Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale

Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Red Ale, 8.65%

Reported IBUs: 76.92

A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away or some shit, I had me Lagunitas' Lucky 13.alt, which was more sublime than heroin trips gone overdose. Tonight I'm drinking the regular Lucky 13. Any beer that uses "Mondo" in the name should come with a doobie and Billabong T-Shirt. I digress. About Lagunitas (Pronounced: "LAH-goo-KNEE-tuss"):

Lagunitas is a brewery I dabbled with when I hit up their controversially named "Kronik" (Lagunitas Censored) back in November 2010. The Lagunitas website has some cool info on the brewery and the beer, and can be found here. The brewery was founded in 1993 out in Lagunitas, California, and has since moved to Petaluma in California. It seems like Lagunitas is run by a bunch of deviant madmen geniuses, and the brewery appears to be a true grassroots movement, if you catch my drift.

According to Lagunitas, the Lucky 13 was originally a 13th anniversary release for 2006. The Lucky 13.alt uses lighter malts (hence the blonde-haired woman on the bottle). The regular Lucky 13 (tonight's beer) features a brunette-haired woman on the bottle. Using my dick wizardry, I can deduce that tonight's beer will have darker malts than the Lucky 13.alt. According to my bottle, tonight's beer clocks in at 8.65% ABV, and packs 76.92 IBUs.

Lagunitas Lucky 13

As you kind of expect, the beer pours an amber/caramel color, and kicks up two to three fingers of dense, soapy, off-white/amber head. In bright light, the beer is a magnificent amber-red color; the head is soapy and sticky and leaving plenty of lacing; the body looks to be filtered, and has nice tiny carbonation bubbles. 

The aroma on this beer is nuts. Lagunitas is doing something right with their Lucky 13, because damn. As I was pouring this beer out I was getting blasted with sweet, bready citrus, resinous tropical fruits, and cake/toffee/brown sugar goodness. There's big brown sugar, pineapple, oranges, mango, and some plum. It's like their Brown Shugga' had an illegitimate love child with their Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale.

This isn't quite as mind-blowing as the Lucky 13.alt was (as per my memory), but this is about as good as a malty hop bomb can get. This beer lays on sweet, sappy, resinous citrus: orange, mango, pineapple, hints of plum. The whole thing is supported by a bready/cake malt base, with big brown sugar, caramel, bread, and biscuit.

This is dense, pushing a full-bodied mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is fat and bready with sweet resinous punch, but is surprisingly drinkable for around 8.7%. This beer screams Lagunitas, and if you've drank a few of their beers, you could probably pull this one out in a blind tasting with ease. That said, palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is not far behind. This veers towards sweet and bready, with resinous/sweet citrus up front; resinous sap and cakey bread in the middle; and bittering-but-still-malt-foward sweet hops on the back. The finish is nutty, bready, and then punches in a nice dryness.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. It's not quite as good as the Lucky 13.alt as per my recollection, and I think the Brown Shugga' and the A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' offer a slightly more fulfilling experience from top to bottom, but this beer is absolutely stellar otherwise. It's also super cheap. Bombers of this were sitting on the shelf for like 4.99. That's a steal. I'm about to pair this with a spicy quesadilla. Spicy as in I'm adding ghost pepper sauce. The sweeter notes in this would do well with wings and sweeter spices or peppers like Habanero or the Bhut Jolokia. For some reason this beer also reminds me of a Margarita, so I feel like Mexican food pairings would work. It's quite tasty, and at 4.99 a bomber you have no reason to not check it out.

Random Thought: Lagunitas is coming to Chicago...and although they've had some delays, I do look forward to their arrival. It's going to be pretty sweet. The craft beer scene in Chicago is booooming! 

Fantôme Chocolat

Brewed By: Brasserie Fantôme in Soy-Erezée, Belgium   

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm excited for tonight's beer. I'm excited that Fantôme has become more widely available in my area, which makes little to no sense. What is Fantôme? 

Fantôme is a brewery based out of Soy, Wallonia, Belgium, that was founded in 1988 by the mad man and mastermind, Dany Prignon. The brewery is located in a crumbling farmhouse in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, and Fantôme's beer just might be more popular in the United States than it is in Belgium. Dany brews one type of beer: Saisons/Farmhouse Ales. Each of his Saisons have a unique twist, and he often brews his beers using herbs, spices, juices, and other off-beat ingredients. Their website is so hardcore it only comes in French, but check it out anyway. 

Tonight's beer, the Fantôme Chocolat, is an amber Saison brewed with local chocolate from Derfoimont. Clocking in at 8.0% ABV, this beer is supposed to reveal an "original bitter cocoa." The front of my bottle says, "brewed with cocoa and chili pepper," so we will see how that goes. A lot of reports indicate that the chocolate isn't all that noticeable in this, but it's possible that a fresh bottle might have a stronger chocolate presence. Lastly, as with all corked bottles (as this is), be wary of the gush!

Fantôme Chocolat

In low light this beer pours a hazy amber-brown color, with two fingers of thick, Belgian-esque, orange-tinted head. There's a ton of carbonation streaming upwards in the hazy body. In bright light, the beer's body takes on an orange-amber color, and the head is clearly off-white with hints of orange. Head retention is great, and the body's hazy body is the stuff Saisons should be made of.

The aroma is subtle, and very funky. I'm pulling off earthy spice, dirt, pepper, a lot of Brett funk: sweat, mild butcher shop, leather, some barnyard, and BIG wet hay. I'm getting some pear, grass/wheat, melon, and peach as well. I really wasn't expecting to get chocolate/chili in the nose, but maybe in the taste?  

Interesting...aside from the typical Saison-esque notes, which include some nice citrus, grass, hay, and Brett funk, I'm pulling out an almost smoked malt flavor in this. It reminds me a touch of a Rauchbier, or peated/smoked wheat malt. This has lovely lemon, wheat, wet hay, a touch of musty/sour funk, and big barnyard notes. The back end rounds out with that hint of smoke, smoked/peated wheat malt, and a touch of denseness which I can only assume is the chili/chocolate. EPHIPHANY: I'm pretty sure the smoke I'm tasting can be best described as an ancho chile flavor. Think chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You get all your funky Saison trimmings up front, and a hint of smokey, ghostly (ohhhh) ancho chile in the back. 

This is a refreshing, quaffable, light-bodied beer. The mouthfeel is damn near perfect, with great supporting carbonation, and a strong palate depth. The complexity is the beer's shortcoming, and the promised chocolate and chili doesn't really deliver. Still...this is an easy-going Saison, and pretty dangerous at 8.0%. You get sexy Brett-funk, wet hay, barnyard, lemon, tart lemon, very mild sour up front; that rolls into musty funk and wheat; the back end turns into light smoke, and that ancho chile ride. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a very Light Above-Average. It's not a bad beer by any means...obviously. The Saison part is banging, albeit maybe in need of a little more spice. But this beer advertises chocolate and chili...and in that regard, it falls a bit short. But, the ancho chile flavor in this is nice, assuming that is what I'm tasting. To that end, I would pair this beer with authentic Mexican food (I wish), or maybe some homemade chili...which I haven't done in a while. I'm due for some chili. Not really a summer food though.

Random Thought: So, I know the Midwest isn't exactly the utopia for beer, but we have some good shit. What confuses me is how we are able to import Fantôme, but other Belgium brands like Cantillon are only shipped out to the East Coast. I don't get it.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Brewed By: Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana 
Purchased: 22oz bottle purchased at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: 100

Three Floyds knows a thing or two about making an IPA, as evidenced by their fantastic Dreadnaught IPA. Tonight's beer is like the Dreadnaught, only with a little insanity thrown into the mix. About Three Floyds:

Oh, you. 

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 Arctic Panzer Wolf is everything I want on a beer label. The bottle art strikes the perfect balance of serious and three wolf moon. And what a name. Forget the dull hop puns, this beer is here to howl at your moon, baby (speaking of: monster moons are epic; what a view). The Arctic Panzer is brewed with all sorts of unknown ingredients (presumably: malts, hops, and yeast), and punches in at 9.5% and 100 IBUs. That's a whole 1 IBU more potent than the Dreadnaught. That's the insanity, homie.

The beer pours a hazy orange color, with two fingers of thinly soapy, orange-tinted head. It's insanity. Insanity how orange this beer is. The beer looks like carbonated orange drank [sic] in bright light, with a finger of off-white/orange-

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

tinted head hanging around, and streams of tiny-bubbled carbonation rising upwards with enthusiasm. If this beer was Zach Galifianakis offering you an unknown drink on the roof of the Caesar Palace, you would take off your pants and say yes.

I kind of wish I had a bottle of Dreadnaught right now to do a side-by-side, but maybe at another point in time. There's a lot of bright, sweet citrus on the nose: grapefruit and orange, namely, with hints of tropical fruits. There's also a bit of honey, and some nice bready caramel malt. There's some underlying resin, pine, and wood as well.

For all the malt in the aroma, this skews things in the direction of big hop kick, with hints of sweet biscuit/cracker/caramel, and a dash of honey in the background. There's big citrus, pineapple, and grapefruit up front, followed by bitter pine, grass, bitter greens, hints of onion, and woody resin. The back end revives a blast of refreshing strawberry/peach, and then finishes bitter and dry. The malts hit the back of your tongue, and provide a solid backbone to what is obviously supposed to be a display of hops.

Probably not an insane idea. Right?

The 9.5% is completely hidden, and this drinks like a refreshing medium-bodied beer with perfect carbonation, and a lovely dry finish. The 100 IBUs don't overwhelm the big hop flavors, and the malts provide a calculated balance on the back end. The palate depth is perfect, and this has complexity that just falls a bit short of some of the West Coast wonders. The front palate is bready/caramel malts, big sweet citrus, tropical fruits, and burgeoning resin; the mid palate transitions into some grass, greens, onion, resin; you get a kick of peach/strawberry, and then it's all woody, bitter, and dry. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

Yup, this is about on par with the Dreadnaught, so a Light Divine Brew it is. I've been having good luck with IPAs, and there are more coming down the pipeline, so here's to hoping for good drinking ahead. This is fantastically drinkable, with a great display of bright, bold hops. This would pair well with lighter Mexican food, lightly spiced wings, burgers, strong cheeses, pizza...your typical IPA pairings. At around 10 dollars a bomber, this beer is a steal and definitely one of the better Midwest Imperial IPAs.

Random Thought: Let me tell you something, when I'm president of the US of A, I'm going to implement a mandatory bar act that puts bars in hospitals, schools, etc. You will never suffer through a delivery or PTA meeting again. 

Green Flash Saison Diego

Brewed By: Green Flash Brewing Co. in San Diego, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: "Session" Saison, 4.5???%

Reported IBUs: 20

First off, congratulations Chicago Blackhawks. Not just for winning this series, and ultimately the Stanley Cup, but for that crazy 7-game series against Detroit. How do you top that? My only regret is I took five years off my life, and my heart hates me. It only seems fair to bring my liver down to that level as well. About Green Flash:

Green Flash Brewing has only been around since 2002 and only puts out about 14,000 barrels annually, but they seem to be on the rise. Based out of San Diego, California, Green Flash Brewing Co. was founded by Mike and Lisa Hinkley in 2002 (in Vista, California). The company brews big beers, and focuses on premium styles and traditional styles with modern twists. The company describes their beer as "cutting edge." Since its inception, Green Flash has won a number of awards for their beers, and has already carved an impressive mark in the world of craft beer. For more info, check out their website HERE.

I thought we reached our limit with hop puns, and apparently Green Flash agrees. Now we are doing....Saison puns! Yes, tonight's beer is aptly titled Saison Diego. Get it. He he he. That's funny. Because San Diego. Anyway, as per Green Flash's website, and the Saison Diego page, this beer is an unfiltered, golden farmhouse ale. It is brewed with Seville orange peels, ginger, and grains of paradise. It also features some Czech Saaz hops. It's unclear what type of yeast is used from the description, but we can take a stab at that in a moment. What is also unclear about this beer is the fact that it's a low-ABV session beer. When I first tried this beer, I was expecting a robust Saison, and I had to adjust my expectations accordingly. More on that in a bit too...

Green Flash Saison Diego

The beer pours a hazy, yellow/straw/lemonade color, with a couple of fingers of fluffy, white head. In bright light, the beer has hazy straw tones, a ridiculous amount of lively carbonation streaming upwards, and a creamy white head that is hanging around for the duration. It definitely looks like a Belgian/Wheat/Saison-type beer.

The aroma is really nice, and reminds me a bit of the Rayon Vert. You get vibrant lemon, lemon peel, bright and fresh orange, and citrus zest on the nose. The grains of paradise are evident on the nose, and you pick up a bit of biscuit. But the intriguing character on the nose is definitely the hint of funk, must, and mild barnyard. There's just a hint of funk, and maybe some leather on the nose. Weirdly enough, I'm also picking up a dash of corn or grain. 

The taste is light, refreshing, and super quaffable. You get big citrus, lemon peel, mild Belgian funk, barnyard, biscuit, and some must/funk up front. That rolls into some clove, mild bitterness, and a light, grainy finish with hints of corn. 

The mouthfeel is creamy, and has great supporting carbonation....it's medium-light bodied, with a good palate and very average complexity. At around 4.5%, this is stupid drinkable. My thought on that is: come on, Green Flash! Why is this only available in 4-packs? I could pound a 6-pack of this over a Saturday. Let's make that happen. The front is all about the citrus, lemon peel, light grass, barnyard/leather/light funk...that rolls into some earthy hop kick and clove...the back end trails off into a grainy, corn, maybe Pils malt finish. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a very Light Above-Average. I was originally let down by this beer, but at the time I didn't realize how light this really is. For what this beer is...something you can drink 3 or 4 of in an evening without feeling like an alcoholic...this is pretty legit. A lot of Saisons do dial up the ABV into that 6.0%+ range, which can transform a dangerously drinkable style of beer into a beer that can get you dangerously drunk. You could pair this beer with lighter poultry, fish, lighter cheeses...cucumber sauce? Mmm. Is cucumber sauce not the greatest thing ever. It is. I can recommend this as a session beer to drink multiple bottles of. Great for a weekend. If you're looking to crack open a single bottle of beer to mull over for a bit, and if you're looking for a Saison, look elsewhere. 

Random Thought: Apparently it's like World War Z in Wrigleyville...but then, it's always like World War Z in Wrigleyville. You know what they say, Cubs fans will celebrate anything. 

Ballast Point Victory at Sea

Brewed By: Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, California 
Purchased: 22oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Porter, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 70

It's finally Summer in Chicago, and the weather has been pretty legit. It has been very humid though. Also, hockey in June? To be honest, I'll take it! Because right now baseball in Chicago is abysmal. About Ballast Point Brewing: 

Like a lot of craft breweries, Ballast Point began as a home brewing outfit. Founder Jack White (not the Jack White) began home brewing, only to realize that sourcing ingredients was easier said than done. So Jack opened up Home Brew Mart, a home brew shop, in 1992. From there, Jack met Yuseff, and the two began brewing in the back of the home brew shop. In 1996 the brewery was born. Because Yuseff loves fishing, the brewery names all their beers after fish. You can read more about the brewery and its history here. 

Tonight's beer, the Victory at Sea, is a "Coffee Vanilla" Imperial Porter. This beer combines coffee from Caffé Calabria, vanilla flavoring, and Ballast Point's hefty Imperial Porter. Should be good stuff. 

Ballast Point Victory at Sea

As you might expect with an Imperial Porter/Stout type beer, this pours into a dark black body, and kicks up a pinky of bubbly, carbonated, brown/khaki head. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect. There's some nice lacing on this, and swirling the beer kicks up a centimeter of head...which is sustaining nicely. In bright light, the beer is still impressively black. There are legs. It looks like a Stout/Porter.

The aroma is awesome, with intense coffee, rich roast, BIG hazelnut, espresso, hints of creamer, chocolate/molasses/caramel, and some hints of dark fruits and booze.

There's a whole lotta roast and coffee in this one. I'm looking for the vanilla, but it seems to be a balancing character on the back end if more than anything. There's a ton of roast, coffee, hazelnut, earthy bitter, dirt, dark roast, burnt sugars, pecan/burnt nuts, and then some boozy complexity. There's incredible complexity to the booze here, hinting at dark fruits, burnt sugars, nuts, and spirits (rum comes to mind).

As the beer lingers, it eventually gets to be a bit sticky, but for the most part the body betrays the 10% ABV. The mouthfeel is somewhere between medium-full to full-bodied, but is driven by the added coffee which softens the carbonation and adds a bitter density to the drink. Palate depth is okay, but complexity is off the charts. As I drink more of this, some vanilla is starting to peak out. You get coffee, hazelnut, hints of dark fruit, and molasses up front; that rolls into big roast, intense coffee bitterness, wood, dirt, earth, hints of vanilla; the back end is trailing bitterness, hints of nuts, burnt sugars, dark fruits, boozy complexity...nice dry and roasty finish. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a very nice coffee beer, and the more I drink this, the more I'm picking up on some subtle vanilla bean in the mix. This one definitely leans on the roast and earthy coffee, so if you're looking for a earthy, bitter, coffee-forward beer, look no further. This doesn't mess around with the sweeter malts/sugar, and the 10.0% ABV simply adds boozy complexity to the mix. This is clearly a sipping beer, or a beer to share with friends. But you could definitely pair this with some dry rubbed ribs, coffee-braised meats, dry chocolate cakes, coffee desserts, breakfast foods, Tiramisu/Baklava, or an earthy cigar. This is actually really nice stuff, especially at the price, which was less than 10 dollars a bomber.

Random Thought: Tomorrow: hockey, work out, hockey, sleep. In that order.

Pipeworks Centennial Ninja Imperial IPA

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #153) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's been a while since I've done an Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. Shit, patent pending, man. The folks at Pipeworks will be happy to know that I still have been buying/drinking their beer, so hopefully we can get more of their beer on here sometime soon. Until then, we have yet another hoppy Ninja. 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.

A few weeks ago, I had the Citra Ninja. It was good, certainly better than average, but not quite the beer epiphany that something like Zombie Dust is. Tonight we will try our luck with another one of the American "Three Cs" hops. Centennial is an American hop, and features plenty of big citrus.  The back of the  Ninja bottle states:

"When ninjas take a break from their battles with the mythical unicorn, they like truly embrace their inner hop head. This particular ninja has chosen to walk the path of the Centennial hop. Absolutely loaded with Centennial hops, this imperial IPA is brimming with juicy hop character from nose to palate. Enjoy a break from life's own battles with Centennial Ninja."

DAE copypasta?

Pipeworks Cientennial Ninja

This one pours a hazy/juicy dark gold/bronze color, almost approaching amber. The beer kicked up three fingers of thick, foamy, IPA-esque head. The aroma off this is awesome, and was popping when I opened the bottle. In bright light, the beer remains a hazy golden color, with some lazy carbonation rising upwards, and a sustaining golden/white head. There is lacing.

Oh man, this smells amaaaazzing. I'm getting a lot of big spicy citrus on this nose. There's huge peppery orange, lemon, crushed pineapple, light resinous citrus, strawberry, tangerine, and some light apricot. Damn. And historically, Pipework's Imperial IPAs tend to maybe be a bit heavy with the malt hand, but this beer is just dialing up the hops, with a hint of honey/cracker on the nose. This could be a sign of good things...

Mmmm...the taste is a big blast of spicy/herbal citrus. This doesn't veer towards sweet at all, as it hits you with some resinous pine, tons of peppery citrus, peppery lemon, grass, impressive bitterness/light woodiness, and a bitter, herbal finish. You also pick up some trailing cracker/biscuit on the backside. 

This may just be my favorite Pipeworks' Imperial IPA, certainly rivaling the fantastic Galaxy Unicorn, and maybe even surpassing it in some regards. This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel, features good supportive carbonation, and shifts the focus to the hops. This is attenuated nicely, and starts out with a big juicy hop kick, and trails off into a wonderful dry, hoppy, bitter finish. It's outstanding...great palate depth...this is what you want in an Impy IPA. A big spotlight on those hops. The complexity is nice too. You get sweet citrus, lemon, tangerines, strawberries, and hints of resinous pine up front; that transitions into resinous pine, peppery citrus, big herbal spice, some wood; the back end is trailing wood/hop bitterness, light biscuit/cracker, and fade to a dry, hoppy finish. Fuckin'ell, mate. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna bump this beer up to a light Divine Brew. Everything about this beer is clicking for me right now, and I love the aggressive hop bite. This beer is anything but balanced, with a full on Centennial onslaught. But balance, in an Imperial IPA? That's not supposed to happen. If you're a fan of the herbal/super bitter/peppery/spicy citrus-forward Centennial hop, you are going to love this beer. Hop heads need not worry. I'm about to pair this beer with some crostinis topped with cucumber mayo sauce. It's going to be the tits. But you could also pair this beer with a good burger, upscale bar food, wings, and the works. This is delicious, get on this now if you can.

Random Thought: Speaking of food, is anyone NOT surprised that Paula Deen is a giant, racist scumbag? The real question is: who is a bigger putz. Paula Deen and her shitty racism, or Serena Williams and her ig'nant dumbassery. Also, fuck celebrities. Why do we look up to these morons for philosophical and political advice? But seriously, fuck Paula Deen's shitty ass food too. 

Stone Old Guardian Oak-Smoked (2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.6% 
Reported IBUs: 80

I wasn't madly in love with the 2013 Stone Old Guardian, but I think it's going to age nicely and mellow out into something wonderful. Which is why I bought two bottles. Tonight I'm looking at the same beer, only with the addition of oak-smoked wheat malt to add a much needed layer of complexity. Hopefully it works out. About Stone:

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

If you roll over to the Old Guardian page, you can see that the 2013 Old Guardian comes in two flavors, regular and oak-smoked. The smoked version features a "substantial dose of German oak-smoked malt," which should add layers of smokiness to compliment the giant hop character and rich malt base. Clocking in at a rude 11.6% ABV (I sincerely mean that, this beer is aggressive) and 80 IBUs, this beer should feature the same stuff as the regular Old Guardian (big hops, rich malts) only with a complex twist. At least that's the hope.

Old Guardian Oak-Smoked 

This is not a photogenic beer (and I take shit photos; welcome to my shitty blog), but this pours into a dark red/amber/raisin-colored body. I kicked up a finger of reddish-khaki head, and it's hanging around like the beer is a Belgian Ale or something. It must be that wheat malt. In bright light, this beer is a gorgeous orange/red color, with a sexy orange/khaki head. It's just a good looking beer. There is monumental lacing, and a ton of carbonation streaming upwards.

It's amazing what another layer of malt adds to a beer, because the aromatics on the Oak-Smoked Old Guardian are impressively balanced and malty. I'm getting big oak, big wheat, and a huge smoke aromas. The smoke isn't meaty or fake...this smells like the authentic German malt you'd find in a Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Underneath the malt and smoke is some resinous citrus, pine, candy sweetness, maple syrup, and pine sap. If this tastes half as balanced as it smells, it's going to be an improvement upon the fresh Old Guardian. 

Well I'll be damned. The regular Old Guardian gargoyle was just an asshole. He was way too loud, always had a new girl over, and never did the dishes. Sure, he'll probably mature with time, but ain't nobody got time for that. This beer is striking a mean chord between big oak, smoked malt, bold peat character, light melanoidins (toasty/biscuit/chocolate/toffee/caramel/etc), even some plums and molasses...and resinous citrus, pine sap, maple syrup, and a dry, woody, oaky finish. Cot damn.

This is spectacular, and I'll probably run to the store and snag another bottle of this because hella rea$$$onable. As I said earlier, I suspect the regular Old Guardian will sort out with time...but right now the addition of the oak-smoked malts are grounding this beer and providing some much needed balance. This is super complex, has great palate depth, and has an aggressive full-bodied mouthfeel. At 11.6%, this demands to be sipped. The finish is sticky, woody, and dry. There's nice balance with oak, smoked malt, peat, toffee/caramel/toast up front; that rolls into plums, molasses, burnt sugars, resin, pine sap; the back end is sticky, then woody/oaky, then dry. Real nice...this is what I was originally looking for. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. As this warms, I'm picking up some brown sugar and some peppery spice. This is ridiculously complex...and I tip my hat to the 11.6%. This beer doesn't fuck around. It really demands an evening, or a friend to share it with. Even with that huge peat/smoke malt character, the resinous hops still linger heavily on your palate. Which leads me to believe this will also age well...albeit at the expense of the oak and smoke. I also have another bottle of this which I will pull out sooner than the regular Old Guardian. At 7 bucks or thereabout for a bomber, this is a steal. The bold flavors in this will hold up to aggressive spices, wings, grilled meats, sausages, or a rich and flavorful cigar. Actually, the oak-smoke in this almost beckons some grilled meats or a cigar. Pour a snifter of this, fire up the grill, light a cigar, and kick back and enjoy life.

Random Thought: So how about that Miami Heat. I figured if they could force a game 7 they would win this series, and the Spurs have no excuse for dropping the lead and letting the Heat tie things up. For shame. Tomorrow...hockey. For better or worse. Yay!

Allagash Curieux

Brewed By: Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (Bottling March 1, 2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel/Strong Ale, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

It's been a good weekend, although maybe a bit too short. But it seems appropriate to wrap up with something classy, classy person that I am. About Allagash:

Allagash is a brewery based out of Portland, Maine. The company was founded in 1995 by Rob Tod, who designed a 15-barrel brewhouse, and began brewing some of the first American Belgian-style ales. Rob found success with the Allagash White, and expanded his operation. In 2001, Allagash began caging, corking, and bottle conditioning their beers. Since then, they have continued to celebrate Belgian-style beer.

Tonight's beer, the Curieux, is part of the brewery's year-round releases. This beer was the brewery's first attempt at a barrel-aged beer. The brewery takes their Tripel, and ages it in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks. The beer is then blended back with the fresh Tripel. 

This one pours a golden-orange color in low light, and kicks up a finger's worth of golden-tinted, white head. I'm happy to report that the cork came off nicely, there was no gushing, and the pour was reasonable. In bright light the beer is more of a golden-yellow color, with hints of orange. The head is fluffy, white, and sustaining magnificently for an 11% beer. There's a lot of carbonation rising upwards in this, with tiny bubbles rushing upwards. As you might expect, this is slightly hazy. 

Allagash Curieux

This beer is like Christmas for me. Tripels and Jim Beam? Oh my, yes please. You get big whiskey, Jim Beam, vanilla, oak/wood, and meaty coconut on the nose. You also pick up on some nice orange, light citrus, grass/wheat, some candied/perfume Belgian yeast, yeast spice, and some clove. 

Typically you see breweries throwing Stouts in whiskey barrels, and I get that. But throwing these Belgian ales in whiskey barrels unlocks a whole new spectrum of awesome flavors. I'm pulling out big whiskey, meaty coconut, dried tropical fruits, pineapple, mango, citrus/orange, dried bananas, dried mango/pineapple, and big vanilla. There's a big warming in the mix, but the booze itself is virtually undetectable (aside from the Whiskey flavors). As I go in for another sip, I get a wash of the base beer up front, with big citrus, wheat, grass, clove, and Belgian funk...and then the tropical fruits show up, followed by the barrel. 

This has a palate fatiguing effect, where taking quick sips back to back causes the whiskey to fade a bit. If you wait a bit between sips, you get a fresh wash of big whiskey notes. This is very drinkable for an 11% beer, and the body is creamy, has just the right amount of carbonation, and a medium-full mouthfeel. The beer is a bit sticky on the finish, but I wasn't expecting champagne-dryness at 11%. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. You get big base beer up front, with Tripel-esque notes; that rolls into tropical fruits, and burgeoning whiskey; that rolls into big whiskey, wood, bourbon; the finish is vanilla, coconut, tropical fruits...slightly sticky and dry.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I will grant this a Light Divine Brew. This is somewhere between the Bruery's very tasty White Oak, and the very tasty Two Brothers' Bare Tree. I'm really feeling the tropical fruit vibe you get with this beer. Lots of bourbon, vanilla, coconut, and mango/pineapple. Good stuff. I feel like this would pair well with mussels or scallops, maybe calamari. You could also pair this with pasta that has a strong cheese sauce, or put it against some peppery chicken/turkey. This could also work with fruity desserts (like pie), or a cheese course. Really tasty stuff, and a nice twist on the Tripel.

Random Thought: Weekend movie recap: This Is The End was hilarious, go see it. Superman was good, but had a lot of problems. Star Trek: Into The Darkness was awesome and good fun.

The Bruery White Oak

Brewed By: The Bruery in Placentia, California  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 11.5%

Reported IBUs: 20

Continuing with the barrel-aged, bourbon beers...we have The Bruery: 

The Bruery are based out of Placentia, California. As with many craft breweries, The Bruery began as a homebrewing adventure when Patrick Rue, his brother Chris, and his wife Rachel brewed their fast batch of beer. Patrick Rue continued to homebrew during his first year of law school, until he decided that he had a passion for brewing beer. The Bruery opened up in 2008, and since then, they have built a reputation around their experimental, and wild ales brewed with a Belgian flair. To read more, check out the Breuery's website.

Tonight's beer is part of The Bruery's "special collection." The White Oak is is a blended beer, 50% Wheatwine aged in Bourbon barrels, and 50% Mischief (the brewery's Golden Strong Ale). Clocking in at 11.5% and 20 IBUs, this beer is described as having vivid caramel, coconut, and vanilla flavors...blanketed in a crisp yet robust wheat ale. Let's see how she stacks up.

The Bruery White Oak

In low light, this beer pours a darker golden color, with two fingers of fluffy, white head. In bright light, the body of the beer is a murky/hazy golden-orange, and the head is bright white with maybe a hint of gold. There's a lot of tiny carbonation bubbles streaming up in this, and the head is creamy and sustaining nicely like on a nice Belgian Ale.

I was expecting more aromatics on this, but what I am getting on the subtle nose is big whiskey aroma, pears, berries, banana, clove, mango/pineapple, and some light caramel/white sugar. You do get some of that coconut and pina colada thing going on.

Like the nose, this is a subtle beer. But there's a lot going on. You definitely get some big whiskey, oak, vanilla, and coconut in this...but you get a blast of refreshing citrus, mango/pineapple, banana/clove, and wheat up front. As the barrel and whiskey character settles in, you get coconut, pina colada, vanilla, caramel, and lingering wheat beer. 

This is a really awesome blend. I don't know how they did it, but the way this beer transitions from a solid Belgian-style Golden Ale/Wheat beer to those whiskey characters is amazing. The 11.5% in this is completely within reason, as you get much more whiskey than alcohol heat. The whiskey is done with a deft hand, and has a mild character with big vanilla/coconut/caramel. This is a medium-full beer, with Belgian Strong Ale-like carbonation that smooths things out. The wheat gives the mouthfeel a creamy edge, and the beer is dry/attenuated. It finishes with whiskey and some whiskey heat. Palate depth is good, complexity is good...up front is big wheat, clove, apples, pears, citrus, mango/pineapple...this rolls into whiskey/wood...that rolls into big coconut, vanilla, caramel, pina colada. The finish is super dry, with lingering whiskey, wheat, and coconut.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Not surprisingly, as this warms, the Bourbon comes out even more, with pronounced vanilla, whiskey, and coconut notes. All-in-all, this is great stuff...almost like two beers in one. I wish some of the flavors and aromas were a bit more pronounced, but I can't complain. I'm hesitant to recommend food pairings, as this strikes me as a sipping beer with the potent ABV + the 750ml bottle format. You might do well sharing this with a friend. You could serve this with coconut cream pie, lemon meringue pie, strong cheeses...maybe even something like friend calamari. It's very wine-like, and has a dry finish. You can't miss the whiskey though. I don't remember the price per bottle, but this one will age for a year or two, so it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the style.

Random Thought: I'm so behind on movies. I have so many movies to go see...I'm hoping to knock out one or two movies this weekend, so we'll see how that goes.

Revolution Very Mad Cow

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company (Revolution Beer LLC) in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2012 

Style/ABV: Milk Stout, 9.7%

Reported IBUs: 30

I'm finally getting around to cracking open Revolution's barrel-aged Mad Cow. The regular Mad Cow is stellar stuff, so I have pretty high hopes.

Revolution Brewing is a brewery and brewpub based in Chicago. Revolution's roots are tied to founder Josh Deth, a homebrewer who began working at Golden Prairie Brewing. A few years later, while working at Goose Island, Josh dreamt up the idea for Revolution Brewing. In 2003, Josh and his wife opened Handlebar, while Josh worked as an Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. While working for the Chamber of Commerce, Josh found an old building on Milwaukee Avenue, and the wheels began to spin to open up a brewery. After three years of raising funds, Revolution Brewing opened its doors on February 2010. In July of 2011, Revolution added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge. And in 2012, the company opened a new production brewery and tap room. The brewpub is located in Logan Squre on 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; the brewery is located on Kedzie Avenue at 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. For more information on Revolution, check out their history page here!  

If you roll over to the Very Mad Cow page, you can get some info on this beer. This is a bourbon barrel-aged Milk Stout, aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels. Clocking in at 9.7% ABV, and 30 IBUs, this is going to be a roasty and sweet beer. The back of the box for this beer states: "We start by brewing Mad Cow, a big and bold milk stout that uses over a thousand pounds of Wisconsin-roasted barley per batch. The infusion of unfermentable milk sugar (lactose) imparts a residual sweetness to balance the roasted malt. After aging six months in bourbon whiskey barrels, Very Mad Cow emerges from the wood with a stampede of vanilla and caramel flavors pulled from the charred oak barrel staves. Drink it with dessert or as dessert."

Revolution Very Mad Cow

This is going to shock people, but this beer looks like a Stout. In lower light, the body is dark black, but has some hints of brown on the edges when held to a bright light. In lower light, I kicked up a finger of tan/khaki head. The head is surprisingly persistent, with a nitro/Guinness-like centimeter sticking around that won't die. It's also leaving nice lacing. 

I'm getting a lot of bourbon, vanilla, and...subtle fruitiness/sweetness on the nose. Maybe I'm pulling out molasses/caramel. There's a lot of wood as well. The roast is subdued, if not completely absent. 

Milk Stouts are already on the verge of over-the-top sweet, and this beer just bludgeons you with big vanilla, bourbon, whiskey smack, oak, wood, and then caramel/sugar/molasses. There's some fruity sweetness dancing around here, with hints of plums/raisins/molasses, and you get some booze on the back end. There's maybe a hint of roast (or light earth/coffee), but it seems to have been traded in for bourbon. 

I forgot this was 9.7%, so it must be doing something right. The alcohol is hidden well, but you do get that whiskey flavor. This is very oily, with light carbonation. And yet...I would call this medium-full in terms of its mouthfeel. This is definitely a sipping beer, and probably a dessert beer, and something you want to work on over an hour or two...or share with some friends. Complexity is just okay, and the palate depth is also good but not amazing. You get sweet caramel/dark fruits up front; that rolls into bourbon, vanilla, wood, oak; the back end trails off with more fruits, and then light earth/coffee. The finish is lingering whiskey.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. I hesitate to say this improves the base beer because the base beer is so good. If anything, this adds a new dimension to the base beer that some people will enjoy, and others might not be as fond of. Either way, this beer is balanced and has some finesse. It's also interesting, in that you don't find many bourbon barrel-aged Milk Stouts. I would skip the food pairings and sip on this. This is a hefty beer, and will serve you well over the course of an afternoon. 

Random Thought: I don't care if the Hawks win it all or not, game one was some good hockey. Triple overtime? Yes please. Game two is going to be INTENSE. 

Big Sky Kriek Ale

Brewed By: Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana

Purchased: 750ml bottle from Binny's in IL; 2013 purchase, 2010 Vintage (0864 of 3600)

Style/ABV: "Kriek" / Fruit Beer, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 15

Every now and then you take one for the team....tonight's beer was in the clearance section of Biiieennie's. 2010 Vintage, green bottle and all. So I rolled the dice without reading any reviews. Let me back up for two seconds before I dive into this beer. About Big Sky:

Big Sky Brewing is the largest brewery in Montana, and distributes beer to 23 states. They produce 33,000 barrels annually, and have been around since 1995. The brewery was founded by Neal Leathers, Bjorn Nabozney, and  Brad Robinson. As with most of these origin stories, Brad and Neal were homebrewers. In the early 90s they worked at a Sportsmen's Surplus and High Country Sports, and they met Bjorn. Unimpressed by the local beer, Brad and Neal began to explore beer more widely, and became interested in opening their own brewery. With Bjorn's business chops, the trio brewed their first batch of beer in mid-June of 1995. The company was a draft-only brewery for its first five and a half years, until January 2003 when they moved to a larger brewing location. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page HERE.

Now...I do like Big Sky. Their Moose Drool is a very nice beer, and is probably due for an updated review. But tonight's beer is a hot, confused mess from the get-go. Billed as a Kriek, the bottle states that this beer starts as a Belgian Style Golden Ale, is then aged with organic cherries from the Orchard at Flathead Lake, and is then aged with more cherries for 3-months-plus in French oak wine barrels. It's unclear if this is even has wild yeast, and the 10% ABV is crazy stacked. The base beer is a Belgian Strong Ale...but this does use Pale and Malted Wheat malts, and Hallertau Tradition hops. The reviews haven't been so great, but I'm approaching this like a fruit beer. Here's to hoping this is just a bad Kriek and not a bad beer.

The cork came off with a satisfying, "POP!" It was followed by a chimney of smoke, and all I could think was, "I'm glad I opened this over a sink." Yeah...this one gushed, so I rushed to pour it into my glass. The rushed pour probably exaggerated the head, as I kicked up 2 to 3 fingers at first, but it RAPIDLY dissolved with audible, violent fizzing. The whole beer is fizzling away, in the bottle and in the glass. In lower light, the body is a swampy brown/red/purple, with a red/brown-tinted head. When held to a bright light, the body is a murky/swampy orange, with lots of carbonation streaming upwards. There is a ring of head hanging around the top, and of course there are legs on this. The amount of carbonation still streaming upwards is crazy....I'm surprised this beer didn't go rogue and blow up like a grenade. Dem champagne bottles.

All you need to know about this beer is revealed by the aroma. This smells much more like Dogfish Head's Fort than it does a Kriek. I'm sorry, but advertising IS part of presentation and that does matter. Sprite-like carbonation is dancing off the surface of this, tingling my nose. It's like touching your nose to an old CRT-TV, or feeling a light mist. I'm getting nice fruit: cherries, raspberry, cherry skins, light honey, malt sweetness, and a touch of pleasant/mild wood. There's even a hint of oak on the nose. The nose smells fine...

Big Sky Kriek Ale

...the taste is definitely sub-par. My initial thought is, "oh hey, this is slightly oxidized." Why? How? What? I guess it has been 2 or 3 years, and this beer wasn't stored in ideal conditions by any means. You get astringent Windex up front, with some cough syrup cherry on the back. Between those two horrors is a beer that has potential. I'm getting nice raspberry, cherry, raspberry puree, some tea/herbal character, and hints of faded wood. It's wine-like at times, in fact. But those nice features fade into failure and broken dreams. You're reminded of those nights when your Russian babysitter would drink bottles of cough syrup, pace around the house cursing in Russian, and then spray you with Windex. 

For a hand grenade, the carbonation doesn't really follow through. Yes, this is tingly and spritzy like a Belgian Ale, but it's kind of dull. The mouthfeel is medium-full, with unfortunate stickiness, unpleasant astringency, and yeah. The 10.0% ABV isn't the roadblock, it's the beer. Ergo, complexity and palate depth are both between "meh" and "who cares." You get sweet malts, Windex, and cherry astringency up front; this follows with reasonable cherry/raspberry puree...and then fades to cough syrup dreams (without the fun dreams you get if you drink lots of cough syrup). 

Rating: Below-Average (2.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Below-Average here. I'm not a big fan of drain pours, but fuck me. Life is short, man. This is 10.0%!!!! And it's not that shitty of a night. If I wanted to get wasted, sure, this would be okay...but so would malt liquor. I'm not even going to recommend food pairings. Don't buy this beer! Even if you see it discounted for $Free-ninety-five. Don't do it! Go buy up a sixer of Moose Drool instead, because that beer is...the tits. 

Random Thought: This is a Fruit Beer. A Fruit Beer. A beer made with fruit, aged in barrels. #LEAVEBELGIANALONE

Stone Old Guardian (2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.6% 
Reported IBUs: 80

Another night...another beer. About Stone:

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

If you roll over to the Old Guardian page, you can get Stone's breakdown of this beer. The 2013 Old Guardian is described as excessive....clocking in at 11.6% ABV, and punching 80 IBUs..this one is described as malty and hoppy. 

Stone Old Guardian (2013 Vintage)

In low/crappy light this pours a murky, dark-orange color, with two fingers of sticky, amber-colored head. In bright light, this beer is a lovely dark orange color -- maybe a slight haze -- with mid to large sized bubbles streaming upwards at a moderate pace. The orange-tinted head is sticking around, and leaving some incredibly dense lacing as it drops off.

There's some good smells here. I'm getting tons of thick, resinous, pine sap and maple syrup. There's thick caramel, toffee, molasses, a touch of honey, a touch of marmalade, and some fat citrus and tropical fruits. I'm getting orange, tangerine, and big pineapple. There's also a dash of nutty character.

So...as I kind of expected, this is pretty hop-forward. I'm definitely gonna let it warm up for another half hour, but at the moment: this has vicious hop bite, with big resinous citrus, pineapple, and tons of burnt caramel and burnt sugar. The back is bitter and drying, and the whole thing is surprisingly not that sweet for 11.6%. As this warms up, the malts do start to pop a bit more. Now I'm getting brown sugar, sweet caramel/toffee, and a much more rounded malt vs. hops balance.

This is an aggressive beer. The 11.6% is hidden well, but this does warm you up. There's maybe a hint of booze throughout. There's certainly a big hop punch to this beer, and plenty of sticky-sweet residual sugars that end up coating your mouth and lips. This is full-bodied, has good palate depth, but just moderate complexity. This definitely improves as it warms, I'm curious to see how this will taste with a year or two of age on it. Up front is big sweet citrus, resinous pineapple, and burnt sugar; this rolls into some pine, pine sap, more burnt sugar; the back end is lingering resinous hops, astringent/bitter finish.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average here. This is very much an American-style Barleywine, with a dominating hop presence, but it's just a touch distracting. Maybe that's just me speaking, but I dunno. I love Barleywines, and I love hoppy beers. Maybe with a bit of time this one will lose some of the hop bite and pick up some more malt kick. Either way...This beer is strong enough to stand up to aggressive foods, so pair this with some blue cheese, bacon, red meats, strong cheese, etc. This is definitely a sipper, but drinkability is fine for the style. Ideally, you would snag two bottles of this. Drink one fresh, and camp on that second bottle for 1-3 years. All things considered, this is still worth trying at around 7 or 8 dollars a bomber.

Random Thought: TGIF. That's all.