged with coffee or vanilla, etc. The Big John gets aged on cocoa nibs. And tonight's beer, the Night Stalker, is dry hopped like crazy. 

Many people dislike the fresh Nigh Stalker, and will cellar it for a few years...once the hops drop out, you probably get something that bears more resemblance to the base beer. 

You can get the goods on the Night Stalker on Goose Island's website. The beer is evidently an homage to a Chicago-based television show, and is described as an intensely hoppy and roasted beer. I'm not sure if the 2012 batch is all that different from previous batches, but the website says this beer uses Mt Hood and Simcoe hops; and 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roasted, and De-Bittered Black malts. They suggest enjoying this beer within 180 days...which suggests that it is hopped like crazy. I'm sure it's dry-hopped too. Nevertheless...at over 11% ABV, you can certainly age this. The end result just might not be what Goose Island had in mind. Anyway...onward!

This beer pours an inky, black color...with 2 fingers of dark brown head. The head is creamy, and it's actually sustaining quite nicely (I guess those Bourbon barrels are a bitch). The head is leaving lacing as it falls away, with big alcohol legs. In bright light you catch some red and brown on the edge of the glass. 

Goose Island Night Stalker

The aroma on this is really weird...like, I see where you can pick up on some of that Simcoe, with strong catty notes playing off big roast. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm getting strong fruit aroma, namely grape...and a big waft of burnt plastic and rubber. As I smell this more, I'm getting hop pellets, and big roasty aromas. Let's see how this tastes...

Whoa...this is really weird. I thought I could draw comparison to Okar Blues' Ten FIDY, but I'm not so sure...there is big chocolate and roast in this, and I'm pulling out some citrus and hints of hops. I'm also pulling out really big soy sauce, and some of that burnt rubber from the aroma (which I assume is just a catty note). Lots of chocolate, roast, coffee, and super creamy mouthfeel up front...then you get catty notes, burnt rubber, and hop kick in the middle. Soy sauce is dropping in hard in the back, with lingering roast and citrus. This is sticky on the finish, with alcohol warming. The hops in this are incredibly "hoppy." Like...concentrated hop pellet hoppy. 

I am so fucking confused right now. My first few sips were not good...but this is kind of mellowing out into something that's enjoyable. I'm belching up mad hops, and you really get the Simcoe on the finish. There's big roast in here too. And while strange...the soy sauce thing is kind of cool. I'd pair this beer with Chinese food in a heartbeat. This is a full-bodied beer with a giant mouthfeel. This is creamy, with just enough turbulence, has nice supporting carbonation, good palate depth, and okay complexity. Up front is roast, coffee, chocolate; middle is burnt rubber, catty Simcoe, citrus; the back is HUGE SOY SAUCE kick, lingering Simcoe, roast...fade to a dry, sticky, finish.

Rating: Average

I'm feeling a Light Average on this...this isn't bad, and it kind of grows on you as you drink it. The hop thing that flirts with burnt rubber is a bit off-putting, and if you dislike soy sauce...oh boy. It's a very interesting beer, and I haven't had anything like it. Big Simcoe, lots of catty notes...soy sauce...and epic roast. Stouts and Chinese food typically don't tango...but pair this with anything that benefits from soy sauce. You can also pair this with a burger, or a nice lettuce wrap. I'm not sure if I'm feeling this one, but at 10 bucks a bottle you might have some fun checking it out.

Random Thought: And so the great Night Stalker experiment begins. Because this shit is both available and relatively inexpensive (at 10 dollars a bottle)...so why wouldn't I age a few of these? I have a 2011 bottle in my cellar, which I'll pull out someday. It's amazing what a few changes can do to a base beer.  

Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #55) bought at Binny's in IL; 2012 

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, 8.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Batch #55

Tonight is somewhat celebratory...and I'm eating pizza. So I thought I'd take a break from the Christmas-y beers and crack something special open. And why not support the local brewery, Pipeworks, while I'm at it.

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. At one point - and maybe still - the goal was the release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is all sorts of ridiculous, from the bottle art, to the concept...but I love the crap out of pastrami on rye, so I have high hopes. The back of the bottle states:

"Pastrami on Rye is our tribute to the classic Kosher deli sandwich. This rich dark ale incorporates rye and smoked malts to represent smoked brisket and soft rye bread. A myriad of spices enter the boiling wort including corriander, mustard seed, carraway, allspice, and peppercorns. All of the traditional spices that go into making pastrami are used. The result is a surprisingly smooth spiced ale perfect for sipping during the colder months."  

This beer is also unfiltered...which seems to be a theme, probably indicative of the small scale, small batch, brewery/brewing process. It's not a bad thing at all...so let's put the sandwich into the beer into a glass.

Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye

The beer pours a cola-brown color in low light, and stirs up about a pinky's worth of brown/tan head. The head is thick but thin...and reminds me of the head of a Belgian Pale Ale or a Saison. The head doesn't hang around for long either....quietly dissolving into a nice cauldron effect. When held to a bright light, the beer takes on a murky cola-color, with shades of brown and red. It looks like Dr. Pepper. There's some nice carbonation, alcohol legs, and some sticky lacing.

I'm really impressed with the aroma on this...but it's a very interesting aroma that can go a few ways. For example, I'm getting some nutmeg and Belgian-esque dark fruits like plums. On a similar spectrum, I'm pulling off aromas of bready rye, pepper, and pastrami. I'm definitely getting big pink peppercorn aromas on this...and there's a hint of raw alcohol on the nose. In summary, I'm getting: nutmeg, rye, peppercorn.

WOW. This is some dense stuff...I guess at 8.5% I can't be too surprised, but yeah. And also, WOW. I'm getting smoke, big pastrami, green pickles, black pepper, peppercorn, and rye bread. You get a big blast of Belgian base beer up front, accompanied by huge nutmeg spice, a hint of Belgian yeast, and some sweet dark fruits (plums, grapes)...then the beer blasts you with salty smoke, and you get pickles, pastrami, rye bread...the kitchen sink, really. The back end is epic, even leaving lingering pastrami-pork, with tons of salty peppercorn goodness to boot. There's rye bread, rye, and smoke throughout (I'm also getting some smoke/anise). 

I'm still jaded about that Rogue beer that gushed on me...so let me take 4 seconds to say good job, Pipeworks. This beer screams, "NOVELTY!" But unlike Rogue's Bacon Maple disaster -- for example -- this beer gets the job done. Well...so long as you don't mind a little nutmeg and Belgian fruit/funk up front. Mouthfeel on this is medium-full to full, and this is quite dense. This is creamy and smooth thanks to great supporting carbonation (<-think Dark Belgian Ale), and drinks ridiculously easy for 8.5%. You know how I said I could smell some alcohol on the nose? You don't get that in the taste. Palate depth is great, complexity is high. Up front is nutmeg, Belgian base, dark fruits; this quickly rolls into pickles, salt, burgeoning pastrami, smoke, pepper; the back end is big pepper, peppercorn, rye, and pastrami. The finish dries out leaving pastrami-pork-hot dog on your palate, with lingering pepper. The nutmeg must be what drives that "pork" flavor, as you get that on the finish as well.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Damn...this is good, and not at all what I was expecting. Hell, I don't even know what I was expecting in a 8.5% beer called "Pastrami on Rye." Food pairings: pizza, sandwiches, pastrami, a grinder (mmm), hot dogs, or even some fried pickles. I have to say...22oz of this stuff might be a bit much, as I wind down to the last 8oz or so. And this beer definitely reveals its Belgian base up front...for better or worse. In some ways, it's almost like a palate cleanser to get those fruits up front. This beer is very much a novelty...but it's definitely one of the BETTER novelties. Get a bottle, and split it with some friends.

Random Thought: It's a Tuesday and I'm about to open another beer...because it's also my birthday. I feel older, but I don't feel wiser. I think there's wisdom in that realization...which is pretty fucking meta. Also, I think that says something about how I have a lot of faith in Pipeworks. I could have gone for one of the many "safe" beers I have on hand to celebrate this occassion, but here I am. What I'm trying to say is....if you live in the Chicagoland area, check out Pipeworks!!!!

Anchor Brewing Our Special Ale 2012 (Anchor Christmas Ale)

Brewed By: Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, California  

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

Style/ABV: Christmas/Winter Spiced Beer, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Anchor Brewing Company is "America's first craft brewery." The brewery can be traced back to the 1849 California gold rush, where German brewer Gottlieb Brekle arrived in San Francisco with his family. In 1871 Gottlieb purchased a beer-and-billiards saloon, and turned it into a brewery. In 1896, Ernst F. Baruth and his son-in-law, Otto Schinkel Jr. bought the brewery and named it Anchor. In 1906, Baruth passed away, and a fire and earthquake destroyed the brewery. In 1907, Otto Schinkel Jr. was run over by a car. The brewery was maintained by Joseph Kraus, August Meyer, and Henry Tietjen. During the 1950s and 1960s, the brewery went through hard economic times, and Anchor was shut down twice. In 1965, Fritz Maytag purchased Anchor saving it from bankruptcy. In 1971, Fritz began bottling Anchor Steam beer; and by 1975, Anchor had four beers, their Porter, Liberty Ale, Old Foghorn, and Barleywine Ale, and their annual Christmas Ale. In 1979, Anchor moved to its current location, on Mariposa Street, where the brewery currently resides today. Since then, Anchor continues to brew beer (and distill spirits), and remains one of America's most traditional breweries. Definitely check out the company's history page, HERE.

Like Anchor Brewing, tonight's beer is quite the historic brew. Every year since 1975, Anchor Brewing releases a unique Christmas Ale (available from November to January), that features a different recipe with each year. Along with the unique recipe, each year's bottle is branded with unique bottle art. This year's bottle features the Norfolk Island Pine (a tropical-looking tree that thrives in sandy soil and coastal climates). This year's beer clocks in at 5.5% ABV, and features "top secret" malts and hops. One last thing to note is that Anchor's Christmas Ales can be aged, and should age nicely (if stored properly). With that said, let's glass this up.

Anchor Christmas Ale

The pour yields a dark brown/purple/cola black colored beer, with 3-fingers of coffee/tan/cola head. In low light, this beer is surprisingly dark. When held to a bright light, you can see through the beer, and the beer is clearly a red/ruby red color. There is a lot of carbonation in the form of mid-sized bubbles in this. As the head pulls away, there is nice lacing, and a creamy covering of head remains. 

The aroma on this is huge nutmeg and clove. I'm also getting some ginger cookies, like the Toruń gingerbread cookies I always ate as a kid (yes, I'm Polish). There's a HINT of pine in the back.

Up front is a fruity kick (plums, raisins), along with big clove and nutmeg; I'm getting a lot of nutmeg and clove in the middle; and on the back end I'm getting hints of smoke, light campfire, light charcoal, light roast, and strong anise/licorice. The sweetness up front seems to be accentuated by some smoke/roast/barley, and big anise on the back end. There's some artificial candy sweetness throughout. 

This is an interesting beer...as a seasoned beer drinker, I'm not finding this terribly difficult to drink. However, the strong anise/licorice presence, coupled with the smoke and the big nutmeg flavors, give this beer a pretty unique profile. That said, this is medium-full, especially for 5.5%, with slight stickiness. This has nice density, with subtle carbonation; good palate depth, good complexity, and a smokey/licorice finish. Again: up front is fruit and nutmeg; middle is lingering fruit, maybe a flash of hops, and big spices; the back end morphs into barley roast-smoke-anise-licorice, in that order.

Rating: Average

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. I feel about the same way I felt about Southern Tier's 2XMAS. This is a good, Christmas-y beer, but the anise/licorice and nutmeg are a touch overwhelming down the stretch. I would stop at two of these, and I'm glad I opted for the single bottle rather than the six pack. Also, this has a pretty prominent licorice/anise/smoke flavor on the finish, which may not work for everyone. I think it compliments the nutmeg, and tastes pretty dang Christmas-y. But I'm weird. I would pair this beer with a gingerbread cookie, or some roasted duck, roasted turkey, or smoked ham. I kind of regret not grabbing a second bottle to throw into the cellar for a few years...but whateva. At 5.5% ABV, this just heavy enough, but you might want to dial the ABV up when it really gets cold. 

Random Thought: So far, the Christmas beers aren't doing as well as the Pumpkin beers. Well...that's not true. When I think Christmas, I think about big Belgian Ales and beers that are going to warm me up. In Anchor's defense, they've brewed this Christmas beer 38 times. That's a lot of different recipes. 

Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Brewed By: Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Oyster Stout, 5.5%
Reported IBUs: 35

Who doesn't love aphrodisiacs...blueberries, oysters, your mom...OH NO YOU DI'INT!!! Oyster Stouts aren't really an official style of beer...but who dictates style guidelines anyway. The history of Oyster Stouts is pretty murky...but it seems that the style originated in England, where pub-goers were already enjoying the complimentary pair that is oysters and Stouts. The original "Oyster Stout" wasn't even brewed with oysters, and was simply called an "Oyster Stout" to indicate that it pairs well with oysters. It wasn't long before someone was like: "HEY! Asshole! You can't call it an Oyster Stout unless you put oysters in it!" And so some brave brewer threw oysters into the mix...the first example appearing sometimes in the late 1920s, and up until just after World War 2. I'm looking for some good citations on this, but I'm not coming up with much. 

Labrador Stout...Rogue, get on this shit.

Today, meddling craft brewers are doing all sorts of crazy shit, including brewing beer with Oysters. "Oyster Stout" doesn't necessarily mean the beer was brewed with oysters (it could simply be a nod to the suggested pairing), but if I call my beer a "Labrador Stout" it better be brewed with Labradors. Modern Oyster Stouts don't necessarily incorporate raw oysters in the recipe. You can use the oyster brine, or the shells, and still get some texture or briny flavor in your beer. My understanding is that most Oyster Stouts are basically brewed like a Dry Stout, and then the oysters are added during the last 10 minutes of the boil (see: brewing). 

Flying Dog are a bunch of crazy mother fuckers....but we already knew that. Any brewery that idolizes Hunter S. Thompson is crazy. They actually incorporate ENTIRE raw oysters into their boil. That makes this beer pretty unique. Word on the street is that the brewers eat the oysters after they are done with the boil. I'm sure it's tasty. About Flying Dog:

Flying Dog was founded by George Stranahan, who is known as being a bit of a rebel and adventurer. The company began as a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado, which eventually became a brewery in Denver, Colorado. As Flying Dog expanded, they opened a second brewery in 2006 in Frederick, Maryland. In 2008 the brewery shut down their Denver location. Flying Dog is known for their controversial beer labels, courtesy of Ralph Steadman, and founder George Stranahan is known for his friendship with the late Hunter S. Thompson. 

If you check out the Pearl Necklace page, you can get some basic info on this beer. This beer is brewed with local Rappahannock River Oysters, and is described as the perfect compliment to "everyone's favorite aphrodisiac." This beer clocks in at 5.5%, 35 IBUs, and is brewed with Perle hops. The malt base includes Roasted Barley, Midnight Wheat, Cara-Pils, and Black (for color, I'm sure). One thing that is cool as hell is that proceeds for this beer go to the "Oyster Recovery Partnership," which coordinates oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. This beer is pretty legit....so let's glass it up. 

Flying Dog Pearl Necklace

The beer pours surprisingly dark, with a dark, squid-ink-black body, and one finger of coffee/brown-colored head. The head doesn't hang around for too long, but a nice cauldron effect sets in. When held to a bright light, you do catch a bit of that ruby red/brown in the body, but this is still really dark stuff. There's some lacing, and nice pull from the head. You can't see through the beer, so I can't comment on carbonation.

The aroma on this stuff is out of this world for the style. This takes the Dry Stout foundation...and blows that shit up. Really fantastic stuff on this beer's nose. I'm getting big roasted barley, hints of sweet meat and smoke, hints of chocolate, and hints of sweet, earthy coffee. And then...there is just a hint of briny, sea salty, sweetness. You get big hints of salty/briny on the aroma, and it compliments the sweet malts, and the big roast and coffee. Salty and sweet are best friends.

Dry Stouts aren't supposed to be huge beers, and this beer is not. This is light, has nice supporting carbonation, and has a bit of a grainy quality in the mouth. I'm getting a lot of roast, coffee, chicory, hints of smoke, elusive raisins/fruits, molasses and malt sweetness, and just a touch of salt/brine. The finish is big on the roast and coffee. 

The head dies on this after a few minutes, and try as I might, I can't kick it back up. This is a medium-light to medium beer as far as mouthfeel goes. This is smooth and watery, with a hint of grainy goodness, and lively carbonation. Palate depth is good for the style, and complexity is good as well. Up front is carbonation, roast, coffee; this rolls into molasses, elusive raisins and fruits, chicory, brine; the back end is roast, brine/salt, and a huge coffee finish. There's some smoke in the mix. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a light Divine Brew on this. This is a refined, much-needed, sessionable, Dry Stout. The price is good (like 9 or 10 bucks a 6-pack), the flavors are balanced (nice roast/sweetness/hint of salt), and it all comes together nicely. It's certainly a lighter affair...but that's how the style is supposed to go, in my opinion. If there is one style of beer that gets a lot of shit for no good reason, it's Dry Stouts. Food pairings: oysters, and anything playing with the salty sweet dynamic. I bet this beer would go great with chocolate dipped pretzels. 

Random Thought: You didn't think we'd get this far without discussing the name of this beer, right? For those who haven't been enlightened: Pearl Necklace. I suppose the next logical step is to brew a Sake, and call it the Flying Dog BuSake. Hahaha! Get it?

Southern Tier Back Burner

Brewed By: Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York
Purchased: Big ol' 22oz (650ml) bottle bought at World Market in Illinois; 2012 (this has to be a 2011 bottle)

Style/ABV: Barleywine, 9.6%

Reported IBUs: ?

Fuck me, it's been a long week. Tonight is one of those nights where you need a bottle of wine, or a bottle of Jack, or two 40s. I guess it depends on how long your beard is, and when the last time you took a shower was. Dear alcoholism, you win. Seriously though, if anyone wants to donate part of their liver, hit me up. About Southern Tier:

Southern Tier Brewing Company is based out of Lakewood, New York. The brewery was founded in 2002 by Phineas DeMink and Allen "Skip" Yahn. Using equipment purchased from the old Saddleback Brewing Co., the company began production with the vision of reviving traditional small batch brewing to the region. By 2003, the brewery was distributing their small batch ales, and by 2005 their sales covered New York and Pennsylvania. Before the brewery had any seasonal beers, it produced a Pilsner, Mild Ale, and IPA. Due to popularity, in 2009 a 20,000 square foot facility was built to allow for the brewing of large-scale beers. Since then, Southern Tier has continued to expand, and continued to invest in better equipment to keep up with the increasing demand for their beer. You can read more about Southern Tier's history on their history page.

Tonight's beer is a big Barleywine, brewed in the spirit of the original British farmhouse ales/brewers that pioneered the style. This is a winter seasonal, and has been brewed since 2007. Clocking in at 9.6%, this beer is brewed with pale and caramel malts; and Chinook and Willamette hops. This is also dry hopped with Amarillo and Centennial hops. This beer is supposed to feature big brown sugar, raisins, caramel malts, molasses, and hops; and should have big malt sweetness and big hop goodness. Let's glass this up.

On a totally random note...I bought this beer in August of 2012. So given that this is a winter seasonal, I'm assuming this is a 2011 bottle. So at this point in time, this beer has almost a year on it. 

Southern Tier Back Burner

This pours a lovely caramel/brown/amber color, with a finger's worth of caramel-tinted head. There's plenty of visible carbonation in this, but the body is murky as hell. When held to a bright light, the beer takes on a murky orange color, the head remains orange/amber-tinted, and lots of tiny carbonation bubbles can be seen streaming upwards. There are big alcohol legs on this, and solid head retention, with nice pull on the glass.

The aroma on this is really nice...you can smell sticky caramel and malt sweetness, which is manifesting as raisins and molasses. There's also a lot of sticky dry hop aromas in here, although they have started to fade into the malts a bit. I'm getting a minty/lemon/cough drop aroma, herbal hops, grass, lawnmower, and orange/resin-sweetness. The malt backbone is big. There's just a touch of maple and smoke.

I'm fairly confident this has mellowed out...this is really smooth and nicely carbonated, and features a fat malt body with mellow hops woven throughout. At least, that's how this beer tastes right now, at this point in time. Big maple syrup, raisins, molasses, and hints of brown sugar are present in this. There's nice grassy and bright hops in here; I'm getting grass, lawnmower, light hop bitterness, and some resiny citrus on the back end. I don't know how bitter this is, but it's not drinking very bitter. 

'Dis is good. This is very mellow and balanced, with alcohol that is largely undetectable minus some slight alcohol complexity in the aroma and finish, and a warming feeling in my tummy. That's the best, right? This is smooth as hell, and features moderate and supportive carbonation. This is very drinkable for 9.6%. Mouthfeel is medium-full, complexity is low to moderate for the style, and palate depth is outstanding for the style. Up front is smooth carbonation, big malt sweetness, raisins, maple syrup; this rolls into malts and pleasant grassy hops; the back end is lingering molasses, elusive dark fruits, and a mini blast of resiny hop stickiness. It finishes sticky and dry (that's what she said). 

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this, with the small disclaimer that I'm reviewing a beer that has mellowed out for a year. I'm guessing the dry hopping really amps up the aroma on this when fresh, and there's probably a lot more noticeable hop kick. Right now, the hops and malts are jamming in harmony...and yeah. This is nice. At least check this out, and try to grab two bottles so you can age one. Food pairings? I'm about to go eat some chili with this...you could pair this with pecan pie, sweet desserts, a cigar, a really fatty meal (like meat with lots of cheese or supporting fat). This would go well with strong cheeses. This is actually a really solid beer, especially since it only costs 8-10 bucks a bomber. 

Random Thought: This summer really shook my foundation with regards to comic book movies. I mean...everyone needs to have a top 5, and my top 5 hasn't really changed all that much. I have Sin City, Hellboy, and The Dark Knight. But man, the considerations for those other two spots....you have Iron Man, The Avengers, X-Men 2, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises...and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few right now. Having said that, go see Hellboy if you haven't seen it before. Thank me later. 

Southern Tier 2XMAS

Brewed By: Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Christmas/Winter Spiced Beer, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

From the fine folks who brought us Pumking...here comes another seasonal beer from Southern Tier.

Southern Tier Brewing Company is based out of Lakewood, New York. The brewery was founded in 2002 by Phineas DeMink and Allen "Skip" Yahn. Using equipment purchased from the old Saddleback Brewing Co., the company began production with the vision of reviving traditional small batch brewing to the region. By 2003, the brewery was distributing their small batch ales, and by 2005 their sales covered New York and Pennsylvania. Before the brewery had any seasonal beers, it produced a Pilsner, Mild Ale, and IPA. Due to popularity, in 2009 a 20,000 square foot facility was built to allow for the brewing of large-scale beers. Since then, Southern Tier has continued to expand, and continued to invest in better equipment to keep up with the increasing demand for their beer. You can read more about Southern Tier's history on their history page.

Tonight's beer is a winter seasonal, and if you roll over to the 2XMAS page you can get the scoop on this beer. The website says that this is a ”double spiced ale brewed in the tradition of Swedish Glögg.” Swedish Glögg (or Mulled wine) is a beverage made with red wine, along with a bunch of spices and raisins. The beverage is served warm, and is typically consumed during winter. The 2XMAS ale is brewed with figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and ginger root. This beer also utilizes two varieties of hops, and four varieties of malts. The nose is supposed to feature aromas of spice cake, dried fruit, and mulled wine; the flavor is supposed to be spicy, malty-sweet, with slight hop bitterness. Suggested food pairings are: sausages, korv, fish, pickled herring (yum), rich cheeses, and holiday cookies & cake. Let's glass this up, and see how it stacks up.

This is a fairly dark beer...pouring a dark, crimson red color in low light, with one finger of bready, red/amber-colored head. When held to bright light, the beer is a reddish/orange color, appears to be filtered/transparent, and has a ton of carbonation in the form of mid-sized bubbles. Head retention is nice, and I get some lacing and legs when I swirl the beer around. Considering how spiced up this beer is, I'm impressed with the head retention.

Speaking of spices, this shit is SPICED UP. I'm getting giant blasts of cinnamon, allspice, gingerbread, and ginger. I'm getting some earthy mint (the cardamom?), and some earthy tannins. There's a tannic thing going on in here. There's some fruitcake-raisin malt sweetness as well.

This is thicker in the body/mouth than the aroma leads on, with a pretty hefty raisin-fruitcake-gingerbread thickness. The spices -- or something -- give this beer a tannic edge. It does taste a bit like a red wine that has had cinnamon sticks and orange peel sitting in it. I'm getting a lot of orange peel and cinnamon in the taste, along with hints of ginger, and brief mint/herbal spice. It's quite lively on the tongue, and there's a boozy thing throughout. Overall though; spice tannins, orange peel, cinnamon/nutmeg, and a sticky fruitcake/gingerbread base. 

This is fairly drinkable at 8.0% ABV; but works as a sipping beer. This is slightly sticky, and has a medium-full mouthfeel that goes down fairly smooth thanks to the lively spices and zesty carbonation. Palate depth is okay, and complexity is moderate to high. Like Glögg, I almost think the spices in this are a touch overpowering in the long haul, and you will probably only want one or two of these. Up front is some sweet malts and big spice; this rolls into spices, oranges, tannins; the back end is lingering tannins, malts, and sticky. The finish is sticky and not very dry. Booze is well-masked, but still shows itself.

Rating: Average

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This works well for what it is, which is a beer interpretation of Glögg. The spices are nice, but I don't know if I would want more than one or two of these. Having said that...this is SUPER Christmas-y. If you want to find Christmas in a bottle, look no further. I could see myself splitting a 6-pack of this among family and friends. I could also see myself just making some actual Glögg...nevertheless, this is a respectable Christmas beer. I would pair this with pickled herring, Christmas lunch (typically bagels and lox in my family), lobster and steak (traditional New Year's meal in my family), any Christmas dinner dish (ham, stuffing, duck), or Christmas cookies and dessert. This is definitely a festive beer with that big orange peel and cinnamon/ginger profile. And the 8.0% doesn't hurt...

Random Thought: ...unless you are driving. I find that I enjoy having a designated driver when I go to family events. This way I can drown out awkwardness and boring stories with alcohol. Oh, cynic that I am. Unfortunately, no one drinks craft beer in my family, so I'm stuck drinking boring shit like Sam Adams, or if I'm lucky, Goose Island. Oh well...

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

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

Style/ABV: [Oak-Aged] Imperial IPA, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 70

The only thing better than no snow is tasting her tears.

I'm pretty sure Chicago just set the new record for longest stretch without measurable amounts of snow (281 days, bitches!), which is pretty awesome. Don't get me wrong, I like snow...I just prefer being able to drive more than enjoying the snow. A year or two ago, I drove through three pretty rough snowfalls. The best two trips were the 120-mile drive to Urbana, on Christmas Eve, in the middle of a snowstorm. The roads weren't plowed and cars were in the ditches; it took me 5+ hours to make a trip that usually takes around 2 hours. I also drove from Chicago to the burbs in the middle of a snowstorm during a Bear's game. I timed that trip especially bad as I was ahead of the plows. Fun times. 

To celebrate this monumental occasion (excuses to drink beer, #763), I want to crack open something special. And what could be more special than an Oak-aged Imperial IPA? Awww yeah. About Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

If you roll over to the Burton Baton page, you can get all the info on this lovely beer. This beer uses a blend of an English-style old ale and an Imperial IPA (the 90 Minute IPA, I believe?). The two beers are fermented separately in stainless steel tanks, and then blended together in a giant oak tank, where the beer sits on the oak-wood-goodness for a month. This beer melds flavors of citrus, wood, and oak. Ratebeer gives a slightly different synopsis for "how this beer is made." According to what is posted on Ratebeer, this beer is made from Pilsner and Amber malt (getting up to 11% ABV), and is then hopped with Warrior and Glacier hops. They say that this beer is then fermented using two yeast strains, an American and English yeast; and then the beer is conditioned on oak for four months. Then the beer is dry hopped with Glacier hops; and then the whole mess is blended 50/50 with the 90 Minute IPA bringing the beer to 10% ABV. It's entirely possible that Dogfish Head has since tweaked the brewing process for this beer. Nevertheless, at 10% and 70 IBUs, this is a formidable beer. Let's glass this up.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

The beer pours a rusty, copper/amber color, with 2 to 3 fingers of big creamy head. The head has a copper tint to it, and there's a ton of carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles visible in the beer. When held to a bright light, the body of this beer is more orange-amber, and the head picks up those orange hues. There's nice head retention with a fat, creamy, finger hanging around; and there's some mad lacing. This beer is very carbonated, and appears to be a touch hazy or unfiltered? This beer is supposed to lay down nicely; so it may have some yeasties floating around. 

There's a fuck-ton of hops and sweet malts on the nose of this. This is very Barleywine-esque, and you get that marriage of super sweet malt sugars with giant citrus hops. I'm getting very light wood aromas, and any oak/vanilla is masked by the huge malt sweetness. I'm getting big dank pine, huge oranges, orange candies, some shades of pineapple and sweet tropical fruit, molasses, a brandy complexity (seen in the 90 Minute), maybe a dash of raisin, and some wood.

Wow...this is awesome. This is not what I was expecting at all. This is incredibly balanced, with huge sweet citrus, brandy, bready cake, raisins, caramel, and molasses up front; all balanced by nice, but gentle, woody notes. The middle cleans up with sweetness and bitterness from the hops, and the back end features alcohol complexity. The whole mess is slightly sticky, but very balanced. Even at 70 IBUs, the hops are held in check by the giant malt profile. And the 10.0% ABV is well-hidden. This has notes of wood, but any oak is blending in with the giant malt-hop thing. 

This is insanely smooth and drinkable. At 10.0% ABV, this drinks like much less. This is definitely a sipping beer, and fits the winter season well. I can feel this warming my belly. Palate depth is outstanding; and the mouthfeel is medium-full to full, with some stickiness and sweetness. This is carbonated, and balanced, which lends to drinkability. Complexity is okay. Up front is just smooth carbonation, and then a blast of sweet hops with big malts; this rolls into malts, boozy malts, hop spice; the back end is lingering hops and sweet malts. There's wood throughout, and nice boozy complexity.

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a light Divine Brew on this. This is insanely well-balanced, refined, mature, and not at all what I was expecting. Complexity is a little low, but the Barleywine-esque malt and hop sweetness play off the wood in such a mature and refined way...and at 10.0% ABV, this is really a smart winter warmer. I would pair this beer with spring rolls and peanut sauce, spicy wings, and temperatures between 10 and 40 degrees. Any colder and you might need to upgrade to something with more aggressive heat. This is definitely worth checking out...and I'm going to lay down a few of these to see how they hold up in a few years.

Random Thought: I'm getting cats. Well, kittens. I haz excitement. Excuse, #814 to drink beer. Right?