Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

About to enjoy a new Clown Shoes brew!

This one is their Breakfast Beast Imperial Stout

The Beast of Clown Shoes legend has been angry, very angry, and extremely angry. The Beast has flown from volcanic fire pits to fields of galloping unicorns. Now? The Beast wants a cup of coffee. We bourbon barrel aged Undead Party Crasher, Blaecorn Unidragon, and an experimental new Stout to blend together with Cold brewed coffee added from Barrington Roasting Company. Enjoy the morning, friends!

Poured inky black into a Snifter with a very thin brown head. Allowed to warm some. Smells of sweet cocoa, oak, roasted coffee, and some bourbon. The taste on this is excellent with all of the smells coming right through in the flavors in an awesome blend that finishes with some mild warmth. A little bitterness from the coffee. A lot more sweetness though. The body is appropriately heavyweight with an equally appropriate 10.5% ABV (though to be honest I'd have expected it to be in the 12% range). Yet another damn fine brew from Clown Shoes! Don't know what I'd do if I didn't get to sample their wares.

[Volk]

Ryan, I finally found the best Beer I've ever had, in Russia, but it's a Czech Beer;


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velkopopovick%C3%BD_Kozel

Nectar of the Gods!



Quote;

• Kozel Černý is a dark beer which is 3.8% ABV, made of 4 different types of malts including a dark caramelised malt. This beer has an unusual dark foam.

The richest, tastiest, most heady Beer i've ever had, with zero aftertaste, absolutely perfect, but unfortunately no North American distributor I could find:-(

[Ryan Ruck]

I'll definitely check my local Jungle Jim's next time I'm in. They might have it. They have lots of oddball imports including several from Africa. I'll be stopping in soon as there's a new Dogfish release hitting shelves soon.

3.8% ABV... Seems like it's pretty typical for those Euro brews to be such low ABV.

[Volk]

I'll definitely check my local Jungle Jim's next time I'm in. They might have it. They have lots of oddball imports including several from Africa. I'll be stopping in soon as there's a new Dogfish release hitting shelves soon.

3.8% ABV... Seems like it's pretty typical for those Euro brews to be such low ABV.

Hey, thanks for the help there with this Beer! As for the ABV, I follow a can of Velikopopivicky Kozel with a swig of Russian Vodka, called in that tongue; ''Five Lakes Vodka'', lol..... :-)




Best Vodka i've ever drank too :-).

There's a lesser Vodka from Russia that I drink regularly, in America, that's almost as good, called ''Gezhelka''. Try it sometime when you get the chance))).

[Ryan Ruck]

I'd have to look for that at Party Source. KY has better liquor laws and prices than Ohio. They may have it. They have a large vodka selection.

I'm not the biggest vodka fan though unless it's mixed but, in honesty, my experience with vodka has been limited. Only one I've found I really liked was Kalashnikov.


Speaking of Party Source... I hit them up the other day and tonight's review will be one for our Coloradans!

Scored a can of Oskar Blues' Barrel Aged Ten Fiddy!

Aged through four seasons and from a blend of the top Bourbons around, this Ten Fidy has morphed into a monster of cranked up flavor. Espresso, burnt sugar, rich chocolate, caramel notes are now driving alongside the vanilla, oak, bourbon from the barrel and been smoothed out during maturation. Even at 12.9% (75 IBUs) it is cool and drinkable, letting each sip add more and more complexity.

Poured deep, dark black into a Snifter with a substantial, dark brown head. Allowed to warm some. Big robust scent on pour. Smells of rich oak, sweet chocolate and caramel, with a bit of boozy bourbon. Smells excellent! The taste... Wow! Excellent! All of the smells come through in the flavor in spades! Oaky bourbon flavors dominate. Big heavy body with a 12.9% ABV. This deserves every bit of it's RateBeer score!

[Ryan Ruck]

I just picked up tonight's beer the other day. They were just stocking it on the shelves.

This is Ballas Point's Peanut Butter Victory At Sea

Smooth peanut butter meets dark coffee in this roasty porter. This Peanut Butter Victory at Sea is a nutty version of our popular imperial porter. We took our trademark robust porter brewed with Caffè Calabria coffee and vanilla and added peanut butter, adding another level to this roasty, flavorful beer.

Poured black into a Snifter with a large brown head. Warmed up a little bit. Big chocolate and peanut butter smell! Also has some slight roasted malt and coffee in it. Lots of chocolate and peanut butter in the flavor along with some alcohol. Comes in at 10% ABV. Body is super heavy. Not a complex brew but very, very tasty!

[Ryan Ruck]

Watching Live PD about to crack open a new Southern Tier brew. Monstrosus Imperial Stout.

Prepare yourself for Monstrosus, an enormous imperial stout from our Barrel House. Brewed with black malt, chocolate malt and roasted barley, then aged for a year in Bourbon barrels. Over those many months of confinement, Monstrosus developed into a wildly complex and rich creation. It is one that we’re proud to have given life, even if it happens to terrify the townspeople. Better keep a torch handy.

Poured ink black into a Snifter with a thin, dark brown topping for a head. Given a little time to warm some. Smells of molasses, cocoa, dark fruit, oak, and caramel. A lot going on with the nose on this! "Big and boozy" was the first thing that came to mind on tasting this. Lots of bourbon flavor along with sweet chocolate, roasted malt, oak, and a little vanilla. The body is big, heavy, and sticky. This has a huge 14.7% ABV to match the body. Finishes with a bit of warmth. Once again, Southern Tier does not fail to disappoint!

[Ryan Ruck]

I'm on call this weekend but it's over for the day so I'm going to get an early start.

First up tonight is a new one from Bell's, Larry's Latest Sour.

The name “Larry’s Latest” is a nod to the spirit of innovation and experimentation that Larry started in 1985 and continues within the brewery to this day. Our latest sour recipe has a refreshingly bright, citrusy tartness combined with pungent tropical aromas.

Poured gold into a Tulip with a medium sized white head. Smells of citrus and tropical fruit hops with a tart twist. The flavor is almost like a sour IPA. Has an acidic citrus flavor along with tropical fruits and some wheat malt. Body is medium-light, fizzy, and finishes crisp. Has a nice 5% ABV. A good brew for the start of Spring!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight's next brew is another from Ballast Point and is another take on their Victory At Sea brew. This one is their Coconut Victory At Sea

This Coconut Victory at Sea takes our popular Imperial Porter to another place. We added sweet roasted coconut to our robust porter brewed with Caffe Calabria coffee and vanilla, the perfect complement to this beer’s subtle roasty intensity. A favorite at our annual Victory at Sea Day, but it’s worth enjoying anytime you need to be transported.

Poured very dark brown into a Snifter with a pretty sizable, light brown head. Huge sweet coconut dominates the smell. Maybe a little vanilla in there but I can't hardly pick up anything else beyond the coconut! Definite coconut in the taste but also has some slightly bitter, roasted coffee flavors with some cocoa. Solidly middle weight body with an equally solid 10% ABV. Good stuff! Like the Peanut Butter Victory At Sea better though. That was really good stuff!

[Ryan Ruck]

It's officially time for warmer weather as Oberon is on store shelves and I've bought my first case!

[Ryan Ruck]

Another Friday night, another beer review!

This one is a new release from Rhinegeist called Bogbeast.

Wheat Wine Ale aged in scotch barrels for 12 months, reverberating with notes of toffee, vanilla and oak.

Poured a dark ruddy brown into a Snifter with a thin golden brown head. A robust scent of caramel, oak, peaty Scotch, and sweet malt. Has a taste of dark fruits, oak, and vanilla. The actual Scotch flavors hang out in the background but it's fairly boozy overall. Pretty sweet and sticky with a fairly heavy body. A 10.9% ABV to match the body. You have to take this one slowly! Once again, Rhinegeist delivers!

[Ryan Ruck]

Getting ready to open up a brew from Sierra Nevada, another from their Trip In The Woods series. This time it's Maple Scotch.

Balanced and rich, this classic Scotch Ale was brewed with maple syrup and aged in bourbon barrels. Flavors and aromas of oak, maple, and caramel round out this delicious and complex beer.

No correct Thistle glass for Scotch Ales so I'm going to make due with a Tulip. Poured deep brown with a thick khaki colored head. Nice, rich smell of oaky bourbon, vanilla, maple, and malts. Flavor has lots of oaky bourbon like the smell along with some sweet maple, vanilla, and a touch of dark fruits and molasses. The body is medium-heavy and has a 9.8% ABV. I like Scotch Ales and with the barrel aging, this one is a really nice example!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight's review is a very highly rated brew from Clown Shoes I picked up a couple weeks ago, Hammer of the Holy American Imperial Stout.

Hammer of the Holy, an American Imperial Stout aged in 40-year old Jamaican rum barrels, incorporates holy water, signature dark malts, and malt smoked with vampire killing stakes. Dear Undead, "Die, monsters, die!"

Poured pitch black into a Snifter with a fairly large brown head. I didn't chill this long so it's proper temperature. Definite smell of smokey, roasted malts with oak and cocoa. Deep smokey and roasty flavors with oak, cocoa, and boozy rum. Body is medium-heavy and it boasts a nice 11% ABV. Another very fine brew from Clown Shoes!

[Ryan Ruck]

Getting started on my beer review early.

This one's a new release from Dogfish called Dragons And Yumyums American Pale Ale.

An explosion of fruit in every sip, Dragons & YumYums is an intensely tropical - yet subtlety bitter - pale ale brewed with a combination of dragonfruit, yumberry, passionfruit, pear juice and black carrot juice. Clocking in at 6.5% ABV and 25 IBU, Dragons & YumYums is a first-of-its-kind beer and vinyl collaboration with American rock icons, The Flaming Lips.

A sensory enveloping experience at the intersection of creative beer paired with creative music, the energy of this union inspired Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne to use ingredients from the beer - dragonfruit and yumberries - as characters in two original songs, The Story of Yum Yum and Dragon and Pouring Beer in Your Ear … making this the first beer with its own theme song!

With dragonfruit and yumberry as the main elements, Wayne transformed them into storyful lyrics in the song like, “Yum Yum and Dragon went out for a drive, but Yum Yum doesn’t have any eyes….Yum Yum and Dragon, they’re happy they’re friends…”

The psychedelic influence of the label artwork, designed by Marq Spusta as part of Dogfish Head’s Off-Centered Art Series, was influenced by the legacy of the Flaming Lips and the culinary components in Dragons & YumYums shown through radiating lines, movement of fire, dancing lips, rainbows and bold pink colors.

Poured a golden ruby into a Shaker with a good sized pinkish white head. Smells of tropical fruit hops and some slight sweet malt with an overall tart note. The flavor is citrus and tropical fruit, some malt, and a little tartness. The flavor is pretty mild on this. Body is thin and finishes dry. Has a 6.5% ABV. Flavor kind of reminds me of Rhinegeist's Maracuja but more watery. It's okay but Maracuja was a lot better.

[Ryan Ruck]

Next up tonight is a Southern Tier brew I hadn't seen before, Blueberry Tart Ale

By itself a blueberry is a diminutive fruit, but not so within this bottle. We go big by adding loads of berry puree into every batch of our Imperial Sour Wheat Ale. Unmistakable notes of florally aromatic berries compliment the purple hue of Blueberry Tart.

Poured dark ruby red into a Tulip with a medium sized pink-white head. Big smell of blueberries that permeates far and wide and that's all I really get in the smell, lots of blueberries. Definite blueberry in the flavor with a little malt. Slightly tart and sweet. Body is medium with a nice 8.5% ABV. Not at all complex and not for anyone that's not a fan of fruit beer but since it's from Southern Tier, it's a decent drink.

[Ryan Ruck]

Chillin' watching Live PD and popped open tonight's brew.

Clown Shoes 8th anniversary brew, The Train I Ride Triple IPA.

"The train I ride, I've driven it eight years on the rail, eight years on the rail. Gonna step out for a minute, catch space hops, then it's back on board and get to work so we don't fail, good lord, so we don't fail. This triple IPA commemorates 8 years of Clown Shoes. We dry hopped it with Mosaic, Galaxy, and Columbus. To all who ride this train with us, we love the company."

Poured gold into a Shaker with a large golden-white head. Smells strongly of sweet orange citrus. Maybe a little malt but mostly just oranges. Mildly bitter and acidic orange peel flavors balanced with some sweet caramel malt. Also a bit of alcohol taste thanks to its 11% ABV. Pretty easy drinking IPA. Not bad at all but I feel like it's a little lackluster since Clown Shoes normally turns out such great stuff and this is supposed to be an anniversary brew.

[Ryan Ruck]

Getting the party started early tonight since this one is a bit of a lightweight brew.

This one is Rheingeist Amy Merrell Belgian Style Golden Ale.

This is Amy 2018 or more accurately Amy Merrell from Rhinegeist Brewing in Cincinnati, OH. This Belgian golden ale celebrates the life of Amy Merrell and this is the 2018 edition. The beer will reach 4.5%-AbV & 25 IBU and you’re looking at the 22oz bottle.

Poured light gold into a Tulip with a good sized white head. Light smell of Belgian spices with a little bit of a tropical fruit scent. The flavor is sweet, bready, and a bit citrus. Lightweight bodied with an equally light 4.5% ABV. Finishes crisp and dry. Certainly a nice, easy drinking and refreshing brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

No beer last night since I went to see Avengers: Infinity War (great flick BTW!) but tonight there will be beer!

Tonight's brew is a brand new one from Clown Shoes I spotted on the shelf the other day, 'Nillionaire Barleywine.

There are millionaires. Ho. Hum. There are billionaires. Yeah? So? And then there's a new breed:'Nillionaires. A 'Nillion dollars can be earned by being totally committed to the flavor of vanilla, as well as by owning powers of super coolness. The base of the brew is Billionaire, which we aged in Rum barrels with Tahitian vanilla beans. We raise our cup to each of you as you search for your 'nillions. Godspeed, dear friends.

Poured dark brown into a Snifter with a sizable, light tan head. Smells of sweet dark fruit, oak, vanilla and a little bit of alcohol. Nice smell! Flavors of sweet caramel, woody oak, dark fruit, and a hint of rum. Really rich and tasty! Heavy bodied with 12% ABV that finishes with alcohol warmth. Yet another top notch brew from Clown Shoes!

[Ryan Ruck]

Starting this weekend off is yet another Clown Shoes brew!

This one is a reboot of a 2015 release, The Ballad Of Minnie Quay Old Ale.



No commercial description but it is an Old Ale aged in brandy barrels. The 2015 release was aged in whiskey and port barrels.

Poured a dark amber into Snifter with a minimal and short lived white-ish head. Allowed to warm a touch. Smells of sweet caramel, fruits, honey, and brandy. Flavors of sweet honey, oak, and boozy brandy. Very heavy bodied and weighs in at 11% ABV. Definitely a sipping brew that should take a while to enjoy. Unsurprisingly this is another excellent showing from Clown Shoes. Hopefully with the Harpoon takeover, they continue to turn out the good stuff! I will be sad if they don't!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I'm reviewing Southern Tier's Samoa This Imperial Stout that I picked up the other day.

We’re well known for our affection for decadent, flavorful, dessert-like beers, which has put us on an endless quest to brew the ultimate indulgence. Our dessert beers are a fusion of flavors, making each of them a perfect pairing when one craves an exceptional stout full of personality. With booming notes of chocolate, caramel, and coconut, Samoa This is our interpretation of the famous seasonal treat. We went to great lengths carefully crafting each flavor, right down to the savory shortbread-like cookie base.

Poured black into a Snifter with a very minimal khaki colored head. Allowed to warm slightly. Big coconut smell followed by sweet chocolate. Smells like a Mounds bar or, a Samoa cookie. Lots more coconut and chocolate in the flavor! There's definitely some caramel in there and you do get a little bit of the Himalayan salt. For a 10% ABV beer it hides it well only really coming through in the after warmth. The body is nice and thick to accompany the ABV appropriately. This is dangerously drinkable! Damn, another excellent Girl Scout Cookie brew from Southern Tier like Thick Mint was!