Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz

Brewed By: Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York
Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Pilsner, 5.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

I've had a bad cold all week, which has prohibited me from enjoying beer. It's a shame really...I guess it's a week of recovery. Seriously though, fuck colds. Oh yeah, we are doing boring Pilsner reviews now. 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.

The season is right, and this is a seasonal release. The Eurotrash Pilz is an American-style Pilsner brewed with 2 varieties of hops, and 2 types of malts. This one is billed as a transition beer between Winter and Spring, with a January release. This beer was originally brewed to propagate yeast for Southern Tier's Farmer's Tan. 

Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz

This is a photogenic beer...I love the pink bottle label. This one pours a nice golden-straw color, with a finger or two of fluffy, white head. Head retention is nice. In bright light, you can see that this beer is pretty clearly transparent, and there's a lot of big carbonation bubbles streaming upwards. Good looking stuff. 

The aroma is nice, with light Pils grain, honey, graham cracker/cereal, light pizza dough, light mineral crispness, and some grassy/floral hops.

This is a tasty beer, with a little mineral/sulfur bite, big biscuit/cracker, light pizza dough, and some nice hop bitterness. The hop profile is floral and grassy. The whole thing is very clean, with lingering bitterness and a hint of mineral bite. There's a touch of honey.

I'd call this stupid drinkable, with a light to medium-light mouthfeel. The beer is supported by high carbonation, and finishes lightly bitter, clean, and dry. Palate depth is good, complexity is good. You get hops/mineral up front, followed by big biscuit/cracker/dough, some grain/pils malt; that rolls into honey, sweet malt, more biscuit; the back end has grassy hops, a hint of lemon, and dries out. Nice stuff.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this...it's a little sweet, but overall, it's quite drinkable and has a nice hoppy/dry finish. It's not going to blow you away, but pair this beer with pizza and you will be in heaven. You can also munch on some nuts with it like I was doing during the hockey game last night. I think a sixer of this is like 10 bucks, which isn't bad compared to some of the comparable macro swill you can find. Also, 5.2% is on the higher end for a Pilsner. All-in-all, I would recommend.

Random Thought: So the crosstown classic is this week (Cubs vs. Sox), and I'm surprised to hear people talking about it at work. I know this series and rivalry is usually something to look forward to, but honestly? Both teams suck ass this year. Both teams are a train wreck. There is nothing to care about regarding this series. Drunk Cubs fans vs. bitter Sox fans...who cares. On the other hand, it looks like hockey might hold us over til near football season. 

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek (Lips of Faith - 2013)

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company (with Brewerij Boon) in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: 22oz bomber from Binny's in Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Fruit Lambic/Kriek, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: 8

For tonight's beer, New Belgium teamed up with the folks at Brewerij Boon (makers of Boon Kriek and Boon Framboise) to make a spontaneously fermented lambic ale with cherries. About New Belgium:

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

This is a big beer, clocking in at 8.0% ABV. If you roll over to New Belgium's Transatlantique Kriek page, you can get the breakdown of this beer. This beer is a blend of two beers, a 45% ale with cherries added to "55% ale." The ale with cherries is a spontaneously fermented lambic ale made with Polish cherries, aged in oak vessels at the Boon brewery (in the Lembeek region of Belgium). The "55% ale" is a "full-bodied golden lager to round out the light-bodied kriek." All-in-all, this uses Willamette hops; pale, red wheat, carapils, and roasted barley malts; lager yeast[?]; and Wise cherries. The flavor profile is described as sour with green apple, lactic, acetic/vinegar, and biley. Let's see how this one works out...

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek 2013

This beer pours a comical soda-red color, like Big Red, with one to two fingers of fizzly, pink head. There's a lot of effervescence, as you can see carbonation streaming upwards. The head peaces out pretty quickly, leaving a filtered, bright red beer in bright light. Depending on the lighting, the head is more red/pink/white. Apples...how about them.

The aroma is a bit more nuanced than I was expecting. I'm definitely getting some woody oak, barnyard, Brett funk, hay blanket, bile, and mild vinegar sourness. There's some apple skin, cherry skin, tart fruit skins...and then a layer of sweeter cherries. There's maybe a hint of leather...I already prefer this to the Boon Kriek. 

This tastes like a muted sour, with earthy Brett funk, light oak/wood, bready malts, toffee/caramel, and some light nuttiness coming forward. You get lightly sour/acidic cherries, apples, and vinegar up front, with more malt in the middle. There's some cherry pie sweetness in the mix, with pie filling, and sweeter cherries. I'm also getting some light solvent-booze on this. 

This has light carbonation, with a light-full to medium-light mouthfeel. Palate depth is kind of meh, complexity is good. It's very drinkable for 8.0%...with just a hint of alcohol heat. This one seems to get bogged down a bit, and veers into watery territory...then it snaps back. You get tart cherries up front, immediately followed by bread/toffee/caramel and sugary cherries; that rolls into some light bile, Brett, earthy funk, cherries, oak/wood/leather; the back end is sweeter cherries, lingering toffee/bread. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. This is kind of okay...enjoyable at times, but not blowing me away. It's a bit strange to pull out some solvent/fusel alcohol on this, and the fruit could stand out more. The funk is nice, and the amount of sourness seems appropriate. I guess, at around 14-17 dollars a bomber, I couldn't recommend this over the various Belgian offerings you would likely be able to find. However, the amount of work required to make this beer does seem to warrant the price. I'm not even mad. This beer is kind of wine-like, so I'd pair it with a steak, strong cheeses, tartar, maybe a burger with mushrooms, and maybe even some mussels. The La Folie brought the sour...this one needs to bring the cherries. 

Random Thought: Though, I should give this beer credit for not veering into artificial sweetness/fake cherry land. The cherries in this taste legit, and are never cough syrupy or medicinal (in my opinion). Maybe I'll try this again sometime down the road... 

Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Brewed By: Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Bottled On: 01/09/2013) bought at Spec's Liquor in Galveston, TX; 2013 

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 9.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

I love lazy Sundays, and they are even better when they are followed by a day off. Let's not pretend that Memorial Day is anything but an excuse to drink lots of beer and eat lots of food. Really, they should give you Tuesday off too, because no one likes going to work with a food/alcohol hangover. About Great Divide:

The Great Divide Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Denver, Colorado, founded by Brian Dunn. Dunn was a homebrewer who attended graduate school in Colorado. Upon his graduation in 1993, he set out to open a brewery in Denver's Ballpark Neighborhood to brew unique and flavorful beers. In the beginning Dunn was the only full-time employee, brewing, bottling, and selling all on the same day. As the brewery gained momentum, it expanded into an old dairy processing plant in 2001. The brewery has won over 17 Great American Beer Festival medals, has received 5 Wolrd Beer Cup awards, and has consistently been rated as a top-100 brewery on Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate. To learn more, check out Great Divide's website.

Tonight's beer, the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, is a variant on the brewery's infamous Yeti Imperial Stout. The bottle states: "Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is a new addition to the Yeti clan. A Generous infusion of Denver's own Pablo's espresso adds yet another layer of complexity to this beer, combining with the vanilla oak character, intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile to create a whole new breed of mythical creature. It's official: You can now have Yeti with breakfast." Suggested food pairings include breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cheese cake, and creme brulee. This beer is a seasonal release, clocks in at 9.5%, and is available in 22oz bottles or 5 gallon kegs. 

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

This beer pours a dark black color in low light, and kicks up one to two fingers of bready, dark tan/khaki/coffee colored head. The head is leaving some nice lacing as it drops off, and there are some legs on this. When held to a bright light, this beer is still impressively opaque and black. The head is sustaining nicely, and has a rich brown color. It's a good looking Imperial Stout, but it also...looks like an Imperial Stout.

The base Stout is incredibly rich and super aromatic, and you get a lot of the Yeti on the nose. It smells a lot like coffee-chocolate ice cream. There's deep chocolate and espresso richness, some boozy/fruit/molasses sweetness, some roast, earthy coffee, and dirt, and even a bit of floral/citrus hops. I'm guessing this one is aged with oak chips, but you do get a light vanilla/lactose/cream sweetness on the nose, ala a Milk Stout. The tl;dr version of the aroma is rich chocolate and espresso. This beer, like the regular Yeti, has rich and powerful aromatics. It's a great nose.

Awwww yish. There's a reason the Yeti is so fucking popular...it's just an amazing Stout. If you haven't had the regular Yeti, go track it down this weekend. This tastes like a beer milkshake, with a huge oily/dense mouthfeel. I'm getting a lot of the base Stout goodness, with huge chocolate, roast, and big hop bitterness hiding in the back. I'm also getting some booze/molasses, hints of rum, huge espresso/coffee, and some faint vanilla/milk/oak/wood. This is milkshake thick, boozy...and yet fairly drinkable. Is it da hops? 

Like Hoppin' Frog's B.O.R.I.S. or Oskar Blues' Ten FIDY, this beer simply crushes you palate with an award winning™ mouthfeel. This beer has it all: a full-bodied, milkshake-like mouthfeel, with tons of chocolate, roast, malt thickfreakness, and a big hoppy kick. The palate depth is outstanding. Complexity is good to above-average. You get big chocolate/espresso sweetness up front, followed by some booze/molasses/fruitiness; this rolls into roast, more boozy sweetness, some earth coffee and dirt; the back end is trailing roast, with hints of oak/vanilla/wood. The finish is lingering roast, boozy warming, and some nice hop bitterness. There's some hints of citrus in this, but the hops mostly sit in the background to provide some much needed balance via bitterness. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. The Yeti is a great Stout, and the addition of oak chips and espresso only add to the fun. What brings this beer home is the huge mouthfeel and the nice hop bitterness. You get a lot more espresso in this than oak, with big sweet espresso and earthy coffee. The oak seems to play off the hoppiness a bit, sort of like Stone's Oaked AB. Bombers of this are pretty inexpensive, and this beer seems to be readily available just about everywhere. I'd pair this variant with breakfast, ribs, barbecue, pulled pork, chocolate cake, cheese cake, or as per the bottle, creme brulee. Thanks to the big hop kick and the 9.5% ABV, this one just sneaks by without getting tossed into the dessert beer category.

Random Thought: I am the proud recipient of a red light ticket. Woohoo! I've contested tickets before (and won), but this one looks to be pretty clear cut and against me. Having said that, fuck red light tickets. Chicago sets their yellow lights to the minimum three second limit, and clearing certain intersections during the yellow is becoming an art. I guess from now on I'll slam on my breaks and see how that goes. #YouOnlyRearEndOnce

[Cellar Review] Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (Brewed in 2008)

Brewed By: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in Kelheim, Germany

Purchased: 500ml/16.9oz bottle from Binny's in IL; 2013 purchase

Style/ABV: Weizen Bock, 8.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

After reviewing a fresh bottle of Aventinus, I also had the opportunity to try a 2006 vintage. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Tonight I'm popping an '08. Let's see how this one stacks up. About Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn:

Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn have been challenging people with the pronunciation of their names since 1872. Their website is in German, but has an English translation button on the bottom of the site. I'm lazy, so I'm going off the Wikipedia article. The brewery began as a Bavarian brewery that acquired the Weisses Brauhaus/Microbrewery in Munich. The owners then expanded the brewery to Kelheim and Straubing. After Munich was destroyed in the 1944 bombing (World War II, folks), all production was moved to Kelheim. This is a family run brewery with lots of tradition, and is currently owned by Georg Schneider VI (source). 

As with the 2006 vintage, this bottle comes wrapped in fancy packaging, and has a tag that reads:

"Aventinus, the world's oldest top-fermenting wheat-doppelbock, has received accolades for the perfect balance of fruity spiciness (banana, clove, vanilla) and notes of chocolate (crystal & dark malts). In addition, the beer has demonstrated wonderful aging potential with aromas and flavors of chocolate (very soft), port and sherry when aged for three years or more. 

Therefore, in 1999, the SCHNEIDER brewery decided to age 240 cases of AVENTINUS each year in their historical ice cellar in Kelheim with each batch held for a minimum of three years. 

Each Fall for many years t come B. United International is proud to release a small allotment of the latest vintage to all our customers across the USA. Please enjoy it now or hold on to it in your own cellar for further development ...if you can handle the wait."

This beer is quite lively and delightful when fresh. As it mellows out over time, it takes on some Bock/Dubbel-like characteristics, with port/sherry fruit notes, and some really nuanced banana/chocolate/wheat. I was getting big raisins and apple juice in the 2006 version. This is one of my favorite wheat beers when fresh, so let's see how a 5-year-old bottle holds up.

Aventinus (2008 Vintage)

This one pours a dark purple/golden raisin color, with a finger's worth of thin, fizzing, off-white head. The head is tinted slightly tan/raisin. This one is surprisingly carbonated, even more so than the 2006 vintage, and there's a lot of carbonation streaming upwards. I don't remember the 2006 vintage having a bunch of yeast and sediment floating around, but this one does. I was storing this horizontally in my fridge, and the bottom of the cap has a nice thick yeast cake that has formed. In bright light, this beer is a swampy reddish/brown/purple. It's reminiscent of the original beer, or a Bock, or a Belgian Dubbel. There's a bunch of shit floating around in this, which I may regret pouring out.

The aroma on this is cray cray. It smells a lot like the 2006 vintage, only with a bit more wheat and banana. This has big apple cider, oxidation...but the raisins are a bit more subdued. I'm not getting as much raisin. There are some plums, sherry/port, and some dates. And I'm definitely getting some faint wheat/banana on the aroma, along with faint dusty cocao powder.

This one has hints of booze and a bit of wheat astringency. It also has a lot of lively carbonation. The mouthfeel has nice character. This is probably medium-bodied, with okay palate depth and okay complexity. It's not bad. You get carbonation, apples, fruit, and wheat up front; this rolls into wheat astringency, some raisins, oxidation, sherry/port; the back end is lingering wheat, dusty powder/cocoa, some banana....it's not leaving any booze in the back of my throat like the 2006.

Rating: Average (3.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. This one is pretty good, but I think I prefer the 2006 vintage with the distinct raisin/apple/sherry/port flavors, and the light booze on the finish. This one still retains some of the wheat, and as a result, the dark fruits aren't quite as distinguished. Still...it's shocking how well this WHEAT beer ages. Regardless, I think I prefer this one fresh. I'll echo my sentiments from the 2006 vintage...unless you are cellaring a bunch of these, don't pair this with food. If you have a few of these laying around, go ahead and pair this with some Korean pork soup, red meats, steak, and maybe even pasta. This is very wine-like, and it reminds me of a Bock or a Belgian Dubbel.

Random Thought: This has been a fun experiment, and given how cheap Aventinus is, you could certainly start cellaring this beer for fun.  

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break

Brewed By: Evil Twin Brewing (Westbrook Brewing) in Copenhagen/Brooklyn

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 11.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight I'm reviewing a beer from Evil Twin. 

Evil Twin is a Gypsy Brewery founded by founded by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø (brother of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø) in 2010. Like his twin brother Mikkel, Jeppe is a teacher, and a homebrewer who was tired of the mainstream offerings. In 2004, Mikkel went off to pursue brewing, while Jeppe opened up a bottle shop. In 2010, while teaching a homebrewing, Jeppe decided to sell and distribute the beer he was brewing via his bottle shop. Jeppe moved to New York in 2012. For more info, check out this interview/history here. 

Tonight's beer, the Imperial Biscotti Break, is a big-ass Imperial Stout, brewed with coffee beans, clocking in at 11.5% ABV. The bottle reads: "The Roman Empire had a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ – festive food culture, extravagant architecture and spectacular live entertainment. Some might argue the Emperors where brutal, mad and hungry for power, and the people vain when taking baths and working out all day. Listen – that’s still all part of the secret Imperial ingredient – keep it cool, clean, confident, arrogant and flamboyant. Forza Imperiale."

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break

WOW. This beer pours out with syrupy and viscous consistency. This one is opaque, squid-ink black, and probably towards the upper bound on the SRM. This one kicked up a finger's worth of dark, coffee/brown head. The head is bready, thick, and sustaining nicely for an 11.5% beer.

As if the appearance on this wasn't enough, the aroma is everything you want in a crazy beer. I'm getting huge coffee notes, big nuts/almonds, chocolate/vanilla/molasses and hints of sweet dark fruits (namely raisin), some bread/biscuit, and sludgy, chocolaty booze.

This reminds me quite a bit of Souther Tier's imperial offerings...this is a huge, chewy beer. It's rich and heavy, and is very much reminiscent of dessert. You get big coffee, chocolate/vanilla, raisins and molasses, and boozy cream/coffee liquor in this. There's nice roast in the mix as well, along with the bitter coffee, and you get tons of buttery almonds and bread/biscuit. 

This one is basically motor oil. This is full-bodied, chewy, thick, syrupy, sugary...it's a sipper for sure. And yet, the bitter coffee and roast help ground things, so it's a far cry from being as sweet as Southern Tier's Creme Brulee, and it might even be more drinkable than the 2012 Bourbon County Coffee. Palate depth is outstanding, with each sip coating your tongue and lips; the beer lingers on your palate for 30 seconds plus per sip. Complexity is nice too, albeit the balance of this beer is coffee, boozy Imperial Stout, and sugary sweetness. You get a blast of biscotti/biscuit/bread up front, followed by huge coffee and almonds; this rolls into raisins, fruits, molasses, sticky sweetness, booze; the back end is where the roast shows up, with some burnt sugars, roast, more coffee, more booze, more lingering biscuit/bread. The finish is sticky, sweet, and boozy. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is pretty much perfect. That huge coffee, chocolate, boozy chocolate-covered-raisins, bread/biscuit...yeah, this kind of reminds me of a Biscotti dipped in coffee. This is also one of the best coffee-infused Stouts I've had, and I've had many of them. And as if this beer couldn't get any better, 22oz bombers were going for a reasonable price. I want to say this one was around 13 or 14 bucks, maybe less. This would pair well with a scoop of ice cream, a cigar, bready desserts (think: Biscotti), maybe a citrus/orange dessert, and possibly with red meats. Honestly though, pour this into a snifter and drink this for dessert. This one is pretty intense, so you can split a bomber with a friend or two.

Random Thought: There's something in the water in Denmark, because between Evil Twin and Mikkeller, there's some good shit being made.

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout (2013 vintage)

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz single bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 10.0% [???]

Reported IBUs: ?

Today was one of those days. It was cold out, it was long, I was sleepy, and the Blackhawks lost. Thankfully, tonight's beer isn't Peruvian Morning. About Central Waters: 

Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

Tonight's beer is also part of Central Waters' Brewer's Reserve Series. The Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout features 75 pounds of tart Door County Cherries added to each oak barrel and aged for 6 months. The base beer is their Imperial Stout. Let's see how this one stacks up.

Central Waters BBA Cherry Stout

This one pours a black color with some hints of reddish-brown/cola in bright light. This kicked up a finger of thin, fizzling, tan/brown head that quickly dissolved. There's some legs and lacing; the usual.

As with the Peruvian Morning, the aroma on this beer is awesomely complex and bold. If only it was just smells. I'm getting big bourbon, whisky, woody oak, vanilla, and booze on the nose. Beneath/around that is some nice tart fruit, cherries, berry, and hints of earthy coffee and other earthy vibes. It's a nice aroma.

Wow. It's a real shame I was only able to secure two bottles of this...(caveat emptor: drink this fresh, otherwise you lose that awesome cherry kick). This is a lovely beer, with tart cherry sweetness, light roast, and plenty of bourbon/wood/barrel character to make the beer interesting. It's complex, flavorful, and a great sipping beer. I'm getting bourbon, wood, earth/leather, cherries, tart berries, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, sticky sweetness, light brown sugar, and huge coconut. 

This beer is cherry-forward, features a medium-full mouthfeel, and has moderate carbonation. The finish is sticky and sweet, and at somewhere around 8-10%+ ABV, this is the perfect sipping vehicle. Palate depth is good, complexity is also good. Anyone complaining that this isn't balanced is missing the point a cherry barrel aged stout. You do get some booze heat on this, and the barrel character is strong...but the cherry cuts through it all. Up front is big cherry, barrel, bourbon, oak, wood, coconut; this rolls into leather/earth, more cherry, tart berry, chocolate; the back end is molasses, brown sugar, coconut, sticky sweetness, brown sugar, lingering cherry, bourbon, and some heat. Sticky/sweet/dry finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...this is sexy stuff, and this is why Central Waters is slowly gaining a cult following of dedicated drinkers. When they hit a dinger, it's usually a home run. And then you have the fucked up mess that is Peruvian Morning...I'm hesitant to even purchase that beer again. This beer is a nice mesh of cherries and barrel character, with a subtle Stout base. I'd pair this with a cigar, chocolate cherry cake, coffee braised meats, pork, sweet barbecue, gamey cheeses (goat cheese comes to mind), or with some poutine. All around, pretty good stuff. Grab a bottle or two if you can, and drink it fresh.

Random Thought: It's too bad about Central Waters' quality control issues. I hope they figure that out soon.

Central Waters Peruvian Morning Imperial Stout 2013 [Infected?]

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz single bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 8.0% [???]

Reported IBUs: ?

Today I swung by Half Acre after the ol' 9 to 5 to see if I could snag a bottle of Galactic Double Daisy Cutter. Much to my disappointment, I was greeted to a sign on the door stating that the beer had sold out. I couldn't stick around to snag some on draft, so thems the ropes and the ropes suck. As such, I'm feeling a bit sarcastic, which makes tonight's beer the perfect vehicle to unwind with. About Central Waters: 

Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

Tonight's beer is part of Central Waters' Brewer's Reserve Series. The Peruvian Morning is a Bourbon Barrel aged Impy, made with freshly roasted Emy J's Coffee. This beer is described as having flavors of vanilla, tannins, and coffee...and many people have boldly compared this to Founders' KBS. This beer is cheap...it's readily available...so what's the deal? There's no deal, except that last year's Peruvian Morning was infected, and word on the street is a good number of bottles from this year's batch are also infected. That sucks. I've popped two or three of these so far, and I can't say for sure if I've had a slightly sour bottle....tonight I'm really going to scrutinize over this beer, so let's see what is up.

Central Waters Peruvian Morning

This one pours a deep black color, with a finger of brown/tan/khaki head that is sustaining nicely for a boozy Stout aged in a bourbon barrel. In bright light, you can see carbonation steadily streaming upwards, and the body is more like dark, dark brown and super opaque. It's actually a really good looking beer. 

The aroma on this beer is awesome. You get that big barrel, bourbon, vanilla, and oak aroma right away. There's some sweet bourbon and bourbon heat on the nose as well. As you dig deeper into the aroma, you definitely get some big bright coffee: fresh grounded coffee beans, fresh espresso...and when the coffee plays off the big oak/vanilla, you get coffee with vanilla/cream/milk. There's also some toasted coconut, brownie, and light nuttiness on the aroma. Imagine that...an Imperial Stout with coffee aged in a bourbon barrel is going to be complex. (Note: no smell of an infection here). 

...and then you taste it...like getting that sixth rejection letter and realizing you are going to junior college. All that awesome complexity on the nose is traded in for one-dimensional acrid coffee and fruity tartness. This has tons of fruity tartness, coffee tartness, and then some vanilla kind of peaks through...it's hard to guess if this is infected, or just a disappointing beer. This isn't really sour so much as it is tart...and the bottle I had a couple of weeks ago was less tart, so what gives? 

If you can imagine what an espresso tastes like, with that intense coffee bitterness....and then you add a layer of fruity tartness....that's pretty much this beer. All the oak and bourbon have taken a backseat to huge espresso and tartness. This is the Tart Espresso Morning Stout.

Even warming this beer up does nothing....it's a damn shame. Is it even worth going through the review? Medium-full mouthfeel, no complexity, palate depth that is way off....you get: espresso and tartness. There's also a lot of booze, and hints of bourbon/oak/vanilla on the way back end.

Rating: Below-Average (2/5 Untappd)

Hey, [possibly] infected beer, you register as Light Below-Average. Even though you don't taste all that offensive, your mouthfeel totally sucks. The palate experience leaves a lot to be desired. And acrid, tart espresso does not a good coffee Stout make. Infection or not, what is in this bottle is a huge disappointment compared to beers like the Bourbon County Coffee, Bells Java Stout, Founders Breakfast Stout, etc. Sure, I could find redeeming qualities in the tarty/tangy fruit notes present in this beer, but what's the point? This promises big barrel aged bourbon coffee goodness. My balls are blue. Skip this one. 

Random Thought: I don't know for sure if this is infected or not...but either way, this is one of the most disappointing beers I've had. The beer promises SO much, from the description to aroma. What am I going to do with the bottles I have laying around? Presumably....age them out for a few years for shits and giggles. And then cook with them. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad With Plums

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Fancy 12.7oz bottle from a 4-pack, bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale/Quadrupel, 10.2%

Reported IBUs: 21

I'm feeling my Belgian-style beers tonight, so moving past Boulevard's Tripel...Sierra Nevada has two versions of their Ovila Quad. One brewed without any plums, and one brewed with plums. The one brewed with plums comes in a sexy 4-pack with corked 12.7oz bottles. The packaging is sexy as hell, and the fact is, plums are better than no plums. Right? About Sierra Nevada:

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

Tonight's beer is part of Sierra Nevada's Ovila lineup. The Ovila Abbey Quad With Plums is described as featuring aromas of caramel, malt, and dark fruit. This beer is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux. This one features sugar plums grown on the grounds of the Abbey that were harvested by the monks. This one clocks in at 10.2% ABV and packs 21 IBUs. This beer is brewed with pale, Munich, chocolate, and caramel malts; uses Styrian Golding and Saaz hops; and is fermented with Belgian Yeast. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad With Plums

This one pours a raisin-cola color, with some hints of red and brown in the body. This kicks up a finger of tan/golden raisin head, but the head quickly dissolves into a hazy cauldron effect. The body is dark and moderately opaque, making it impossible to judge the carbonation. I can't tell if the bottle art is supposed to be gangster or all religious. Either way, those sexy, corked, 12.7oz bottles are the business. 

The aroma on this beer is AWESOME. Actually, this entire beer is awesome...I won't lie, I've had this before. You get big raisins and plums on the aroma, with some rum, spicy phenols, perfume, and some big earthy malts approaching tobacco. There's some peppery clove, and hints at smokey malts.

The taste is everything the aroma is, and it's delicious. This opens up with huge boozy phenols, with rum, spice, clove, earthy malts, and big dark fruits of the plum/raisin variety. There's some nice malty sweetness in here, with caramel and toffee playing off the raisins and plums...lots of phenolic spice, and big rocky booze. This is very much an earthy Quad, with hints of tobacco, smoke, and anise from the malts.

As far as American-style Quads go, this is definitely one of the better ones. There's good complexity here, and the earthy malts add a lovely dimension to this style. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, and yet creamy and smooth thanks to lots of carbonation. You do get a bit of chewiness, and some noticeable booze. At 10.2%, this IS boozy, and as a result you do want to sip on this...or not...but yeah. I like this beer as a warming sipper, and this would be great around Christmas. Palate depth is good, and complexity is pretty high. You get lots of raisins, dark fruits, caramel/toffee, rum, and spicy phenols up front; that rolls into some bitterness, earthy roast, tobacco, anise, light smoke, some spice; the back ending dries out with lingering phenol-spice, and some boozy complexity to round things out.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this..almost approaching a Divine Brew...actually, getting really close. I don't know why I'm not committing, but I'm not. Maybe it's the complexity...maybe I need more time...I just don't know. But still, this beer is excellent, and happens to be a really good American take on a Belgian Quad. This would pair well with spicy meats, a hearty stew, soups, a raunchy burger, strong cheeses, fruit pies, or a cold winter night by the fireplace. Unfortunately, it is hot as balls out. So.... A 4-pack (12.7oz bottles, caged and corked) was around 15 bucks. Not bad for such a potent beer.

Random Thought: I just killed a giant centipede that was distracting my cats. The thing was HUGE. And after I squished it, it hissed at me. WTF mate?

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack sampler bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Abbey Tripel, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: 23

What a long strange trip today has been...about Boulevard:

Boulevard Brewing Company hails out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very nice website that is cleanly formatted, informative, and is not loaded with Java and Flash scripts. The company was founded officially in 1989, but began in 1988 when founder John McDonald began construction of the brewery. In 2006 the brewery had a major expansion, which allowed for additional brewing capacity. You can find more info on the brewery's history HERE. According to Wikipedia, Boulevard is the largest craft brewer in Missouri, and the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.

This beer is part of Boulevard's Smokestack Series. If you roll over to the Long Strange Tripel page, you can get all the vitals on this beer. This one clocks in at 9.0% according to the bottle, and 9.2% according to the website. Brewed with pale, munich, wheat, and flaked oat malts; this one uses Magnum and Styrian Golding hops, for 23 IBUs of bitterness. Described as having intense fruity and banana aromas, with some hints of toffee, and citrusy hops...this should be good stuff. Let's see how it holds up.

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

This one pours a juicy, hazy, orange/yellow color, with a finger of white head. The body has a nice orange juice appearance, and the head settles down into a hazy coating that screams Belgian Ale. There's maybe a little sediment floating around in this too.

The aroma is as advertised, with a big emphasis on big citrus-forward hops. I'm getting a lot of orange, apple, apple juice, and lemon on this. I'm also getting big clove, banana, wheat, vanilla, and white sugar as well. There's some malt on the nose, but there isn't any of that powder/dust you get on a lot of the Belgian/Abbey Tripels. There's some nice toffee and wheat on the nose.

I'm going to let this warm up...but right now I'm getting big apple juice, wheat, and lots of citrus/lemony kick. And...as this warms, you get the same deal. There's a nice boozy complexity on the back end of this, with some mild wheat astringency. I'm also pulling out some apricot, lemon, apple, grape, and a nice sweet toffee note. It's a nice beer, for sure.

This is drinking nicely, with a medium-full mouthfeel, good palate depth, and okay complexity. There's lots of carbonation to help things smooth out, and you get some creamy mouthfeel from the wheat. There's a dash of wheat astringency and hop bitterness that helps clean things up and compliments the boozy complexity. There's booze, but no real heat. It's good. Up front is a lot of wheat, clove, banana, vanilla, and apples, pears, lemon; this rolls into citrus, astringent wheat, wheat, light spice, pepper, apricot; the back end is lingering bitterness, dryness, and some boozy complexity.

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a formidable take on a Tripel, and a very solid American-style Tripel. It gets better as it warms. There's a nice creamy mouthfeel, and big fruity notes. Lots of citrus, apples, apricot, and some nice boozy complexity. This would pair well with chicken, turkey, french fries and potatoes, doughy pizza, cheeses, and peppery foods. You could also pair it with something that goes well with citrus/apples. Nice stuff, and cheap in the 22oz format. 

Random Thought: The Blackhawks are losing...tornadoes are destroying Oklahoma...it's like 90 degrees in Chicago, what is going on today?!?!?

Half Acre Ginger Twin India Red Ale

Brewed By: Half Acre Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Half Acre in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: IPA/Red Ale, 6.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Gingers are evil. About Half Acre:

The Half Acre Beer Company was founded in October 2006, which is young for craft beer in general, but great for the local Chicago scene. The founders of Half Acre started out by working with the Sand Creek Brewery in Black River Falls in Wisconsin. They eventually developed their Half Acre Lager, and began distributing and selling it in Chicago during the August of 2007. The beer was successful enough that Half Acre was able to buy out a space in the Bucktown area of Chicago. With continuing sales, Half Acre was eventually able to purchase equipment from Ska Brewing Co. and moved to their current location on Lincoln Avenue on the north side of Chicago. Half Acre has been brewing at their Chicago location since 2009, and seems to be really expanding in both amount of distribution and popularity. Check out the full story HERE, and check out their website for a low-down on all their beers and info. 

If you roll over to the Ginger Twin page, you can learn very little...though they hint that this beer should feature a nice "caramel twist." This one clocks in at 6.5%...ad should be tasty. Right?

Half Acre Ginger Twin India Red Ale

This one pours a reddish-orange amber color, with a finger of creamy, off-white head. The head is sticky and dense, and leaving some nice lacing. The body is hazy and has a nice color, head retention is nice.

The aroma on this is really nice, with bready malts, peppery and rye-like spice, resinous citrus and citrus zest, grapefruit, and some nice toffee. There's a nice balance between citrus spice and zest, and big sugary/bready malts. It reminds me of Laguintas.

The taste is a nice follow-through of the nose. You get big bready malts and toffee, lots of resinous citrus and grapefruit, and hints of peppery/rye/bready spice. There's also a clean thing going on with the hop profile...clean grapefruit and clean citrus. It's nice.

This is super drinkable at 6.5%, has a nice balance, and tastes really nice. The mouthfeel is medium-light, with supportive carbonation. The palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is okay. This is a nice Amber/Red IPA. You get lots of toffee, caramel, and bready malts up front; this rolls into big citrus, resin, and rye/pepper/bready spice; the back end is lingering dryness and cleans up with some nice refreshing hops. The finish is dry and spicy. 

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

This is a Light Above-Average, going beyond the baseline for the style with great balance and nice clarity of flavors. You really can taste the bready/caramel malts, you get lots of nice spice, and the resin and citrus hops make a big appearance. This beer would pair well with a burger, peppery chicken, foods that go well with Saisons, seasoned potatoes or french fries, seasoned poultry, white fish, peppered steak, and peppery vegetables. All things considered, this is actually a really nice beer.

Random Thought: These Amber/Red IPAs are among my favorite types of beer, as they add a lovely peppery/spicy element along with big bread and toffee. Good stuff.

Three Floyds Toxic Revolution

Brewed By: Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana 
Purchased: 22oz bottle purchased at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 8.5
Reported IBUs: 40

Today: just an average Stout from Three Floyds. They make those too. About Three Floyds:

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

The Toxic Revolution is OG. The bottle says: "This stout ale is the combined efforts of Municipal Waste and Three Floyds to create a black liquid wall of death in your mouth. Enjoy!" Municipal Waste is a band, of course....they're a thrash/punk metal band, and they're okay. Three Floyds has done a number of beers for bands (In The Name Of Suffering, Permanent Funeral, etc.) so let's see how memorable this is. 

Three Floyds Toxic Revolution

This one pours a dark, inky black color, with a nice opaque body that isn't letting much light through. I'm not even getting any red or brown on the edges. This one kicked up a couple of fingers of brown/khaki-colored head. The head is sustaining nicely, leaving some lacing as it falls. Overall, it's a dark, opaque Stout.

The aroma on this is hoppy and fruity, with some anise and licorice, dark fruits, boozy molasses, dirt, earthy coffee and earthy cacao, and some light roast. It's reminiscent of the Stone RIS.

The taste is subtle, without any flavors really dominating. There's a good amount of hop kick in this, with some citrus, grass, lemon, floral/UK kick. You also get some anise, coffee, earthy cacao, dark fruits, and mild roast. Is this an Imperial Stout or a Black IPA?

This has light acidity, is quite hoppy, and has a medium-light mouthfeel. Drinkability is good at 8.5%, palate depth is good, complexity is kind of average. The whole thing leans towards a Black IPA, with enough roast and dark fruits to keep things tilted towards a Stout. You get roast, anise, dirt, coffee, cacao, and acidity up front; this rolls into hops with citrus, lemon, grass, floral; the back ending is lingering hops, and some roast.

Rating: Average (3/5 Untappd)

This one gets a Decent Average from me. It's not bad, it's not great, it just kind of is. At around 10 dollars a bomber, this is an okay example of a hoppy Stout. This would pair well with a steak, anything braised in coffee, meatloaf, barbecue, and dry chocolate desserts. The fruity notes in here are actually pretty solid, so if I had to sell this beer to someone I would hype up the nice fruity notes and the hops. Worth checking out, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

Random Thought: It's hard to type these reviews up with a cat trying to get comfy on your lap. Le.

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz single bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm finally getting around to pop this blog's Central Waters cherry. Oh, and I'll be reviewing their barrel-aged cherry Stout soon. Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

Tonight's beer is part of the Brewer's Reserve Series. This particular beer is aged for a full year on used bourbon barrels, and features flavors of dark fruits and wood. This should be pretty tasty, so let's see what's up.

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

This one pours with a dark reddish-caramel body that picks up some brown and amber depending on the lighting. The dark body obscures the carbonation, but this one looks to have some decent carbonation in the cetner of the glass. This beer kicked up a finger of tan/butterscotch head, but it quickly faded into a nice cauldron effect. As you can imagine, there are some legs on this, and there is some lacing as well.

The aroma on this beer is all kinds of awesome, with huge oak, bourbon, butterscotch, pecans, resinous grapefruit, fat citrus, sugary malts, caramel/toffee, and big boozy fruits ala a Quad. There's probably some raisins and dates on the nose for good measure as well.

This is a huge fucking beer. This is chewy, dense, and full-bodied. You get big candy citrus, raisins/dates, bourbon, oak, toffee, plums, pecans, maple syrup, and pine sap with the thick and dense body. There's a lot of bourbon in this, and it is awesome. 

My only gripe with this is that it occasionally veers into sugar/candy land, but there is some woody hop bitterness that shows up like the police to crash that house party and maybe beat up some minorities. There's also the whole bourbon thing, which provides a counterpoint to all the sweetness. Again, at 11.2%, this is a sipping beer...and it works as one with a big chewy mouthfeel, and lots of sticky sweetness. This has good carbonation, and it's not infected or anything. Cough. Cough. Palate depth is amazing, complexity leaves a bit to be desired. Up front: oak, bourbon, wood, boozy fruits, raisins, toffee, plums; this rolls into more bourbon, resinous hops, citrus, pine sap, maple syrup; the back finishes sweet, with some booze, a little alcohol heat, and a sticky bourbon finish.

Rating: Divine Brew

Me gusta un Light Divine Brew. This beer isn't for everyone, but if you like huge bourbon character in your beer, and big sugary Barleywines, this is for you. I suspect this one will age fantastically, so if you can, grab a few bottles to throw in the cellar. As far as Central Waters' Brewer's Reserve series goes...this is by far the best beer in it. Personally, I wouldn't pair this beer with many foods...maybe a slice of pecan pie...this is a beer that deserves your attention in a snifter, or would work with a cigar. Single 12oz bottles of this were going for around 4.99-5.99. That's not bad. 

Random Thought: Coming up: Peruvian Morning. I thought the cries of infection for this year's batch were bunk, but Central Waters appears to have confirmed an infection. That's a damn shame, but we'll take a gamble and see how that one shapes up in a couple of days.