Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Doing a review tonight of a re-release of a Rhinegeist limited release - Ink Imperial Stout



Poured black into a Snifter with a very thin, light brown head. Roasted malts, chocolate, with slight coffee notes on the nose. The taste is very malt heavy. The coffee is more pronounced in the taste than the smell while the chocolate takes more of a back seat. Semi-sweet with a nice alcohol warming finish thanks to the 10% ABV. Body is pretty thick. A really well done Imperial Stout by Rhinegeist!

[Ryan Ruck]

Got a new release from Stone's Stochasticity Project up for review tonight. This is their Grainiac Ale

This hoppy, deep amber-hued beer was created to shine a light on rare, unexplored grains seldom used in the brewing world. In addition to barley, wheat, rye and triticale, we added malted millet and malted buckwheat to bring the total unique grain count to nine. The earthy, nutty notes of granola found in this experimental multigrain malt bomb are complemented by the citrusy, floral flavors of four classic American hops. We dry-hopped the beer with Cascade and Centennial hops at the end, adding more citrus notes and rounding out the grain bill’s rich, bready character.

Release November 22nd 2015 This beer had its share of controversy. If you’re wondering about its unusual label, the whole story is on The Stone Blog.

First, give the blog entry a read and see government interference in action even in the simple naming of a craft beer.

Poured a deep copper with a thick, gold tinted white head. Strong citrus hop scent with sweet malt and baked bread. Taste is much like the scent but is quite flavorful. Tastes of fairly sweet malt and toasted bread with a citrusy hop twist that brings a slight lingering bitterness. Body on this is pretty big. A quite decent 8.5% ABV. An interesting mix of flavors that works surprisingly well!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight is a Stone kind of night here at my house.

Just opened a bottle of their latest collaboration, made in concert with Bale Breaker and 4 Hands - Sorry Not Sorry IPA.

Stone Sorry Not Sorry is a part of the brewery’s ongoing collaboration series, brewed with St. Louis, Missouri’s 4 Hands Brewing and Yakima, Washington’s Bale Breaker. Sorry Not Sorry is an Imperial IPA brewed with peaches.

Poured a golden copper into a Shaker glass with a good sized golden head. Smells of a combination of peaches and mild citrusy hops. The peach is not overly pronounced in the taste and the hops are both citrus and tropical fruit tasting. A slight earthiness too. Sticky sweet. For all the hops there isn't a whole lot of bitterness. Body is on the heavier side and this has a nice 9% ABV which is well hidden. Pretty good and easily drinkable IPA!

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened a bottle of a first time bottle release from Rhinegeist. This is a collaboration beer they've made with Blue Oven Bakery (they provided the locally grown wheat). Rhinegeist had previously only served this on tap. This is their Saison Blue, previously known as Turkey Blue.

Blue Oven Bakery grew and harvested Turkey Red organic wheat on their beautiful farm in Williamsburg. We then took the wheat and roasted on the coffee roaster downtown at tazza mÃ*a and threw it into the mash for our first Farmhouse Style Saison.

Poured a dirty blonde into a Tulip with a moderate white head. Smells sweet, spicy, funky, and citrusy. The taste has big wheat flavors with mild spicy citrus and a light funk twist. Body is on the lighter side of medium and this has a moderate 6.4% ABV. I wasn't all to sure what to expect with a wheat/saison combo but Rhinegeist did a great job with this and all of the flavors work well together!

[Ryan Ruck]

Since it is the Christmas season, I wanted to try a holiday release from Three Floyds called Alpha Klaus

Alpha Klaus is Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt and Mexican sugar and of course tons of strange American hops! Cheers!

Poured black as coal into a Shaker with a substantial light brown head. The scent is roasted coffee, cocoa, and just a hint of light hops. The taste is very much like the scent. The roasted coffee and cocoa come through up front and the hops finish it off. Also some sweet malt is present throughout. Body is thick and creamy. Comes in at 7.5% ABV. As is the case with just about everything I can think of Three Floyds brews up, this is really good! A nice Christmas time brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

After that Bengals game, I need a drink...

So, I've opened up a bottle of another recent Stone collaboration release. This was a collaborative effort between Stone and Sierra Nevada called NxS IPA.

For many, California is considered an epicenter for brewing innovation, particularly where hoppy IPAs are concerned. We teamed up with longtime craft compatriots and mutual hop admirers Sierra Nevada to create a truly one-of-a-kind IPA. This special-edition beer conveys the true character of collaboration with touches of inventiveness and creativity. Two batches of an IPA were brewed and expertly blended to craft this multilayered beer. The first batch was split down the middle, with 50% being aged in gin-infused bourbon barrels and the remaining half aged in rye whiskey barrels. These beers were blended with the fresh second batch of IPA, which was generously dry-hopped to impart rich aromas to accompany the citrusy, piney, woody, herbaceous flavors achieved from this truly one-of-a-kind collaboration.

Hop Varieties: Magnum Amarillo Chinook Cascade Centennial & Mosaic

Poured golden into a Shaker glass with medium white head. The gin and oak come through in the scent and are accompanied by fruit hops. The taste opens up with somewhat sharp pine hop bitterness but quickly mellows into gin, oak, and caramel malts but, the bitterness lingers throughout. The bitterness is definitely prominent but it isn't offensive. Body is medium and finishes semi-dry. Has an 8.2% ABV. While a more bitter IPA than some, still pretty drinkable with interesting flavors.

[Ryan Ruck]

The new one up tonight is from New Belgium. This is their Lips Of Faith: Blackberry Barleywine

The darker the berry, the sweeter the barley wine—that’s what we thought when brewing our newest Lips of Faith release, the first barley wine in New Belgium history. Blackberry Barley Wine channels the elegant spirit of a classic English barley wine, but with a kiss of blackberry to elevate the sip beyond convention. A deep wash of caramelized sugar and toasted bread, courtesy of Caramel Munich malts, adopts subtle laces of floral, fruity ber- ries for a pairing as proper as sipping snifters beside a crackling fireplace. Warming, rich and complex, curl up to a pour of Blackberry Barley Wine this winter and toast to the finer things in life.

By suggestion of New Holland, since we seem to have finally hit Winter with the temperatures outside, this seemed like a good one to try while sitting in front of the (electric) fireplace and watching the pilot episode of SyFy's new show, The Expanse.

Allowed to warm some due to the higher alcohol content. Poured a tarnished copper into a Snifter with a smallish-medium off-white head. I've got a bit of a head cold at the moment so it will be a little tough to get the smells and the tastes might be off a little. Smells of caramel malts, dark fruits, and sweetness. Tastes of blackberries, brown sugar, roasted malt, and oak. Pretty sweet overall and the blackberry flavor lingers throughout. Body is definitely on the thicker side. Has a 10% ABV which is pretty well hidden but warms you nicely. Not at all bitter like some barleywines I've had and don't prefer. I just, personally, don't think a barleywine should be bitter and this is a really good example of what I like in one!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going to have to get back on the weight loss bandwagon soon to shed the holiday pounds I've put back on so I'm going to try and clear out some brews I've picked up and haven't gotten around to.

Tonight's is a DIPA I picked up a couple weeks back from 3 Floyds called War Mullet.

This double IPA will make you want to grow a mullet (if you don’t already have one) and go to war (if your’re not already).

Poured a dark golden into a Shaker with a good size golden-white head. Big, big tropical fruit hop nose on this. Smells really good! There is fruit, honey, and a touch of caramel. This is a bit bitter though only on the upper end of what I like, not so much as to be unpleasant. The bitterness starts off sharp but drops off quickly with the faintest of linger through the rest. It works with the rest of the flavors though. Body is definitely on the thicker side. ABV is a solid 8.1%. Pretty good DIPA from 3 Floyds, especially for fans of the bitter brews.

[Ryan Ruck]

One of my younger brothers gave me a bottle of Rivertown's Winter Ale that I hadn't had before so figured I'd try it out.

(This is the old label.)

Winter ale is a big, bold, thick-bodied ale brewed with molasses and cinnamon. It has a creamy head, robust hue, and rich bold flavor. Best served at 45F in a sniffer glass.

Poured a clear, darker brown into a Lager glass with a moderate sized off-white head. Smells of malt, molasses, and a noticeable bit of cinnamon. Taste is much like the smell with an upfront and warming alcohol taste thanks to the 7.5% ABV. The cinnamon is far more pronounced than the molasses. Body is thin-medium. Overall, I'd say good but not great. I would have given higher marks if the cinnamon and molasses potency were reversed. I'd like more molasses and less cinnamon personally. Maybe even just cut back on the cinnamon a little. It is pretty potent.

[Ryan Ruck]

Trying another new one from my brother. This one is from Leinenkugel and is their Cranberry Ginger Shandy.

Did you know that Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any state in America? Our hometown pride inspired us to brew Leinenkugel’s Cranberry Ginger Shandy. The combination of wheat beer, cranberry and ginger is as refreshing as a toboggan ride Out Here.

Poured a clear golden into a Lager glass with a sizable white head. Smells very strongly of berries with a slight emphasis on cranberry with a twist of ginger. The wheat flavor is biggest on the taste followed up with the tart cranberry and a little spicy ginger bite. Body is on the lighter side. Also has a somewhat light 4.2% ABV. Not bad! A good drinking beer for the holiday parties.

[Ryan Ruck]

Last review up for tonight is a Rhinegeist release I picked up a couple weeks ago. This is a collaboration brew made with the assistance of some local home brewers called Homie DIPA.

Rhinegeist recently held a homebrew contest asking fans to brew their own DIPA. 39 entries poured in but the winning team came down to Nick Talkers and Eric Combs. They called their beer “Homie” and it was brewed at Rhinegeist under the supervision of Head Brewer Jim Matt.

Homie made its debut at Hopgeist 2014, Rhinegeist’s Double IPA festival.

“We’re psyched as this beer perfectly embodies the exact spirit of collaboration, community, and celebration of the spectacular nature of the hop that we are hoping to build with an annual party that celebrates all that is hoppy,” Rhinegeist Vice President Bryant Goulding said. Homie Double IPA showcases the varied nature of mosaic hops with flavors that run the spectrum of tropical, pine, herbal and citrus.

Right off the bat, I noticed the label reads "100 IBU" so I'm expecting this to be quite bitter.

Poured a lighter, clear gold into a Shaker with a huge, foamy white head. Quite a hoppy scent. Citrus hops to be specific. Surprisingly, for being 100 IBU this isn't really as bitter as I expected. Starts off with a slight bitter bite. Then you get malts and citrus hops. Has a slightly astringent undertone. Body is medium-heavy. Has a 9% ABV. Though it is on the bitter side, it's a pretty good brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

I saw tonight's beer a couple days ago at Jungle Jim's and had to get a bottle. It's a new Imperial Red IPA from Clown Shoes called Evil Crawfish.

Once upon a time a man walked into a bar where a friend of ours was tending the taps. He tried to order an Eagle Claw Fist, but got it wrong and asked for an Evil Crawfish. When we heard the story, after much laughter, we knew one day we’d make the beer. Finally, here it is, built off of ECF, but cleaner, meaner, less bitter, and dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin.

Poured a dark red-amber into a Shaker glass with a thick, redish-white head. Smells malty with fruit hops. The taste is sweet malt with slightly bitter tropical fruit hops and I think some brown sugar. The bitter taste lingers throughout. The ABV is 9% and comes through slightly in the taste. Body is on the heavier side. The flavors work well but this one is better geared for fans of the more bitter beers. It's a touch bit more than what I like.

[Ryan Ruck]

For this Friday night I've got another brew from Clown Shoes. This is a brand, spanking new release called Moses And The Misfits Imperial Cream Ale

Soulful tunes and great beer touch the best part of us here at Clown Shoes. Moses and the Misfits is an Imperial Cream Ale with cacao nibs and vanilla beans added for a unique contrast in flavor, and it was brewed in celebration of our 6th anniversary. We encourage those who drink this beer to tune into the music they love most and join the misfits of the Clown Shoes brigade.

Poured a bright gold into a Lager glass with a medium size white head. The nose on this is very light but I get cocoa, vanilla, and citrus hops. Taste is a lot more bold than the scent. Definite cocoa with a little vanilla. Also a touch of hoppy bitterness. Fairly sweet. Surprisingly dry. Body is heavy-ish. Has a 9.1% ABV. Overall, I like this! Good taste and smooth drinking!

[Ryan Ruck]

Just picked up a bottle of a new beer from a new brewery I haven't had before. This is James E. Pepper 1776 American Brown Ale from Beltway Brewing.

James E. Pepper brewed an American Brown Ale and aged it in oak barrels. The Ale was aged in the same oak barrels in which James E. Pepper recently aged their 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey. The Ale is a deep, dark brown ale, that, when served, could be mistaken for a stout. The taste is sweet with coffee, vanilla and oak notes shining through. The rye comes through a bit on the finish.

Poured a cloudy, dark brown into an English pint glass with a minimal light tan head. This smells very inviting! Oaky bourbon, dark fruit, caramel, and a boozy note. Tastes just as good as it smells! Mellow bourbon flavors dominate the taste and are combined with sweet malt, toffee, and caramel. This doesn't make any effort to hide the 10.4% ABV and it has a nice warming sensation because of it. Body is definitely on the heavier side. Overall, a really good brew! Could definitely see myself buying this again.

[Ryan Ruck]

This Friday night's brew is Rivertown's Insurrection IPA.

The rebirth of an original, a rebellion against what was and is no longer. Brewed with Galaxy, Citra and Columbus Hops partnered with an inconspicuously mild malt profile, Insurrection is a Double IPA brewed to stealthily assault the palate with dry, citrusy, dank flavors and just a hint of sweetness on the back end.

Poured a bright, clear gold into a Shaker with a big, golden-white head. The smell has biscuity malts and citrus hops. Not super complex. Taste is like the smell. Starts out with a slight bitter taste that grows. Body is medium. Has a 8.5% ABV. Not bad, not great. Decently drinkable though.

[Ryan Ruck]

Next up tonight is one that just came out in celebration of Breckenridge Brewery's 25th anniversary - Twenty Five Imperial Vanilla Porter Aged In Rum Barrels.

For our Silver Anniversary, we’ve spun gold.

Twenty Five is a special-release beer celebrating 25 years of craftsmanship from Breckenridge Brewery. The recipe starts with an imperial version of our popular Vanilla Porter, resulting in more prominent flavors and stronger alcohol. We then let the beer relax in Barbados rum barrels. In each barrel, we added incredibly rare, fresh, wet, vanilla beans from the Veracruz region of Mexico. These beans come from small family farms - are hand pollinated and hand picked.

The result is luxury in a bottle.

This exotic beer is full of flavor with notes of rum, raisin, and an oaky vanilla finish. At 9.8% alcohol by volume, it’s one to be sipped and shared.

(from http://www.breckbrew.com/blog/introd...in-rum-barrels)

Poured an inky black into a Snifter with a dense, light tan head. Smells of boozy rum, dark fruit, and some cocoa. There's quite a bit going on with the taste. I get roasted malt, rum, sweet cocoa, and some tart charred oak. The body is definitely on the heavier side and this boasts a 9.5% ABV. Quite a good brew worthy of Breckenridge's 25h anniversary!

[Ryan Ruck]

It's been a bit since I've put up a review. Reason being is I've hardly drank any beer since the last one. Finally got around to dropping those holiday pounds so beer has been pretty much out.

Not to say I haven't been buying beer but I just haven't been drinking any.

Decided to splurge this weekend because I've been making steady progress and, there's been a couple brand new Dogfish releases!


The first one up tonight is a Trippel they just put out called Beer To Drink Music To



Poured a deep amber into a Trappist glass with a very thin white head. Has Belgian spice and mild funk on the nose. Quite tasty! Has flavors of citrus, cardamom and other spices with a hint of vanilla and malt. Pretty sweet with some barely noticeable sour funk. All of the flavors meld extremely well and this is super smooth. So smooth it really effectively hides the 9% ABV except for a pleasant warming on the finish. Great brew from Dogfish!

[Ryan Ruck]

The second Dogfish I'm having tonight is a new IPA from them called Romantic Chemistry.

What you have here is a serious India Pale Ale shacking up and hunkering down with mango and apricots. At the same time! Romantic Chemistry is brewed with an intermingling of mangos, apricots and ginger, and then dry-hopped with three varieties of hops to deliver a tropical fruit aroma and a hop-forward finish. It’s fruity, it’s hoppy, it’s tasty!

Poured a medium copper into a Flute glass with a moderate sized golden-white head. The smell is sweet and distinctly mango and apricot with a slight citrus twist. Surprisingly there is less fruit in the taste than there is in the smell. The mango and apricot are certainly there though. The ginger mentioned is there too and adds a bit of a spiciness to it. There is a little hop bitterness but it comes on the back end and is barely noticeable. Body is medium-light and this has a decent 7.2% ABV. Quite a drinkable IPA! Really good IPA from Dogfish, which they typically do very well, but I do like Beer To Drink Music To more.

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight's beer review is the first Quaff Bros' release of 2016 I managed to get and came out a couple weeks ago. The first of the year sold out before I could get any.

This is Quaff Bros Peppermint Stout.

Peppermint Stout is another joint venture with Scott from Blank Slate. Quaff Bros. Peppermint Stout is a high percent ABV Russian Imperial Stout that was dosed with candy canes - a LOT of candy canes - as well as aged in Bourbon barrels.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Scott and crew for their tremendous efforts and flawless execution of this beer.

Poured black into a Snifter with a very sizable and persistent light brown head. Smells just like Thin Mints! The taste is a mix of chocolate malt, peppermint, and boozy bourbon. Quite obviously pretty sweet tasting. Medium body with a robust 10% ABV that brings a very nice warming on the finish. A really good brew from Quaff Bros! Probably would have been more appropriate for release in December instead of January/February though.

[Ryan Ruck]

Opening up a bottle of a Dogfish brew I've wanted to try for a while but haven't been able to get.

This is their Immort Ale Barleywine.

Vast in character, luscious & complex. Brewed with peat-smoked barley, this strong ale is brewed with organic juniper berries, vanilla & maple syrup. It’s aged on oak and fermented with a blend of English & Belgian yeasts.

Poured a dark, copper-brown into a Snifter with a very thin cream colored head that disappeared quickly. Has a complex smell of berries, smoke, caramel, spices, and alcohol. Tastes of malt, oak, dark fruits, booze, and a hint of smoke. Body is very thick and heavy. This is a big 11% ABV and tastes every bit of it! A very rich and flavorful beer from Dogfish and a great Barleywine. Definitely recommend giving this a try!