Deschutes Black Butte XXVI (26th Birthday Reserve)

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (2014 Vintage - "Best after 06/16/15")

Style/ABV: American Porter, 10.8%
Reported IBUs: ?

I have been busy!!! Who knew that graduate school orientation could be so time consuming. I'm ready to crack into a beer. This one is dubbed an "ale brewed with pomengranate molasses with 50% aged in bourbon barrels blended with ale with cocoa nibs and cranberry added." 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 Black Butte is an ongoing release/series: this 26th anniversary Imperial Porter was aged in bourbon barrels and dry spiced with "Theo Chocolate's" cocoa nibs. This also features pomengranate molasses and Oregon cranberries. The malt bill includes: Pale, Wheat, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate, Crystal; the hops are Millennium, Cascade, US Tettnang. Special ingredients include the Theo Chocolate Cocoa Nibs, Pomegranate Molasses, and Cranberries. This was blended with 50% beer barrel-aged for 6 months in bourbon barrels.

Deschutes Black Butte XXVI 

This one pours into an opaque, but cola-black body, kicking up two fingers of tan head. There is nice lacing here, along with some alcohol legs...and head retention is pretty good. It looks pretty much how'd you expect...so Zzzzz

On the aroma: chocolate-bourbon, wood, bourbon, some whiskey-raisin sweetness, big molasses, and cherry-chocolate/cranberry-chocolate/pomengranate-chocolate. There are some silky vanilla undertones on the aroma, along with coffee, and lots of cranberry.

This is most definitely thrown for a loop by the fruit...I can't agree with the reports calling this sour -- I think acidic or tart-fruity are better descriptors. This has big notes of cranberry, cherry, and pomengranate, with overtly fruity and sweet notes that play off the whiskey-raisin sweetness, bourbon, wood, and chocolate/coffee. You get some nice coffee notes in here, whiskey-raisin, and chocolate covered pomengranate candies. I wouldn't exactly call this subtle.

If you like overtly sweet beers...this is going to make you happy. This is medium to full-bodied, with a substantial palate duration and very little in the way of complexity. You'd think this would unravel with more mystery given the barrel and fruit additions, but this mostly just dials up fruity sweetness, molasses, and faint chocolate/bourbon/coffee notes. Honestly, the porter base here really takes a back seat. This does mask the alcohol well, and I'm not getting booze. I am, however, getting sugar. Up front: pomengranate, cherries, sweet candies, molasses, cranberries; the mids roll into chocolate-pomengranate, chocolate-cranberries, and more sweet notes, with some whiskey-raising sweetness; the back end hits a little bourbon, oak, coffee, chocolate, but mostly finishes with more sweet candy notes. This is like the exact opposite of the Abyss. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average here. I actually don't mind the tart and fruity notes here, what is throwing me for a loop is the intense candy sweetness. I guess this beer would work as a dessert drink, and maybe that was the intention. I'm curious how this will taste with a few years of age on it, and I wonder if next year they should let the porter base stand out a little bit more.

Random Thought: It's cold out! For the first time all year, it really feels like Autumn outside.

New Glarus Serendipity

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 (2013 Vintage/Bottle)

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.0%??? 

Reported IBUs: ?

It's snowy and cold tonight, so let's be contrarian and drin a refreshing fruit beer. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Serendipity is a fruit beer brewed with cherries, apples, and cranberries. This fruit beer is aged in oak and spontaneously fermented. Blah blah New Glarus blah Fruit Beer blah you know the drill.

In low light, the beer pours into a murky/hazy reddish-brown color, kicking up three fingers of lofty, amber/red head. In bright light the beer takes on a darker red/orange color, and you can see some dotted carbonation rising in the hazy body. Head retention is nice, with tight lacing. Bright light confirms the reddish/orange/amber head. 

The aroma is where this beer shines. You get huge tart but not sour apples, cranberry, and big cherry. There's some pastry/pie filling, with cherry pie, apple pie, and some wet rain, wet hay, and barnyard. The fruit notes in this beer are vibrant and fresh, and the nose is inviting. This beer is like a mash up of the New Glarus Apple Ale with their Belgian Red. 

The taste: you get blasted with huge apple and cherry fruit...the whole beer has underlying tart (but not sour) barnyard funk, wet rain, and hay. There's big cherry pie filling, apple orchard and apple cider, hints of bready pastry, and underlying currants and herbal fruitiness. I'm getting freshly cut apples, and some light apple and cherry tannin. Really refreshing and good and vibrant.

This is another humdinger from the New Glarus fruit beer portfolio. This beer is medium-light bodied, with good palate depth and low complexity. There's a lot of carbonation and really enjoyable tartness. Yeah...this one is kind of sweet and one-dimensional, and it sort of rides that line of being a beer or being a cider or whatever. I don't know. I don't care...this is delicious. You get big cherry and apple up front; that explodes into sweet cherry and apple pie filling, with currants and hints of pastry, and some hay/barnyard funk; the back end dials up some lingering funk and malts, and finishes a bit abrupt and dry. The cranberry is present, as a tart character, and as cranberry-apple, crabapple, and cherry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This absolutely nails the cherry/apple/cranberry thing, and it dials up plenty of juicy fruit sweetness, with tons of mild funk and barnyard. It's your typical New Glarus fruit beer...and it's good. Food pairings: fruit pies, fruit cakes, ice cream, pork with apple sauce, and Thanksgiving. Really solid and affordable (at around $10 a bomber), this would be perfect in the Autumn, Spring, or Summer.

Random Thought: This really isn't a Winter beer...so tomorrow night we are going to get back into beers appropriate for this shitty weather.

Pipeworks Cranpire Christmas

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle (Batch #58) bought at Fischman Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2013  (bottled sometime in 2012?)

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

Continuing with our lazy Sunday on this lovely 3-day weekend, I have a random shelf turd from Pipeworks that will further cement my appreciation for their Berliners. I've had their infected Blue Lady, not infected Blue Lady, Flower Child, and Well Read Temptress. Today, I'm knocking out the Cranpire. 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.

The back of the Cranpire Christmas reads:

Pipeworks Cranpire Christmas

"A Berliner Style Weisse aged on 200 lbs of fresh Cranberries from Weatherby's Farm, WI, our new Cranpire Christmas really sucks. When invited in, this little undead homemaker is sure to stay for a holiday feast. Here at Pipeworks, we know family gatherings can be a dangerous adventure, luckily, the spirit of the holidays is in our blood..."

The beer pours a hazy, pink color, with some hints of salmon-orange. It looks like pink lemonade. The beer kicks up a finger of hazy, white head. The head settles into a hazy, white, sea foam. It looks like a Berliner/Saison, only with that pink lemonade soda twist.

I'm not getting a lot on the aroma...there's a lot of lactic acid, acid, watery tartness, and some light cheesy funk.

This tastes really solid, with big griping tartness up front, tannin from the cranberry, light wood/woody tartness, fruity and tart lemons, and noticeable fruity and tart cranberry. At 4.0%, this finishes clean and tart...very mild and light funk. 

I know a lot of people aren't huge fans of the Pipeworks Berliners, but I really enjoy them for their straightforward flavors and nice tartness. The Cranpire Christmas has to be the least funky of the Pipeworks Berliners. I'm not getting a ton of cheese or funk in the taste, just lots of lactic acid, and woody tannins. This is a light-bodied beer with lots of tannin and tartness. Palate depth is great, complexity is good. You get tannins and wood up front, with kisses of lemons and cranberry; that rolls into watery and refreshing cranberry, with lactic acid; the back end is lactic, wood, dry/refreshing tartness. Nice.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I gotta go with a Strong Divine Brew on this. This may be my new favorite Berliner from Pipeworks. The cranberries compliment this style perfectly. You don't get any of the funk/cheese from the Blueberries, or the sweetness from the Raspberries. This is tart, woody, and has a subtle cranberry flavor that is reminiscent of real cranberries (not that fake shit that comes out in a cylinder from a can). This is good stuff, and I would pair this beer with a fruity dessert, a bread pudding, or a cheese/fruit/meat tray. 

Random Thought: I think we can squeeze one more tasting session into this lazy Sunday...no?

New Belgium Pumpkick

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Pumpkin Ale, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I can't believe Pumpkin beers are already on shelves. Well, some of them are. Like Shipyard's cinnamon soda, Pumkinhead. That beer is like the Miller Lite of Pumpkin beer. Like, someone dumped cinnamon and allspice into a Miller Lite. And then you have Pumking, which apparently already hit shelves. There's supposed to be a second wave, but what the hell? Anyway, New Belgium, of all breweries, has a lot of experience brewing pumpkin beers and Autumn seasonals at this point. For those reasons, I happily gambled on tonight's beer, even in mid-August. About New Belgium:

New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. At this point in time, New Belgium has mainstream fame from their Fat Tire, and craft beer credit for their sour beers. New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their company page, and definitely cruise their website.

The Pumpkick is a is a spiced pumpkin ale, brewed with pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemongrass, and cranberries for a little tart twist. This looks to be the 2013 Fall Seasonal, and my early impressions are this is pretty tasty. 

New Belgium Pumpkick

The beer pours into a dark, brownish-orange color, and kicks up two fingers of off-white head. In bright light this beer is a dashing Autumn-orange, and the creamy, porridge-like head is soaking up nice orange/amber tones. There's some moderately busy carbonation in the beer, and this looks to be semi transparent. I suspect there will be lacing and all that good stuff.

You get a lot of nutmeg on the nose, along with some pumpkin, a tart note (cranberry?), tart wheat character, some tart pumpkin, and raw pumpkin seeds. There's also some hints of sugary stuff, probably from the cinnamon.

I'm reminded of the New Belgium Kick, without any hint of sour. Lots of meaty, cooked pumpkin comes through: it reminds me of Thanksgiving, turkey, and gravy. The pumpkin mingles with some caramel/bread malt sweetness, and the advertised cranberry does come through. There's a hint of tart wheat pop on the back, along with maybe a touch of hop bite. There's a layer of nutmeg and cinnamon that is present throughout, but not overly assertive.

At 6.0%, this is targeting the "standard" pumpkin ale market. That is, this isn't an Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and it doesn't come in a fancy bomber. This compares favorably to other similar beers, and it might even rise to the top with a nice balance between real pumpkin flavors, light tartness, and mild malt. It's not bad, with good palate depth, above-average complexity, and good drinkability. The mouthfeel is medium-light, and the carbonation is lively and present. The only thing that might hinder drinkability is some light astringency that I assume are tannins from the cranberries or pumpkin. After a quick wash of tart wheat, I get big pumpkin, Thanksgiving trimmings, and toast up front; that rolls into cranberry, a hint of hop bitterness, pumpkin seeds; the back end lays some sweet malt, lingering pumpkin, and the whole thing has underlying nutmeg and cinnamon.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. I almost went Above-Average, because I feel like this beer is in the B-range, but there's an astringency that grows as you work through this that I'm unsure of. That same astringency is probably the result of the cranberry and lemongrass (and wheat???) twist. It's a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don't. However, I actually think the cranberry twist works here, and the whole beer has a very Thanksgiving-dinner vibe. The best part is 6-packs of this cost 7 or 8 bucks. I would pair this beer with Thanksgiving food, a turkey sandwich, or chicken and rustic potatoes. This is a very good pumpkin beer with a twist, just make sure you keep the twist in mind.

Random Thought: Pumpkin beers are some of my favorite things, so I always welcome Pumpkin beer season...even if it is only August.