Pipeworks Well Read Temptress

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle/1 Pint, 9.4oz (Batch #83) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (2012 bottle)

Style/ABV: Berliner Weisse, 4.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Because libraries and red is hot? About Pipeworks:

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.

Today's beer is the second beer in the Pipework's sour, fruity, wheat beer series. That's... disconcerting, because of this. Then again, the fresh, new batch, was pretty tasty (divine for what it is...a local, blueberry sour). The Well Read Temptress has a big ol' disclaimer on the bottle that says: "Drink Fresh! Store Cold!" Oh...wild yeast, you are a bitch. The bottle states:

"The WELL READ TEMPTRESS is the second of our sour and seductive ladies. This ravishing raspberry berliner weisse knows how to read between the lines with her cheeky tartness and crisp finish. Aged on fresh raspberries from our friends at the Seedling farms, this beer is sure to educate the palate. Just don't be late for this, the Red Temptress doesn't like when you're overdue."

The joke's on us. If you drink it past due, it tastes like Greek Yogurt in a diaper. Zing! Also see: jokes about ovulation/drinking in its prime. Zing! Zing! Zing! I do think the bottle strikes a nice balance of provocative, puns, and covert sexism, rather than the overt kind. Anyway...

Pipeworks Well Read Temptress

This one pours a lot like the Blue Lady...the Blue Lady poured out like grape drink, or unicorn jizz (contrary to popular belief, unicorn jizz is not carbonated naturally, it's just sparkly). Basically, this beer looks like pink lemonade. Carbonated pink lemonade. I'm happy to report this passed the initial smell test, with just mild blasts of lactic funk and yogurt. On the other hand, I was grossed out as a white, sticky glob hit the bottom of my glass before the beer cascaded in....in Pipework's defense, I didn't "rest the beer upright for 2 hours" prior to pouring. Bring on some of that funky yeast. This one poured with a spritzy, finger's worth of carbonated, red-tinged head. It fizzled out pretty quickly, and has settled into an infected looking cauldron effect. In bright light, this beer is wicked pink. Seriously, is this all natural? This shit radiates pink, like radioactive Pepto-Bismol. This one is super hazy, and has lots of tiny, lively, carbonation. Dat effervescence, man. It's a nifty looking beer...

There's a ton of tart raspberries on the aroma, with huge lactic overtones. You get very sutble gym bag/locker, subtle funky cheese (the good kind...), and a dash of mild, pleasant Greek Yogurt. It's all kept in check by the nice tart raspberries, sour mash, some basement funk...nice raspberry, and as it warms up, a dash of malt.

The taste is really nice, especially for a 4.0% wheat beer. I'm getting a lot of raspberry currants, raspberry puree, fresh raspberry, unsweetened raspberry jam...there's nice acidity, and good tartness/mild sour. The lactic kick almost reminds me of apple butter, only more like raspberry butter (this isn't buttery, however). I'm getting dashes of lemon, super acidic grapefruit and orange, cranberry, and nice raspberry. The finish is super dry, with lingering wheat/sour mash on the palate. From fruity, to sour, to sweet, to sour, to dry...this is quite cleansing.

As far as local options go, I'm loving this. Like the non-infected batch of the Blue Lady, this really makes me happy. It's priced reasonably well, too. This is light-bodied, has good palate depth, and has moderate complexity. But it's so balanced and drinkable at 4.0%. It's tart, acidic, slightly sour, and finishes with nice wheat notes. Up front is carbonation, raspberry, currants; this rolls into acidic and tart raspberry, lemon; mid palate hits you with sour, raspberry, lemon, various fruits, some funk, light cheese/must; the back end finishes with wheat, sour mash, super dry.

Rating: Divine Brew 

I gotta go with a light light Divine Brew on this. I'm sure there are more legit Berliner Weisse beers out there, and it's a bummer that aging this beer comes with so many risks. But this really works for me, and it's local, and it's cheap, and I heart raspberries almost as much if not more than blueberries. And that's it folks. I wouldn't trade too hard for this, but if you're in Chicago, pick this up. I would pair this with a barbecue in the summer...grilled hotdogs, grilled chicken, a nice fresh salad, fruit salad, or fruity desserts. Yum.

Random Thought: What's the best berry? Raspberry? Strawberry? Blueberry? The elusive blackberry? I'll take them all, please.

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

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

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: ?
Batch 1198, Bottled 09-18-2012

It definitely snowed all day today, and was fairly cold last night. It's still snowing off and on, and it looks more like Christmas outside than Spring. It's quite literally, the perfect night to put the kibash on some Christmas/Winter beer. 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 Noel de Calabaza page, you can see that this beer is a winter seasonal, aged in oak barrels, clocking in at 9.0% ABV. This beer is described as a deep mahogany, with big malts, hops, figs, raisins, sugar plums, cashews, and rum laden truffles. The bottle states:

"From our family to yours, please enjoy this special beer. Join us in celebrating the season with wishes of peace and joy for all. Deep mahogany and malty, layered hops and hints of fruit and spice. The perfect accompaniment for all times of good cheer. Please enjoy our beers in good health, Cheers & Mahalo plenty!"

Noel de Calabaza

This one pours a swampy purple/brown color, that almost looks black in low light. This one had some creeping carbonation from the bottle, but didn't gush. As such, I poured this very slowly, and still wound up with 3-finger's worth of foamy, tan/gray/sandy/soda-esque head. In bright light, this actually looks quite Dark Strong Ale-like, and you wouldn't notice the sinister funk lying beneath based on the appearance alone. In bright light, this is a swampy orange/brown/red/purple color, with a cloud of sediment in the middle, tons of tiny, lively carbonation bubbles, and a creamy tan head that won't die. Nice stuff.

The aroma is nice, with some funky nutmeg, a hint of Band-Aids from the Brett that is manifesting as Eggnog (Brett + nutmeg = Eggnog), big dark fruits in plums, figs, and raisins, and a touch of powdery/dusty cellar, with some dusty cacao, and some graham cracker. Also, mother fucking pecans. If you dive straight into this and take a huge whiff, you get straight up pecans. It's the weirdest thing...

This is a great holiday beer...with a lot going on. The pleasant surprise for me is the slightly boozy complexity, along with the smoke and anise I'm getting on the back. I'm getting some nutmeg, pine, ginger, and Christmas spice. There is some nice oak, tart/bright wood, and tart and funky plums, raisins, and figs in this. This seems wine-like. There's some earth, a touch of dirt, basement cellar, and some hop kick mid-palate. The back end finishes with a Belgian yeast kick: hints of clove, white sugar, and big apples, cider, and bright fruits. 

Really complex...this is the epitome of a sipping beer. At 9.0% ABV, this is very drinkable, but you just want to slow down and dissect every sip. Add in the ageability of this beer, and you have a complex beer right here. This has biting carbonation, but really fights for a smooth finish. It's the battle of smooth vs. biting. There's some hop bitterness mid-palate, and smoke on the back. Alcohol complexity is abound, and this finishes sticky and dry. I guess this is medium-full in terms of mouthfeel. Palate depth is great, complexity is even better. The oak, wood, and wild yeast all add another dimension to this. Up front is a ton of spice, dark fruits, and a hint of tartness; mid-palate is more spice, hops, hints of Brett funk; the back end trails off with big Belgian yeast, apple cider, lingering spice, boozy complexity, dusty cellar, dusty cacao, and fade to smoke/anise. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...how many Belgian Dark Strong Ales get funked up in an oak barrel, and subjected to Brett/whatever additional wild yeast? This beer is very complex, and it has some really nice wine-like qualities that remind me of the very refined and tasty Corsendonk Pater. It also has a whole spice thing going on, which is very Christmas-y. This is just a funky, fun, complex beer...and I'd love to taste one of these 4 or 5 years down the road. I'll have to do that. I would pair this with a cold winter night, prior to Christmas, with a spicy dish like ham, sweat potatoes, or a nice wintery soup. You could also pair this with peppery steak, pepper chicken/turkey, or any meat that plays well with spices. 

Random Thought: This hits the Christmas thing pretty hard with the nutmeg and plums, but I'd almost be okay drinking this beer in transition between October and November. This beer has so much going on, there's likely to be a ton of variability with the experience. Because of that, reviewing this beer is like a shot in the dark. Considering bottles go for around 12-15 dollars, I would definitely pick up one or two and try it yourself. 

Jolly Pumpkin Sobrehumano Palena’ole

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

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

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale (with cherries and liliko'i), 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?
Blend 7, Bottled 5-16-2012

Tonight's beer is a collaboration between Jolly Pumpkin and Maui Brewing Co. The Maui Brewing Company was founded in 2005 by Garrett Marrero and Melanie Oxley, and is one of Hawaii's fastest growing microbreweries. The Sobrehumano is a collaboration with Maui Brewing's head brewmaster, John Walsh, and Jolly Pumpkin's brewmaster, Ron Jefferies. 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 Sobrehumano page, you can read up on this beer. This beer is described as a "red ale" brewed with liliko'i and Michigan cherries. Liliko'i is the fancy name for passion fruit. The Jolly Pumpkin version of this beer is open-fermented, barrel aged, and bottled conditioned. This is a sour beer that utilizes naturally occurring wild yeasts. The bottle has two quotes, one from each brewmaster. They read:

"Yes, Michigan and Hawaii are connected. It should be obvious to you now, as you hold this beer, and read this label. John and I designed this beer with two noble fruits from tow noble states. Michigan & Hawaii. Cherries & liliko'i. Starting to see the connection? I feel it. So does John. 4391 miles may separate our breweries, but not our thirst for the exquisite. Hipa! -Ron 

 Working with Ron is something I've wanted to do since I had my first Jolly Pumpkin beer. Years later, it's a reality. Being involved on this project was an honor and a privilege. Mahalo to my MBC crew and to you, fans of craft beer! -John 

This one pours a hazy amber/brown color in low light, with some gold and orange on the outskirts of the glass. I kicked up a finger's worth of toffee/caramel-tinted head, as I judiciously took my time pouring this. Surprisingly, this one just smoked when I opened it, with nary a rise in carbonation. In bright light, this beer is a juicy orange color. You can't see through this, but there is quite a bit of lively, tiny, peppery carbonation bubbles. The head has settled into a funky, Saison/Wild Ale-looking coating, with a centimeter of thin bubbles. Overall, it's quite nice looking.

Sobrehumano Palena’ole

The nose on this is really nice, almost veering into Lambic or Flanders territory. I'm getting a ton of tart cherries, cherry pits, cherry skin, cherry juice, cherry jam, rich tropical fruits (mango, papaya), a hint of grape/passionfruit, tons of caramel, molasses, sugar reduced in a pan, a nice wave of vinegar/acid/lemon, and some nice barnyard/funk. This one is really bringing on the musty cellar. I'm also picking up some oak and apple cider vinegar on the nose.

This has really nice sourness going on, with some nice bready molasses on the back end, honey, some caramel, and cooked sugars. I'm belching up straight up passion fruit. You get a blast of band-aids and funk on the tip of your tongue, and this just blasts you with sour and tart cherries, lemon, apple cider vinegar; it goes from sour to acidic, with a transition into nice acidity, acidic fruits, cherry pits; and then it mellows into lingering sugars and finishes sweet,  lightly bready, and dry. As my palate adjusts to the sour and acidity, I'm picking up some nice subtle fruits in passionfruit, grapefruit; I'm also getting some nice wood, and a hint of elusive oak/wine barrel.

I'm still belching straight up passion fruit, which is kind of nice. This is a fun beer, and has a nice balance of fruit, wood, acidity, and sour. It's not the most complex Sour/Wild Ale, but it brings dynamite palate depth to the table, and really highlights the Michigan cherries and Liliko'i. It also drinks well, with biting acidity, really tart sourness, and a medium-light mouthfeel supported by a ton of tingly carbonation bubbles. This is effervescent, and finishes more bready than anything....it doesn't quite hit champagne levels of dryness. Up front is some funk, musty cellar, barnyard, and then tart, fruity, sourness; the middle is acidic, with a bunch of fruits (cherry, passionfruit, berries, grapefruit), and some wood/oak/wine barrel; the back mellows out into some molasses and caramel and bread. Good stuff...

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this...maybe higher, with caution to complexity. I've heard a ton of mixed reviews for this, which leads me to believe there is a ton of variability between batches, blends, and age/time of drinking. Oh well...it is what it is. There's a really nice floral aftertaste to this, with hints of flowers, rhubarb, and tea. And I'm still belching up passionfruit! This is nice, and I'm glad I picked it up. I would pair this with some cheeses, maybe a pita with humus, a nice sandwich, or some fruity desserts. I don't remember how much this cost, but I do recommend it.

Random Thought: They are forecasting a big ol' snowstorm tomorrow...so this is evidently the winter that keeps on giving/won't die. With that said, I'll probably bust out the Noel de Calabaza tomorrow, the perfect night cap to a snowy February evening.

Firestone Walker 16 (XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale)

Brewed By: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California

Purchased: 22oz (1 Pint, 6oz) bomber from Cardinal Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 13.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

It's Friday night, so that means special beer. Woo. About Firestone: 

Tonight I'm looking at a beer from the folks at Firestone Walker Brewing. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone (son of Brooks Firestone) and David Walker (husband of Adam's sister). The brothers brewed their first beer in 1996, in a small facility rented from the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. In 2001, the brothers-in-law purchased SLO Brewing Company in Paso Robles, CA, and set up camp. Despite being relatively new to craft beer, the brewery has a ton of accolades, and is known for their Reserve line and their oak barrel brewing system. You can learn more about the history of the brewery here and here. 

I like to read about what goes into the beer I'm drinking, and for that, I tip my hat to Firestone. I could waste a ton of space and time on this post, but Firestone breaks down their Sixteenth Anniversary Ale to a tee. If you're wondering about the Firestone Anniversary Ales, their website states:

"Since founding our brewery in 1996, we have specialized in the rare art of brewing beer in oak barrels. In the fall of 2006, we released a limited edition oak-aged strong ale called 10 to commemorate our 10th anniversary.  The experience was greater than any one of us could have ever imagined.  We now present XVI, our seventh release in what has become an annual autumn rite at our brewery."

The idea behind the Anniversary releases is to create a harmonious blend of various high gravity beers, with an emphasis on oak. The brewery describes a connection to wine making, which is a bit bashful. These are complex blends that should be the envy for any wine fan. This beer is made from 8 different beers aged in 226 oak barrels. The full list is: 

Velvet Merkin (8.7% ABV)  - Aged in Bourbon barrels 
-Traditional Oatmeal Stout (23% of final blend)

OG= 15P FG=5.5 IBU=32.5 Color= Black / 15% Oats / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles

Stickee Monkee (12.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels

-English Barley Wine (22.5% of final blend)

OG=27P FG=5.4P IBU=45  Color=28 / Brewed with Mexican Turbinado (Brown) sugar

Double Double Barrel Ale (14.2% ABV) - Aged 100% in retired Firestone Union barrels

-Double strength English Pale Ale (20.3% of final blend)

OG=25.0P FG=5.1P IBU=30 Color=16 / A Double version of our flagship created by Ali Razi

Parabola (13% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon barrels
-Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout (10.8% of final blend)                                                                                      
OG=31P FG=8.5P IBU=80  Color=Black / Hopped with Simcoe, Bravo, Styrian Golding and East Kent Golding

PNC (13.0% ABV) - Aged in Tequila barrels 
-American Strong Buckwheat Stout (8.1% of final blend)
OG = 25P FG = 5.0P IBU = 80 Color = 100 / Brewed with Buckwheat

Helldorado (11.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon Barrels and Brandy barrels
-Blonde Barley Wine (5.4% of final blend)
OG=24.7P FG=4.5P IBU=24 Color = 8 / Brewed with buckwheat honey & 100% El Dorado hops

Bravo (13.4% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels
-Imperial Brown Ale (5.4% of final blend)
OG=26.5 FG=7.7 IBU=35 Color=32 / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles

Wookey Jack (8.3% ABV)- 100% Fresh, Dank & Hoppy 100% Stainless Steel 
-Black Rye India Pale Ale (4.5% of final blend)
OG= 18P FG = 3.0P IBU = 80 Color =black  / Extremely hoppy double dry hopped BIPA

The final product, the Sixteenth Anniversary Ale, is 42% Stout, and for the first time in the series' history, features a beer aged in Tequila barrels. Clocking in at 13%, this is a pretty complex and big beer from the get-go. Let's see how the blend stacks up.

Firestone Walker 16

This one initially pours a lighter brown, but quickly fills into some nice black shoes. It's not quite RIS dark, but it's still pretty dark. This one poured with a finger's worth of brown/sandy-gray head, but the head quickly settled into a nice cauldron effect. In bright light, the beer shows its ruby red color, and slightly transparent body. Tiny carbonation is visible in this. There's some nice alcohol legs on this, and the head is clinging with some lacing. 

The aroma is nice, with big bourbon, vanilla, wood, brownie, pecan pie, coconut, hints of sweet hops ala tropical fruits and candied fruits, a dash of tequila, and a ton of vibrant spirit-esque-ness. Admittedly  the aroma is a touch nondescript. 

Things really kick up in the taste, with a swirl of various components kicking your palate, with big oak, vanilla, caramel/toffee candy, cocoa powder, tequila, hop kick with citrus and grass, and some big boozy complexity on the back end. I'm getting some dark fruits like raisins from the Stout base, with some roast and coffee as well (on the back). I'm also getting some slightly resinous hop kick, with some lemon, Pledge, and some zest. It kind of reminds me of the Griffin's Bow Oaked Barleywine from Sam Adams. I'm getting more tropical fruits now, and tequila...

This beer is very complex, and has really good palate depth. Everything is grounded/brought home around the oak, with sweet oak, wood, and nice sweet malts rounding the whole thing out. This is full-bodied, slightly sticky-sweet, and has lively supportive carbonation. The finish is sticky, dry, and sugary. It's Russian Imperial Stout-like, or comparable to a big Barleywine. It's hard to break this one down, because each sip reveals different layers of fun. Up front is a blast of hops, bourbon, coconut, brownie; the middle rolls into brownie, coconut, caramel, toffee, Stout, dark fruits; the back end is lingering hops, tequila, some roast and coffee, more sticky sugar, oak, wood...

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this, with my only gripe being that all the layers never really harmonize into sexy jazz. Maybe some time in the cellar will change that...and I do plan to age a bottle for a couple of years. Otherwise, this is a brilliant blend of brilliant beers, and the oak kicks ass. The whole thing comes together very nicely. I would pair this with rich chocolate desserts, a cigar, a burger with super raunchy cheese, or a medium-rare steak with butter on top. At around 20 dollars a bottle, this shit is expensive. If you enjoy craft beer, wine, or blended beverages, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

Random Thought: Is The Cabin In The Woods not the best movie ever?

Pipeworks Poivre Noir

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #30) bought at West Lakeview Liquors (?) in Chicago, IL; 2012 

Style/ABV: Black Saison, 7.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I should make Thursdays "Pipeworks night." They are easy beers to whip up a review for, and I'm usually too burnt out to do a lot of work come the time I write all this up. So it makes sense. Hmm. About Pipeworks:

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.

Today's beer is a "Black Saison." Those are fun! The bottle art features a pepper shaker and some lemons on it. The bottle states, "Dark Saison style ale brewed with spices." The back of the bottle states:

"Our third saison in the Poivre line marries the classic flavors of lemon and pepper. This dark saison is brewed with tellicherry black peppercorns, fresh lemon zest, and Sorachi Ace hops. The result is a a brightly flavored saison with layers of citrus and spice."   

That's copypasta'd by the way, so the "a a" is in fact an error. This one is bottle conditioned, and clocks in at 7.5% ABV. If you're wondering like I was, "Sorachi Ace" hops are a Japanese hop varietal that impart an unusual lemon/"bubblegum," and dill pickle flavor. Pretty interesting stuff (and maybe what I was picking up on in the Pastrami on Rye?). Into the glass...

Pipeworks Poivre Noir

This one pours a murky dark purple/brown color, with 3 finger's worth of tan/purple-tinted head. The head is initially pretty foamy, but fades into a moderately funky, Saison-looking, centimeter coating's worth of head. In bright light, the beer remains dark purple, but you pick up some brown/orange shades on the edges. You can glean at some tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the sides. Overall, it looks about what I've come to expect from Dark Saisons.

The aroma is kind of blunted, with big candy sweetness, lemon candy, lemony sugars, and then a weird blast of sour pickle, dill, and peppercorn. There's some elusive plums, dark fruits, and licorice/anise as well. The dill/lemon/peppercorn thing is interesting.

I'm getting a lot more anise, and fade to smoke/roast ala a Porter in the taste. Compared to the Four Witches or the Pepe Nero, this one seems a dash less heavy. Some lemony pledge does come out, with hints of lemon bars and lemon skin. It's sort of like the lemon component in the 90 Minute IPA. I'm also getting some acetone/nail polish remover, and a bit of noticeable booze. And as I drink this, the peppercorn and smoke/roast build. It's not bad...

...but it's not like, "woah, holy shit!" These Dark Saisons are going to carve themselves out as a niche style if people keep making them. This one is pretty smooth, with smooth, supportive, almost creamy carbonation. Palate depth is pretty solid, though complexity leaves a bit to be desired. I'd call this medium-full. As far as drinkability...at 7.5%, this one is pretty easy-going, provided you aren't turned off by the flavors. Up front is lemon, dill, some dark fruits, and peppercorn; mid palate is more lemon, more dill; the back end is smoke, anise, roast...lingering peppercorn...and fade to moderate dryness.

Rating: Average 

I'm feeling a light Average on this. It's not bad, it's actually quite drinkable, and this would pair well with where I'm going out to eat this weekend (Texas de Brazil). I'd pair this with some smokey meats, barbecue, or some meats and cheese. It's not a bad beer by any means, though I doubt I'd gravitate towards it at the store. I might get it on tap...but what are the odds of this being on tap? As I said, these are niche beers.

Random Thought: It's totes snowing out. We are supposed to get 3-5 inches, plus some ice and sleet...which means my morning commute is probably going to be hell. Hooray for random snowstorms in mid-February! 

Pauwel Kwak

Brewed By: Brouwerij Bosteels in Buggenhout, Belgium

Purchased: 33cl/330ml/11.2oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 8.4%

Reported IBUs: ?

College was great. And at some point in time, one of my friends decided it was important to buy Das Boot. Perhaps made most famous in the cult classic, Beerfest, Das Boot became the source of much juvenile entertainment. The name of the game was to fill it up with beer, and see how fast you could drink said beer.

Das Boot

It's ironic then, that tonight's beer, and its prissy ass glass, are also used for consuming massive quantities of beer in as short of time as possible. Yeah, revisionist history is a bitch. According to the Bosteels Brewery, Pauwel Kwak was a brewer during Napoleon's time. Mr. Kwak noticed that when coachmen would stop at his "De Hoorn" inn in Dendermonde, the coachmen were not allowed to leave their coach and horses. So Mr. Kwak had the Kwak glass made, along with an accompanying mount, so the coachmen could get their drink and drive on. Hey now. Of course, the brewery didn't launch the glass and beer until the 1980s. According to Wikipedia, and about to be confirmed by moi, the bulb at the bottom of the glass creates a sort of vacuum, so when air reaches the bottom of the bulb, a large amount of beer gushes towards the drinker. The accompanying noise supposedly sounds like "Kwak" spoken quickly. 

Over-Compensating

How is this not a vessel to get your drank on with? Those classy coachmen were wasted, and probably set early precedent for laws against driving drunk. Bastards. Before we jump into this, a quick word about the Bosteels Brewery:

Tonight's beer is brewed by Brouwerij Bosteels, or "Bosteels Brewery." You can read about their beer and find out about the brewery on their website HERE. Their website is flash heavy and features annoying looping music, so be warned. The brewery was established by Evarist Bosteels in 1791, and has been family run by the Bosteels for over 200 years and seven generations. 

If you download the PDF thing on the brewery's website, you'll see that Kwak is described as an amber strong ale, with mellow, fruity, and malty aromas, with a hint of spice. This is a relatively strong beer at 8.4%, which means you can tranquilize twice as many frat boy douche bags in half the time. I am excite.

Like a cross between a Hefeweizen and a Belgian Dark Strong, this beer literally pours "amber." If you want to see an amber beer, this is it. Pack your shit and go home. This one poured with four finger's worth of super foamy, protein-fueled head. The head is slightly off-white. Bright light reveals that this beer is super filtered, and there's some sparse and lazy carbonation snaking its way up the long neck of the glass. The head is foamy and cloudy, and sustaining nicely. It does betray the beer a bit with some glossy legs. The glass and the base/shoe are ridiculous. I believe you're supposed to grab the handle and drink this thing with the base, or pull the glass out and chug, chug, chug! Ahhh.

Pauwel Kwak

The nice thing about Hefeweizens is they are light beers, perfect for the summer...perfect for drinking lots of. This smells like a Hefeweizen. Initially, during the pour, I was plucking out some candi sugar and plums, but now I'm just getting blasted with banana, clove, wheat, white sugar, vanilla, and maybe some cherries and dark fruits. This is definitely sugary, sweet, and veering into sugary Belgian fruit land. It's not a bad place to be by any means.

Really unbalanced, I'm getting a lot of grain, tons of mineral, mineral biscuit, and biting astringency. You do get some clove, cardboard, and SUGAR up front, with more sugar, alcohol heat, caramel/toffee, and burgeoning grain/biscuit in the middle. The back is fade to dry grain, unchecked booze, fusel cherries...it's a bit of a mess. And to top it all off, you just want to chug this shit because of the glass its in. I'm getting mad heat and warming in my tummy. The glass definitely "Kwaks." 

This is some novel shit. The glass is a pain in the ass, and not worth the effort for any relaxed drinking session. If you want to have fun, it's a cool gimmick. I will use this again when I'm feeling maniacal. The beer itself is pretty hot at 8.4%, as I feel my tummy and head warming up. Palate depth is low, complexity is low, and the mouthfeel is medium-full to full-bodied. This has carbonation up front, but gets lost in the syrupy, cardboard, mineral, grainy mess that this beer is. The dry finish doesn't really help here either. It's possible I'm just camping on an old bottle, but I don't care. Up front is carbonation, a dash of coriander and allspice, hints of clove and banana; this rolls into wheat, cardboard, syrup, mineral; the back end is lingering fruit, fusel booze, grain, and fade to dry. The sky is the limit for Belgian Strongs, and this is not that.

Rating: Below-Average

This is a strong Below-Average beer. I probably wouldn't buy this again, especially given all the sexy Belgian Dark Strong Ales out there. But the glass is quite novel. And that's the gimmick here, right? You get something that's fun, like das boot. Fill it up with a beer, and slam it down. "Kwak." This isn't poison...it's just very macro-esque. It reminds me of Leffe Blonde, a bit. And I shouldn't be belching apple juice! The price is right...the gift set thing costs around 25-30 bucks. You get a nice wooden base, a glass, and 4 x 11.2oz beers @ 8.4%. This beer should pair well with meats and cheeses, or a nice potato soup, some creamy corn chowder, or something with a broth or sauce. 

Random Thought: We'll always have Tripel Karmeliet, eh?

Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela No. 1 Pumpkin Ale

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

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

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable (Pumpkin), 5.9%

Reported IBUs: ?
Blend 6, Bottled 09-06-2012

Nothing like a Pumpkin beer in February, right? 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 La Parcela page, you can see that this is a beer is brewed with real pumpkins, a hint of spice, and a "gentle kiss of cacao." Clocking in at 5.9%, this beer is aged in oak barrels and is bottle conditioned, like all Jolly Pumpkin beers. The bottle says:

"OK, so the joke was Jolly Pumpkin doesn't brew a pumpkin beer. Well, now we do. Just this one. Packed with real pumpkins, hints of spice, and a gentle kiss of cacao to liven the soul. An everyday easy way to fill your squashy quotient. Guess now folks will have to find something else to joke about..."

Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela

Let's glass this up and see what's going on. As per usual with Jolly Pumpkin, or any bottle conditioned beer...open with caution. And this one didn't gush. Yay. This one pours a dark orange/light brown color, and looks sort of like swampy cardboard. I kicked up two finger's worth of slightly amber-tinted, creamy head. The head is surprisingly creamy for the style, and sustianing nicely. In bright light, the beer is a juicy orange color, and the head is white. There is a ton of carbonation in this, with pillars of small to medium bubbles rising on the sides of the glass, and a storm of carbonation rising in the center. Honestly, it's probably the glass, but this beer looks like sex. There's some nice lacing as well.

The aroma is tart sweetness, tart fruits, and Brett funk up front. I'm getting some barnyard, leather, and mild horse blanket/butcher shop funk. I'm also getting some pretty nice tart pumpkin, and it's manifesting as pumpkin seed, and rotting Jack-O-Lantern. As far as comparable beers go...this reminds me of the New Belgium Kick and the Shipyard Smashed. There's a dash of nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice on the nose, a dash of wood, a dash of hop kick, and various fruity aromas from the Brett. The nose is also slightly tannic, and is reminiscent of a wine. Very complex stuff. The only thing I'm really missing on the nose is the cacao (unless it's coming across with the slight oak/wood?).

Dat Carbonation

Superbly interesting...this starts out super bright, tart, and a touch acidic, with berries, tart pumpkin, and fruits. It's very wine-like, with tannic/assertive oak. The middle rolls into buttery oak, with big woody oak, white wine, goose berry, pumpkin seed; the back end mellows out hard, with lingering sweetness, wood, dryness, and mellow malts. Maybe a dash of cacao, and a dash of nutmeg/cinnamon. Bright, tart, fruity, tannic, wine-like, slightly spicy, and a dusting (literally) of dusty cacao; fade to dry.  

This is very complex with outstanding palate depth. At 5.9%, this is also incredibly easy to drink. This is quite tart, with maybe a dash of sour lemon. The whole thing is supported by pretty snappy/sharp carbonation, and there's quite a bit of it. I'd say this is medium-light to medium in terms of mouthfeel, and the finish is dry. Up front is tart, fruits, burgeoning oak; the middle rolls into big oak, wood, white wine, berries, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin, dashes of nutmeg and cinnamon; the back end fades to a dry, oaky, white wine finish, the whole thing sweetens up, and you get a dash of dusty wood/cacao. The oak is a brilliant character in this beer, and the whole thing has a white wine thing going, with buttery oak. 

Rating: Divine Brew

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. I'm not sure how to rate this, because what exactly is this? A wild pumpkin ale? I'm not really rating this with style guidelines in mind....I'm just going with my feels. And my feels are this is a really complex, standout beer. My feels also love oak. This is somewhat delicate, and might get lost in a flight of other Jolly Pumpkin beers. But it's also quite nice...and the slight tartness, berries, hint of lemon, and buttery oak...it all screams for strong cheeses, grilled calamari with butter, or a buttery pasta dish with a rich white sauce. My bottle was bottled a few months ago. I would drink this fresh, because once the oak, pumpkin, cacao, and spice drop out...you're just left with another funky Brett beer. I would pick this up again, fo sho.

Random Thought: I'm a pretty big sports fan. I watch the NFL in general, baseball (go Sox), the Bulls...and over the past year or two, I've been listening to a lot of local sports radio. As a result, I've sort of been sucked into hockey, which is pretty awesome. I know I'm band-wagoning pretty hard, but go Hawks. 

Left Coast Hop Juice

Brewed By: Left Coast/Oggis Pizza and Brewing Company in Del Mar, California  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.7%

Reported IBUs: 82

No...I didn't drink this tonight with my Old Rasputin. I <3 my liver, I would never do that. I had this over the weekend. About Left Coast:

Left Coast Brewing was founded in 2004, and is an independent brewery with limited bottle and draft releases. The brewery has a capacity to produce 14000 barrels of beer, and they currently produce four full time beers (Hop Juice, Asylum Belgian, Trestes IPA, and Voo Doo American Stout). For more information, check out the brewery's website here.

The Hop Juice is a big ol' American Imperial IPA. This beer uses American 2-Row, Crystal Malt, and five hop varieties  to give it a big malty backbone, and plenty of hop kick.  

Left Coast Hop Juice

This pours a copper/amber/orange color, with two finger's of super sticky, slightly amber-tinted head. This is transparent, with lazy, mid-sized bubbles rising from the center. Nice lacing. Nice head retention.

The aroma is huge hop juice, with a big malty profile. This is resinous and woody, with orange/grapefruit, caramel, grapefruit, orange and some pine. Really fat aroma, thick resin, sap; slight bread, boozy bread, orange bread, hints of brandy or cognac.

This is thick, with fat, resinous orange hop goodness. This is a thick and bready beer. Orange bread, bread soaked in booze, caramel, some grapefruit and wood. This never really gets into bitter territory, and stays in West Coast territory, with FAT, RESINOUS, THICK hop juice. There's a dash of pine and a hint of spice.

This is super drinkable, even at 9.7%. Medium-full to full-bodied, with amazing palate depth, and moderate complexity for the style. Up front is big sweet malts, bread, caramel/toffee, and huge bready/woody/resinous citrus; orange, grapefruit, pine; mid palate rolls into sweet hops, resinous hops, hop juice; the back palate is lingering bitterness, fading hops, slight wood, grapefruit, and fade to dry. This is delicious.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Really tasty stuff, with a full mouth-feel, and big juicy hops. Food pairings: bar food, burgers, Mexican food, anything spicy. Your typical IIPA pairings. At around 7-9 bucks a bottle, I would definitely recommend this.

Random Thought: I'm gonna have to check out more stuff by Left Coast.

North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout XV

Brewed By: North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California

Purchased: 500ml (16.9oz) bottle purchased at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 11.9%

Reported IBUs: 38

Tonight's beer review is the result of an interesting paradox. North Coast Brewing's Old Rasputin is one of the most infamous, if not the most infamous, Russian Imperial Stouts. Sure, it's not hyped up like Dark Lord, or whatever barrel aged cocoa chili rare beer you can't get unless you have a golden ticket. BUT, it is available just about everywhere, and it's a really good beer. It's surprisingly complex, and to be honest, I'm always surprised at how much new beer drinkers claim to like the beer. 

The aforementioned paradox has little to do with Old Rasputin's popularity, and everything to do with its price. A 4-pack of Old Rasputin can be had for around $8.99 (at least in my area), making it one of the best bargain Imperial Stouts on shelves. It's no slouch either, coming in at 9.0% ABV, and packing more than enough complexity to even keep veteran drinkers engaged. On the other side of the equation is tonight's beer, the once-a-year, Anniversary release, Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin. This beer was only available at the brewery prior to 2010, but is now available to a wider distribution audience. Unlike Old Rasputin, the Barrel-Aged stuff is not cheap (the paradox), with a 500ml bottle commanding over 20 dollars. That's a bit over a dollar per ounce. 

So given the affordability and availability of the regular Old Rasputin, I figured I'd see how it compares to its Barrel-Aged big brother. It's not like this is a compelling baseline comparison. Everyone and their dog has had Old Rasputin, but nevertheless. And a quick word on North Coast:

The North Coast Brewing Company was founded in 1988 as a local brewpub in Fort Bragg, on California's Mendocino Coast. The brewery was founded by brewmaster Mark Ruedrich, president and brewmaster. Under his leadership, the brewery has won over 70 national and international awards, and has carved a definitive niche in American craft beer. For more information, check out their website here.

In case there is any confusion...the Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin is going in the Maudite Glass, and the regular Old Rasputin is going into the Stone RIS snifter.

Apperance

Barrel-Aged on the left

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: Both beers pour a dark black color, with a coffee brown head. The beers look nearly identical, but the Barrel-Aged version has a little bit less head, and the head doesn't hang around for nearly as long. Bright light doesn't betray this beer's darkness...but as time passes, the regular Rasputin has more foam on the head, where the Barrel-Aged version is less foamy. You get a nice cauldron effect on the Barrel-Aged version. Swirling the beer yields big alcohol legs.

Regular Old Rasputin: As noted above, the regular Rasputin pours with 3-finger's worth of foamy, tan/brown-colored head. Really nice stuff, and the head is hanging around nicely. Both beers are leaving impressive lacing. Swirling this beer leaves alcohol legs, but not as big as the Barrel-Aged version.

Aroma

And here is where we see huge differences between these two beers...

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: You get hit with Bourbon up front, with a ton of chocolate, brownie, cocoa, and sweet Bourbon. I'm getting some caramel, coconut, creme brulee, and some shades of raisins and other elusive dark fruits.

Regular Old Rasputin: Big roast, grain, campfire, hints of coffee and dark chocolate, an earthy tobacco/cigarette thing, and some elusive dark fruits. This smells smooth and slightly vinous. Overall, big roast, earth, and dark, dark chocolate/cacao.

The differences here are huge, with the Barrel-Aged version coming in much more sweet, bringing brownie, sweet cocoa, and coconut to the table. 

Taste

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: The bourbon really comes into play here, with lots of big bourbon kick up front. I'm getting some vanilla, wood, and big cocoa, chocolate brownie, and delicious coconut sweetness. It's a bit like the Bourbon County, just dialed down a notch. The back end kicks into regular Old Rasputin, with big roast, hints of wood, coffee, and complex underlying booziness. This is a complex beer, if not a bit bourbon-forward at the moment.

Anniversary XV

Regular Old Rasputin: Old reliable, right here. This is a fantastic beer, with complex roast; grain, campfire, hints of wood, earthy, tobacco; you get some nice kicks of coffee, bitter baker's chocolate, earthy cacao; and then there's some nice molasses, and hints of dark fruits ala raisins, plums, and even a dash of cherry. There's an underlying hint of boozy complexity, with some hints at strong spirits.

Mouthfeel/Complexity/Palate Depth

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: Full-bodied, but just by a hair, this one is smooth, boozy, and big on the Bourbon. Complexity is huge here. I cannot stress this enough. The regular Rasputin is a fairly complex beer, and adding a layer of Bourbon only adds to this complexity. You get malt sweetness, and big Bourbon up front, with coconut, baker's chocolate, vanilla, wood; the middle rolls into more bourbon, sweetness, coconut, and burgeoning roast; the back end is roast, coffee, dark fruits, earthy campfire, and big base beer. The finish is sticky and dry. Palate depth is outstanding, with each sip lasting 15-30+ seconds. The carbonation is thin, light, and smooth.

Regular Old Rasputin: This is medium-full to full-bodied, with big complexity, moderate palate depth for the style, and a really smooth mouthfeel supported by light, non-aggressive carbonation. This really is a smooth beer, and the finish is roasty and dry. There's a lot of roast in this, with dashes of cacao and coffee. Up front is some roast, molasses, caramel; the middle rolls into coffee, cacao, hints of vanilla, wood, earthy tobacco; the back end is lingering roast, coffee, and fade to dry and roasty. I haven't commented on the hops or bitterness. I remember back many years ago when I first had this beer, and I thought it was the most bitter thing in the world. This is definitely a bitter beer, both in terms of the hop kick you get mid and back palate, and in terms of the bitter, bitter roast. Really nice stuff.

Drinkability/Final Thoughts

Not a bad evening.

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: At 11.9% ABV, this one is big...but I still maintain it's a touch lighter than the 2012 Bourbon County, which makes sense, since that dialed things up to 15.0% ABV. I bring up the Bourbon County, because I feel like that's a solid comparison. All things considered, this drinks pretty damn well for 11.9%. This is a sipping beer, for sure, but yeah. I like this a lot.

Regular Old Rasputin: At 9.0% ABV, this is a reasonable Russian Imperial. Make no mistake, this is still a huge beer. Still...this is a fairly smooth and drinkable beer, and is lovely with a scoop of ice cream, a cigar, dry chocolate cake, or many other foods.

Rating

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin: Light Divine Brew

Regular Old Rasputin: Strong Above-Average

So there you have it folks. I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on the Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, XV Anniversary. All things considered, this is a really solid beer, and it reminds me quite a bit of the Bourbon County. It's amazing how aging this beer in bourbon barrels takes the strong, earthy roast, and turns it into bright, sweet, chocolate/brulee/coconut. My only gripe is the price...for 16.9oz, the price of $20+ per bottle is a bit high. Nevertheless, this is drinking great now, and will probably age well. I have another bottle I plan to bust out in a couple of years, so we will see how that goes. Food pairings...with this, I would go with dry chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, a cigar, or a decadent burger with super raunchy cheese, or a big ol' medium rare steak with some garlic butter. This is a beer to savor, especially at this price. I do recommend it though, at least once.

Random Thought: Three day weekends kick ass. That's all I have to say, and fuck Mondays. Bleh.