[Cellar Review] Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA (Vintage 2012)

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 750ml (1 pint, 9.4oz) bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013 (Bottled In: 2012G 03:37 aka December 2012???)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 7.5% 

Reported IBUs: 75

Maple syrup? Check. Cellared beer? Check. Awww yis. About Dogfish Head:

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

A little over a year ago, I reviewed the Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA. The 75 Minute IPA is a fantastic beer, blending the 60 and 90 Minute IPA, and adding a little maple syrup and dry hop goodness. You're probably wondering why I chose to age a 7.5% IPA, and that's a good question, Scotty. There was no real reason behind this decision, other than the beer is (1) bottle conditioned, (2) fortified with maple syrup, and (3) a Dogfish Head IPA. I find Dogfish Heads heavier IPAs to be a bit cakey and malty, and I'm hoping this one holds up like one of your French Barleywines. I'll paint it like one anyway. 

Because this comes in a 750ml, Dogfish Head opted to use one of those confusing dating codes. This one has a "Bottled on 2012G" marking. I assume that means this is a 2012 vintage, and word on the street was that the "G batch" was brewed in December. Don't quote me on that, but the timeline matches up with my original review. 

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA (Vintage 2012)

Unlike last night, I was a little more prepared for some gushing action. This one did prematurely pop like teenage boys, but there was no fountain. This one pours into a super juicy and super hazy honey-amber body. There are gorgeous gold and honey tones, and the beer kicks up three fingers of gorgeous, honey-tinted head. It's a good looking beer, and it hardly looks like it has been worked over in the cellar. In bright light the beer is a vibrant orange with yellow tones, and there are streams of tiny carbonation visible in the mix. 

The aroma is faded and subtle and not very prominent. That's a mild concern, but I'm happy to report that I am getting some Barleywine-esque pine and syrup on the nose, along with some mild maple syrup, caramel, cakey malts, and a faint cakey citrus note (sweet orange candies). There's also maybe a hint of oxidation on the nose.

The taste isn't bad...this is actually pretty interesting. It's just very toned down and one note. This beer was banging fresh, but now it's settled into something super mellow. I'm getting mellow pine, cakey malts, honey, maple syrup, bread, light oxidation, and the whole package is super gentle. It's almost vinous at this point, like a honey or maple syrup mead. There's lots of carbonation, which really helps stimulate your tongue and move things along, and the very faint pine notes are of the pleasant variety. Oxidation is on its way but this still tastes good. There is no paper and no ass pennies to be found here. 

This is fantastically mild, with a medium-light mouthfeel that is well-carbonated and leaning towards the malty. The malts aren't overbearing or sweet, which is really interesting. This is actually a really interesting beer to try aged, it's just not very bold or bright. Palate depth is good with good duration and intensity, the complexity is rock-bottom low with a one note theme. Up front: maple/honey/pine sap and pine; the mids roll into more honey and pine sap, with subtle cake and bread; the back end finishes with lingering honey, pine sap, and syrup. It almost reminds me of a wine or something aged on oak.  

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this experiment. What I like about this is the gentle malts that aren't overly sweet or overbearing. That's an impressive quality you don't find in many beers. It really reminds me of a wine or even a malty Scotch Ale aged in oak. It's a really gentle, nice flavor...proof that putting honey or maple syrup into your beer can only result in good things. Like Hopslam, this is a beer best consumed fresh. When this beer is fresh, you get a brilliant interplay between bold hops, cakey malts, and the maple syrup. I'm happy I gave aging this a shot, but I wouldn't do it again. Food pairings here: bread pudding, dessert foods, anything with pine nuts, risotto, and yeah.

Random Thought: I really like the 90 Minute and 60 Minute IPAs. But the 75 Minute IPA is in its own class of awesome. Dogfish Head needs to brew that beer more regularly. 

[Cellar Review] Pipeworks Santa vs. Unicorn (American Barleywine Style Ale) (Vintage 2013)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #79) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 01.22.2013)

Style/ABV: Imperial Red Ale/American Barleywine, 10.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It is hard to believe that it has been over one year since I began reviewing Pipeworks' beers. Back in the January of 2013, I reviewed the Pipeworks Santa vs. Unicorn. I found the beer to be superbly underwhelming. For fun, I thought, "why the hell not, I'll age a bottle."

So I bought another bottle. If you are a keen reader/observer, you'll note that the beer I am reviewing tonight is from the Batch #79 release. The beer I reviewed back in January 2013 was from Batch #64. The two batches were brewed close enough together that I doubt it matters much, plush this shitty blog is far and away from a perfect science. You've been warned.

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. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

I have some serious reservations about aging Pipeworks' beers, especially their early batches. BUT, to the credit of Pipeworks, the beers I have held on to for extended periods of time did hold up well. Specifically the Raspberry Truffle Abduction, which was a delight half a year later. 

Tonight's beer was brewed for the Winter, but has made several appearances with possible recipe tweaks and slightly different names. A much improved version of this beer was released in July of 2013; the Sam Vs Unicorn found Pipeworks channeling their inner Lagunitas. The Sam Vs Unicorn was a fantastically hoppy, spicy, malty, Imperial Red...the type of shit that I salivate over. I do love my Imperial Reds. Imperial Reds flirt with American Barleywines, but are so much better. I'm really curious to see how this one has held up to age. 

Without further ado. And if you care what is on the back of this bottle, go read my review for Batch #64. The print is identical. 

Pipeworks Santa vs. Unicorn (Vintage 2013)

As I kind of anticipated, this one gushed on the pour. That's what happens when you age a conditioned beer for a year and then open it up on the warmer side of cellar temps. This one pours into an absolutely swampy orange-red-brown haze. This one is practically opaque, with big juicy brown/orange tones in bright light. It's like a Ween album, weirdly appealing and off-putting at the same time. This one also kicked up a finger of caramel-tinted head that is sustaining quite nicely with a centimeter coating. There's some lacing as well.

How about that aroma though! Wow, this thing has improved with age. At least per my previous tasting notes. I'm getting huge cakey malts, pine sap, maple syrup, waffle house, pine, and pine tar. There is some big hop resin lurking beneath, with resinous grapefruit and lemon making an appearance on the nose. There's good sweetness on the aroma, with caramel, brown sugar, and balanced treacle goodness ala a well-crafted, aged, American Barleywine. 

The taste fails to live up to the awesome aroma, but it's a big improvement over the beer that I reviewed back in 2013 and said "meh" to. This one has a nice body, especially for the style. American Barleywines can be quite heavy-handed, but this has lots of carbonation, with a full-bodied thinness, and just a touch of oxidation. The balance here has shifted from hop-forward into deep caramel sugars, but there are still plenty of hops present. I'm getting big pine, pine sap, maple syrup, treacle sweetness, nuttiness, pine nuts, brown sugars, burnt caramel, more burnt caramel, even more burnt caramel...serious up-thumbs for the dark sugars in here, it's almost Belgian-esque and that is fucking awesome. I don't even know how or why, but I like it. There's some resinous and sappy lemon and citrus hanging around in the taste, but this one mostly dials in that pine-maple-caramel trifecta.

To reiterate, this is full-bodied but on the thinner and more drinkable side, especially for the style. I think this beer toes the line of a true American Barleywine, where the Sam Vs Unicorn is more of an Imperial Red. Palate depth here is good, and this one has good duration. Complexity is low to average, or maybe not. I'm not a huge fan of American Barleywines, but I'm digging this. You don't pick up any of the 10%. There's a lotta pine sap, maple syrup, and caramel sugars up front; that rolls into nuttiness, pine nuts, more pine sap, resinous lemon, bitterness, burnt caramel; the back end continues to layer the dark sugars and burnt caramel, and the finish is surprisingly bitter and piney. Picture the Canadian woods: cabins, brown bears, stalking sorority chicks. That's this beer.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average...I'll toss this a bone for just being a fun experiment. This isn't quite as refined or complex as a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot or whatever classic Barleywine comes to your mind, but at the same time it's not really far behind. I found this beer to be really disappointing fresh, but what I have here now is drinking really good. I'd pay $10.99 to age one of these again. Food pairings here: anything with pine nuts, including stuffed mushrooms, risotto, nutty desserts, and maybe even chicken and waffles. 

Random Thought: I don't understand American Barleywines. I have such a love/hate relationship with the style. 

Stillwater ’Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar’ (Babylonian Style Ale) Remix

Brewed By: Stillwater Artisanal at Westbrook Brewing in Baltimore, Maryland  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Belgian Ale/Saison, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I need to drink more Stillwater Artisanal Ales. I think that's a reasonable goal to have for the rest of this year. About Stillwater Artisanal Ales: 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales are a Gypsy Brewery based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009-ish, the beer is brewed by Brian Strumke. You can find the brewery's blog/website HERE.

Tonight's beer, the Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar, is labeled as part of "The Remix Project." The bottle says: "Inspired by the artistry and assertiveness of Omnipollo's Nebuchadnezzar, I decided on a demure approach. Expressing the lovely hop profile of the original & tying it together with farmhouse yeast & brettanomyces for a fruity, funky fiesta;7" -Brian (Stillwater Artisanal) 

Stillwater Babylonian Style Ale

This one pours out into a juicy, unfiltered, body. It's a glorious thing to behold, that raw Saison juice, with radiant yellow and gold/orange tones. The beer props up a finger or two of white, Saison-like head. Bright light confirms the same stuff, with a nice coating of head hanging around, and lots of white webs of lacing abound.

The aroma here is absolutely awesome, with giant hops, tangerine, grapefruit, and tropical fruits...all upholstered on a funky Brett backdrop. The aroma has that dry citrus from the hops that is accentuated by the Brett. It's earthy and raw, like smelling raw hops. There's a lot of citrus on the nose: grapefruit, orange, and big lemon. And I'm getting big peaches and Brett. Enough said.

This is a bit heavier on the taste than I was expecting. It's a bit lower in carbonation (although not to a fault) with lots of juicy character, and an almost rustic, mead-like quality. Okay, it's not as heavy as a mead...I mean, this is still amazingly drinkable and crushable like you would expect from a Saison. I attribute a lot of that to the Brett cleaning things up. I'm getting juicy pineapple, citrus, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and big peaches in here. There are also big notes of Brett, dry wheat, barnyard funk, mango, and some crushed Aspirin bitterness (again, not a bad thing). 

This is medium-bodied, and totally juicy and crushable at 6.0%. The carbonation that is present does a great job, and the mild dryness from the Brett is perfect as you get Brett funk and big peaches and tropical goodness. The bitterness here isn't over-the-top, and there's very little in the way of peppery spice. Palate depth is fantastic, and complexity is middling. There's not much to add. Up front is big citrus, hops, tropical fruits; the mids roll into Brett funk, dryness, bitter hops, huge peaches; the back end cleans up with bitter hops, bitter Brett, earthy, and mild bitterness. It's all done very well, and dat juicy goodness.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this...this is just more confirmation that Stillwater is awesome and I need to snag more of their stuff when I see it. Truly impressive beer here, I would pair this with Mediterranean dishes, Greek salad, lamb, a leafy burger, Italian pizza, or some rustic potatoes and poultry. Really good shit and reasonably priced. 

Random Thought: Brett makes farmhouse ales better, yo

Solemn Oath Whisper Kisses

Brewed By: Solemn Oath Brewing in Naperville, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Saison, 8.3%

Reported IBUs: 65

Spring is Saison season, so let's celebrate this overcast, slightly below-average temperature Sunday with a locally brewed Saison. About Solemn Oath:

Solemn Oath is a brewery based out of Naperville, IL, and was founded in 2012 by brothers John and Joe Barley, and former Rock Bottom employee Tim Marshall. Marshall's experience was with Belgian-style beers and barrel aging. After John and Tim scouted out the location, they began to install the brewery and on-site taproom. The first brew day was on April 21, 2012. Prior to that, the brewery signed a distribution deal with the Windy City Distribution, and launched three beers during the Chicago Craft Beer Week in 2012. The brewery already has expanded, adding additional barrels (up to 3,200 barrels) in January 2013. The brewery recently started bottling their beers in late 2013, and they have an on-site taproom where you can get a beer, grab some food from one of the many food trucks that stops by, and watch them brew their beer on site. For more information, definitely check out the brewery's ABOUT page or main website.

The Whisper Kisses is an American-style Saison brewed with French Saison yeast that is described as having bready malt sweetness, and floral, fruity hop character. Punching in at 8.3% and 65 IBUs, I have high hopes for this one. 

Solemn Oath Whisper Kisses

This one pours into a hazy, golden-yellow body, kicking up three fingers of white head. It's like the Mona Lisa of Saisons, following the appearance guidelines to a tee. Just a beautiful looking beer. There's peppery carbonation in the body, and the lacing has dat Spider-Man cling. Like creepy boyfriends.

Speaking of creepy boyfriends, this beer has awesome bottle art and an awesome name. I'm getting huge tropical fruits on the aroma: pineapple, white peaches, sweet lemons/orange, mango, passion fruit, and just giant crushable hop sweetness. Along with the tropical fruits is some big white pepper, and huge bready malt backing. The bready yeast in here is awesome. This smells refreshing and crushable, cheers.

The taste here isn't as amazing as the aroma, but this beer isn't a slouch either. Noticeable in the taste but obviously missing on the aroma is the hop bitterness...this is quite bitter and hoppy at 65 IBUs. I like it though. I'm getting huge sweet hops on the taste: sweet lemon/orange, pineapple, mango, white peaches, passion fruit. This beer is incredibly juicy with giant crushed tropical fruits and stone fruits. There's some big white pepper in the taste as well, with tons of backing bready malts and yeast funk. 

Saisons can go a lot of ways, but the balance here is less on the farmhouse and funk and more on the giant, crushable, American hops. There is a TON of crushable tropical fruit juice and sweet citrus in here, with white pepper as the secondary character, and then some nice bready and yeasty notes in the back. It's really, really nice. At 8.3%, this is ridiculously drinkable, and the 65 IBUs impart a really welcomed hop bitterness to this beer. As you can probably tell, I'm enjoying this. The mouthfeel is medium-light, and the beer has fantastic palate depth and duration for the style, and average complexity. Up front is a rush of wheat, gentle malts, and an assault of bright hops, tropical fruits, citrus, and American hop goodness; the mids dial up more tropical fruits, pineapple, peaches, some clove funk, white pepper, and then you pick up some nice bitterness; the back end continues with clove, bitterness, and white pepper, and then you get some nice Belgian yeast funk and a little bready goodness. The finish is hoppy, bitter, and dry. This is fantastic.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is an awesome beer, and something I would get by the growler-full at Solemn Oath. Solemn Oath may just be the most underrated brewery in Illinois right now, because they are cranking out some fantastic beer. This Saison is spot-on and then some with that huge rush of bold tropical fruits. If they threw some Brett in here or barrel-aged this, well it might just turn into a divine brew. Food pairings here include your usual Saison pairings: peppery chicken or turkey, mango salsa and a chicken sandwich/burger, lightly spiced wings, white fish, fruit salad, rustic potatoes, and anything that goes well with tropical hops or white/black pepper. Would bang again, especially at the price of around $8/bomber.

Random Thought: I love these basketball/baseball/hockey afternoons. 

Three Floyds / Surly / Real Ale - Blakkr

Brewed By: 
Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana 
Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Imperial Black Ale/IPA, 9.0%
Reported IBUs: 90

Tonight's beer is a collaboration between three breweries. I guess we can give props where props are due. 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.

About Surly Brewing: 

The Surly Brewing company is a brewery based out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The brewery was founded in 2005 by long time homebrewer Omar Ansari with the help of Todd Haug (Minneapolis's Rock Bottom Brewery). For more info, check out the brewery's about page. 

About The Real Ale Brewing Company: 

The Real Ale Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Blanco, TX that was founded in 1996 by Philip & Diane Conner and their son, Charles. The family set up shop in a basement of an antiques store in the Blanco town square. They originally brewed three beers: a Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, Rio Blanco Pale Ale, and a Brewhouse Brown Ale. In 1998, the brewery was taken over by homebrewer and UT graduate Brad Farbstein. Construction for an expansion began in 2005, and went live in 2006. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

The Blakkr is described as a huge, Double Black IPA. Real Ale Brewing describes this as having "subtle dark malt and toffee character," which "quickly yields to the citrus and tropical notes provided by a staggering amount of hops." 

Three Floyds / Surly / Real Ale - Blakkr

This one pours into an opaque black body; it's not quite as inky-thick as an Imperial Stout, but it's not a slouch either. The beer kicks up three fingers of tan/khaki head, and as the head drops off your are left with massive webs of lacing. Head retention is nice too. 

As soon as you crack this one open, you get blasted with intense hop kick. I was getting huge pineapple, guava, tropical fruits, and GIANT, DANK, resinous pine. It's like a stoned tropical fruit party, something that Three Floyds could be the creators of. Along with all the hops are huge layers of dark, rich malts. I'm getting big coffee, toffee, dark fruits, and some underlying roasty/chocolate.

This is fantastically bitter and hoppy, with huge underlying roast complexity. Up front is a wash of citrus, resinous pine, dank, guava, pineapple, and dark tropical fruits. The mids give way to crashes of pine against huge roast, and then the bitterness kicks in, with coffee and roast. The back end really dials up the coffee, with some lingering coffee/dark chocolate, resinous pine, and some toffee. Finishes sticky and dry.

This is full-bodied -- impressive stuff -- really. It kind of drinks like a Stout, despite being an Imperial Black IPA. Palate depth is outstanding, and the complexity is really good as well. At 9.0% or whatever this is, this is pretty drinkable. I'm digging this. Up front are huge hops, pine, guava, tropical fruit; the mids hit coffee, chocolate, roast, toffee, more hops; the back end is bitter with bitter coffee, dark chocolate, and a dry finish. This is a heavy hitter. Impressive.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a heavy hitter, that's for sure. It's also a really solid Imperial Black IPA, with a nice balance of intense hops and big malty goodness. There's a lot of guava, tropical fruits, pine, dank hops, and big roasty/coffee/chocolate goodness to be had with this beer. You can pair this beer with big burgers, steaks, strong cheeses, chocolate cakes, or even something spicy...I don't know about wings, but maybe a nice mole sauce. Good stuff, would recommend, especially at around ~$10 a pop.

Random Thought: My only gripe about having four local sports games on during a Friday night is that the night flies by. Damn. 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 Reserve - "Best after 02/24/15")

Style/ABV: English-style Barley Wine, 11.2%
Reported IBUs: 53

Tonight's beer had a limited release event --- which I missed. But I was very happy to find it in bottles. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Mirror Mirror Barleywine is part of Deschutes' Reserve Series of beers. This beer began as a double batch of the Mirror Pond Ale, and should feature lots of big, Barleywine goodness. The bottle says a couple of things, including "best after 2/24/15;" "Mirror Mirror: Barley Wine Ale with 50% aged in wine barrels;" and, "The Reserve Series romance all began with our first release of this limited-edition brew. Mirror Mirror, born of a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, is an inspired barley wine ale layered with intriguing nuances. Explore this latest incarnation and enjoy its delicious complexity in every sip." 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

This pours out exactly as you'd expect. Pick your tone: red, orange, amber, copper. It's kind of a murky haze of all of them. The beer produces two fingers of caramel/amber-tinted head, and the head is made up of really nice bubbles. There is impressive lacing, alcohol legs, and some head is retaining for the long haul. Bright light confirms much of the same, and you can see the dots of tiny carbonation rising upwards. Actually, the tight spiderweb lacing left on my glass is one of the best parts about this beer's appearance. 

On the aroma: I'm getting a lot of fruity notes and wine character here. I'm pulling out barrel and wine-driven dates, raisins, grapes, berries, cherry, strawberry, and tons of barrel/wine character. There's some nondescript hops on the aroma, with mild pine sap and hop sap, and there is also some underlying brown sugar and toffee sweetness. Overall though, the aroma on this one is somewhat subtle.

This is on the lighter side of Barley Wines, and it is still hoppy enough that it doesn't quite fall into the straight up English Barleywine category. I suspect with age some of these hops are going to mellow out into pine sap, maple syrup, and pine...and it's going to be very nice. I'm getting a lot of toffee, brown sugar, berries, wine tannin and barrel, sweet and candied hops, and sugary goodness. There is some nice barrel character in here, and the wine notes are very subtle with mild grape and tannin kick. It really does kind of taste like an amped up Pale Ale that has been given the wine barrel treatment. There are some cherries and raisins in the taste as well, along with hints of plums.

I'm gonna have to see how this one ages down the stretch. Right now this is Above-Average but it's not quite world class. It's very good though. I'd almost call this balanced and drinkable, especially for the style. While the mouthfeel is full-bodied, it is also thinner and lighter for the style. Nevertheless, you would never guess this is an 11.2% beer as the booze is largely hidden. The beer is well carbonated, and the hops and barrel help balance out the sweetness. Palate depth is fantastic, and the complexity is moderate. Up front is big hop bitterness, pine sap, candied hops, brown sugars, bitterness; that opens into more bitterness, barrel character, wine, tannin, dark sugars, fruits, toffee; the back end dials up some berry sweetness, figs, raisins, more barrel and tannin, lingering wine. The finish is dry and sweet, with tons of barrel and tons of brown sugar/fruit. I think this is going to be stellar in two years.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Unlike The Abyss, I think this one will actually really benefit from aging. It's a bit hoppy right now, and that seems to be throwing things off a bit. Having said that, this is incredibly drinkable and balanced. I'm amazed at how smooth and drinkable this is for 11.2%. This is still nuanced enough to work as a sipper, but if you must pair it with food, I'd go with sweeter desserts like bread pudding, or maybe a burger with a sweet barbecue sauce. Good shit, I look forward to revisiting it.

Random Thought: I'm tired of reading about Session IPAs, right?

[Cellar Review] Samuel Adams Imperial White (Imperial Series) (Vintage 2012)

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

Reported IBUs: 15

Tonight's beer should be a lot of fun. Back in 2012, I cracked into a bottle of the Sam Adams Imperial White. I found the beer to be equal parts cloyingly sweet, boozy, and over-the-top. It's a divisive brew, even by my own standards. But I'm curious to see how this one has held up down the stretch. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Imperial White has since changed from its 4-pack, 12oz format. Now part of the Sam Adams Small Batch series, this beer is described as having "an exotic blend of spices reminiscent of medieval brewing." Suggested tasting notes include coriander, dried plum, anise, orange, and citrus. This one is brewed with wheat and pale malts; Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops; and orange & lemon peel, dried plum, grains of paradise, coriander, anise, hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, and vanilla. At 10.3% and 15 IBUs, this is one big, malty, sweet beer. But the real question is....how does it age?

[Cellar Review]  Samuel Adams Imperial White 2012

This one pours into a murky golden-orange body that is super swampy and absolutely filthy. The beer kicks up three-plus fingers of thick, creamy, porridge-like head. The head is golden/orange-tinted, and is sustaining like a wheat beer. It's impressive for a 2-year old beer. Along with the impressively swampy body and thick creamy head, there are some yeast floaters in the glass. Bright light confirms the same stuff.

On the aroma: huge Twizzlers, Doppelbock-like sweetness, oranges, weird medicinal funk and band-aids, eggnog, and lots of intense spice. I'm pulling out big anise, clove, coriander, and some spicy funk. There's an underlying bready heaviness to the aroma as well. 

Age has done a lot for this beer in terms of mellowing out the taste. I'm getting a lot of that classic apple/raisin/apple juice flavor you get from aged wheat beers. Gone is the cloying sweetness, orange spice, and booze. I'm picking up mild orange, bready notes, grains of paradise, anise, Twizzlers, and tons of bread. It's stuck somewhere between a Wheatwine and an Imperial White...and it really reminds me of the Pipeworks' Elijah's Revival. 

Aging this beer was a good idea, and I'm happy I took the gamble. At 10.3%, this beer was not only originally cloying and sickly sweet, it was also boozy. Now that the cloying and sweet part has dropped off, you are just left with the boozy aspects. As it stands now...the booze is not nearly as noticeable. Palate depth is good and the beer has good duration, but this isn't very complex for the grocery list of ingredients involved. This one kind of flat-lines after the mid-palate. You get big wheat, apples, raisins, Twizzlers, and bready orange and spice up front; that rolls into a huge, sweet, bready middle, with tons of orange and spice; the back end is trailing apple juice, raisins, wheat, and bread. The finish is actually kind of dry and bitter relative to the immense sweetness. This one is full-bodied but nowhere near as full-bodied as it is when fresh.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average here. This is just okay...I'm happy I cellared it, but this isn't doing much for me. Honestly, I need to revisit this beer fresh, but this is one of those beers that is having a serious identity crisis. It's an Imperial White...so it's not a proper Wheatwine, it's not a proper Wheat Ale, and it's not a proper Belgian Strong. You can get a lot of the notes and characteristic from this beer in other, better beers. But anyway, food pairings here include grilled meats, lamb, and anything with a rustic, raw vibe. Would I recommend cellaring this one? Maybe? I dunno. This beer is divisive and problematic when it is fresh, but it also has some good qualities that are lost in this aged version. Then again, the aged version cuts out a lot of the problematic and cloying sweetness, and that's always a plus. 

Random Thought: The 12oz format here is nice. I can't imagine trying to drink 22oz of of this beer, aged or fresh.

Angry Orchard Green Apple

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Cider, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I love green apples. They are bitter, tart, slightly acidic and slightly crisp...perfect to bake with and always excellent to eat as an afternoon snack. Needless to say, green apples are da bomb. About Angry Orchard/Boston Brewing Company:

Angry Orchard launched nationally sometime around 2012, after the Boston Brewing Company killed their Hardcore Cider brand. Angry Orchard is the Boston Brewing Company's response to the growing demand for and rising popularity of ciders. Unlike local breweries making ciders, Angry Orchard utilizes bittersweet apples from France and culinary apples from Italy. They also use some apples from the Pacific Northwest and Northeast of the United States. To learn more about Angry Orchard's brewing process, check out their brewing/process page.  

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Green Apple is the newest (? I think) of the Angry Orchard lineup of ciders. Described as having a "bright, fresh apple aroma, with notes of honeydew melon and kiwi," this one is "a tart blend of lively apple flavor and balanced sweetness." At 5.0%, this one is perfect to boof and quaff during summer backyard events or while you wait for you kid at daycare in the car. Suggested food pairings include sharp cheddar, grilled chicken (with apple, date, raisins chutney), grilled scallops, or spicy BBQ pork sliders. I'm also going to suggest pairing this with a salad, BUT WE WILL GET THERE IN A MINUTE.

Angry Orchard Green Apple

College chicks are great, but man, arbitrary social guidelines are weird. Like, once you hit a certain age, nailing 18-year-olds is weird. Even if they are in college. Seriously though, this shit looks like every other cider...transparent with that melon-green color that looks like carbonated white wine or champagne. There's some carbonation and this beer gives less head than legit Catholic chicks.

I went out to Easter brunch, and I got my "complimentary glass of champagne." Champagne is great: it's carbonated, it's dry, and it'll get you wasted. This beer smells like apple champagne, with big champagne dryness, grapes, white wine fruit notes (melon, peach, gooseberry), and yeah...I guess if you whip out your dictionary of fruits (umm...phrasing?), you could say this beer smells like kiwis (seriously, are we not doing phrasing?). You definitely get crisp, dry apples on the aroma. You can tell this is a cider, or a flavored champagne.

This is ridiculously drinkable, with big note of champagne, caramel apples, honey sweetness, apples, and some grapes. There's some white wine character, but you mostly get that interplay of champagne, caramel apples, and honey-melon. It does deliver some light tartness, and that is welcomed.

This is light-bodied, crisp, and refreshing. It has moderate tartness, and good sweetness. Maybe it's a touch on the sweeter side with the caramel apple and honey sweetness, but whatever. You get lots of tart apple and caramel apple sweetness up front; that hits big wine, grape notes, champagne, more caramel apple and honey; the back end rides the caramel apple with lingering tart apples. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. Almost riding that Above-Average line, but to be honest this is pretty much what I expect from an average, well-made cider. This melds fruity apples with sweetness, and it happens to come in a very drinkable format. You could easily crush a 6-pack of this while waiting for your kid to come out of the daycare building. Food pairings here are definitely salads with chicken, candied pecans, and raisins. I could also see myself pairing this with pulled pork sandwiches. These Angry Orchard ciders are fucking awesome....they are cheap (@ $8.99 a sixer) and they come in mix-packs if you like variety. I usually pick up a few 6-packs of this stuff over the warmer summer months. 

Random Thought: Between the hockey and basketball playoff games, I am one happy camper.

Stone Enjoy By 04.20.14 IPA

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.4% 
Reported IBUs: 102

"Devastatingly dank." Or, 420 flame the bundle, baguette. 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. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

I've previously dabbled with Stone's Enjoy By series, and needless to say, I'm quite the fan. With that said, today is 4/20, so it seemed like an appropriate time to crack into one of these big, dank, hoppy, Imperial IPAs.

Stone Enjoy By 04.20.14 IPA

In appropriate 420 fashion, this one pours into a flaming orange body. The body is semi hazy like your room after several bong hits, and there are carbonation bubbles rising upwards with sweet bubbly action. This one kicks up two fingers of sticky, hop-fueled head, and there are golden-orange tones everywhere: in the body, the head, and the holy spirit wutttt. Bright light confirms the same stuff, and the lacing is griping on tighter than a stoned teenager hanging on to the armrest during a routine speeding stop. This is the West Coast look that Sam Adams was trying to go for, I think.

The aroma here is dank as hell. There's huge pine, citrus, resin, hemp, and that smell you can only get if you sniff a hippy's jacket or go to a Grateful Dead concert. There's a really nice grassy character on the aroma, flirting with straight up lawnmower trimmings to legit hemp and weed, with tons of underlying resinous citrus, a little caramel sweetness, and a kiss of malty cracker/biscuit. Again, this is what I envision when I dream about West Coast IPAs.

This is a blissfully straightforward West Coast Imperial IPA, and I mean that in a good way. There's tons of resinous, dank, hoppy goodness in the taste...I'm getting big guava, apricot, orange, kumquats, pine, grass, hemp, seedy hemp, weed, lawn trimmings, and some resinous and bitter grapefruit. There's a little push of bitter grapefruit rind and woody resin, and lots of underlying caramel sweetness. There's a touch of biscuity/cracker malt, but this is a hop bomb through and through.

At 9.4%, this is super quaffable. This is a medium-bodied, refreshing beer. Yeah, it's dank and boozy and big, but the bitterness is offset by nice sweetness and the huge West Coast hops provide much needed drinkability. Palate depth is spot on for the style, and complexity is good. It's a great take on the West Coast double-IPA, but nothing too far out of the ordinary. Just a good beer, best consumed fresh. Up front: Lots of sweet hops, citrus, marmalade, caramel sugars; the mids hit grassy notes, more sweet hops, huge dank hemp; the back end starts to dial up some resinous bitterness and grapefruit rind, and you get kisses of cracker/biscuit. This is fantastic and pretty much defines Stone.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a very Strong Above-Average. I really like this series, and I would not hesitate to recommend this or pick up another Enjoy By. These beers are great, and they pair well with American bar food, spicy Mexican food, wings, grilled meats, and anything that an Imperial IPA can go against. I'm a fan of this series, and I think this is one of Stone's better gimmicks. 

Random Thought: Nothing celebrates the resurrection of J-C like 420 blazin' it.

[Cellar Review] Goose Island Big John (Vintage 2012)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (pre-InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from a Binny's in IL; 2012 (bottled on 12/07/2012)

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 11.5% 

Reported IBUs: 60

"Develops in the bottle for up to 1 year," she wrote. I guess that makes tonight's review timely. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

A little over a year ago I jumped into a bottle of the Goose Island Big John. I really enjoyed the beer at the time, with its big chocolate-umami character, but I'm really excited to see how this one has aged down the stretch. You can read about the Big John on Goose Island's website, but all you really need to know is that this is the Bourbon County base beer brewed with tons of cacao nibs. The suggested cellar window is one year, which puts my bottle just a few months past its supposed prime. This one has been properly cellared, so without further ado....

Goose Island Big John (Vintage 2012)

Like my soul, this beer is dark and inky black. The only thing more impressive than the black, oily, opaque body is the three fingers of thick, bready, mocha-brown head that is produced. The head settles into a coating one centimeter thick, and swirling the beer in the glass produces glossy alcohol legs and streaks of brown, residual head trickling down the sides of the glass.

I thought the aged Night Stalker was going to unlock the Bourbon County base beer (Cook County Stout), but the aged Big John is evidently where it is at. I'm getting HUGE Bourbon County qualities on this beer's aroma. There are big brownies, chocolate, deep fudge aromas, and tons of fruity notes. I'm picking up big raisins and figs, courtesy of the time spent aging. There's some coffee and dark fruits in here, along with some hints of meaty roast, and last but not least: a little oxidation. 

Wow, this is fantastic! This is a huge improvement over the fresh version. This tastes like Bourbon County Stout without the Bourbon. I'm getting huge chocolate, brownies, big fudge, subtle hints of coffee, and tons of raisins, figs, and elusive dark fruits. There's a subtle kiss of umami and soy in here, but it has mostly dropped and would probably go unnoticed unless you are familiar with the beer fresh or the Night Stalker. This is very much a chocolate/brownie/fudge-driven Stout, with intense chocolate sweetness balanced by nice bitterness and roast, alcohol, and a giant mouthfeel. 

This is full-bodied with a huge, chewy mouthfeel...but despite the chew this is also pretty smooth, and the roast, hops, and alcohol cut through the beer. At 11.5%, this is fairly drinkable. It pretty much tastes identical to Bourbon County, without the bourbon. Palate depth is off the charts good, and the duration here is amazing. The complexity is average...this one definitely leans on the chocolate. Up front is huge chocolate, syrup, molasses, brown sugar, brownie, fudge, and big sweetness; that rolls into some more chocolate, dark fruits, coffee, some woody creamer, chocolate-dipped cherries; the back end has lingering roast bitterness, anise/licorice, coffee bitterness, dark fruit acidity, and finishes bitter, dry, and sticky. This is good fucking shit. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

Like the aged Night Stalker, this is a Strong Above-Average from me, and WOW. I highly recommend aging these two beers. The Big John wasn't bad fresh, but what I hold here in front of me is this epic Imperial Stout...it's basically Bourbon Count sans bourbon. I have nothing else to add here, I'm happy I pulled this out when I did. If you do age this, shoot for that one year window. Food pairings here include dry chocolate cakes, ice cream, steaks, burgers, grilled red meat, and chocolate fondue. 

Random Thought: And my heart was just broke as the Hawks lose to the Blues..../sigh. 

Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

Brewed By: Dark Horse Brewing Company in Marshall, Michigan  

Purchased: 12oz bottle bough at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is a straight up RIS. There are no bells and no whistles to see here. This one isn't aged in a barrel, and it's not brewed with coffee or chocolate. Hooray. About Dark Horse: 

Dark Horse Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Marshall, Michigan. The brewery was founded in 1998 by Aaron Morse, but began as a restaurant owned by Bill Morse. Aaron suggested turning the restaurant into a brewpub, and the rest was history. For more info, check out their website HERE. 

The Plead the 5th Imperial Stout is an annual, February release. This one is brewed with lots of roasted malts and hops...you know the drill. This beer also comes in several barrel-aged varieties...hopefully I can get my hands on some of those someday. 

Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

This one pours out dark and inky, even by Imperial Stout standards. The head is bready and dense, with a dark brown mocha/truffle color. Bright light confirms the depths of this beer's darkness, and swirling the beer results in glossy brown streaks painting the side of the glass. It's an ominous look.

The aroma here is huge, like getting smacked in the face with grilled/charred ribs. There's a big smokey, charred note....with lots of chocolate, coffee, roast, and ash/dirt. Actually, the aroma really suggests coffee, with earthy coffee dominating the nose. There's a deep woody note in here as well, with some hints of spirits (bourbon) and molasses. 

Like a slice of well-crafted chocolate cake and a cup of espresso, this is rich and dark with layers of flavors and impressive boozy warming on the back end. I'm picking up tons of coffee, chocolate, roast, bourbon, woody vanilla, toast, and dark grain. The body is big, with almost powder/chocolaty density, and with waves of truffle and dark chocolates and coffee. The coffee hits dirt, ash, and sharp espresso, with hints of espresso and vanilla. It's a huge Stout. 

This is a full-bodied, big beer. At 11.0% you do get some booze, but it is welcomed. This is well-carbonated, and really has a nice mouthfeel. It's pretty much perfectly executed. This one isn't too sweet, and cleans up nicely, with a dry and bitter finish. Palate depth and duration are both outstanding, and so is the complexity. This is smooth as hell...up front you get big chocolate, roasted malts, cake, truffles, and bitter dark chocolate; the mids dial up huge coffee, espresso, woody vanilla, some hop kick; the back end mixes chocolate and coffee, with dark grains, toast, espresso, and fade to dry and chocolate. Just...fantastic. I want more of this.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is super solid, so I'll throw this a Light Divine Brew. Basically, check this out if you can. This works on so many levels, and there's a ton of flavor going on here. I plan to seek this out, and this would be a great Winter Warmer or whatever. Food pairings here include dry chocolate cakes, grilled foods, ribs, steak, or even a burger with bacon. This is just fantastic shit, and it's cheap and available and from the Midwest. 

Random Thought: I'll maybe pen more thoughts on the Left Hand/Spiegelau Stout glass later, but I really like it. I look forward to getting some Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro in it.