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330ml bottle poured into an Allagash tulip

p- dark caramel color w/ a thin off-white cap that quickly recedes to a ring
n- soft-med aroma of bready malt with light spices; hints of raisin
t- follows the nose, but substantially bolder; rich, sweet spiced raisin bread; dark sugars; cohesive and delicious; alcohol is well-hidden
mf- full-bodied; med carb; satisfying
o- a well-done doppelbock; simple, pleasant, and satisfying- perfect for a cold December night; extremely drinkable for the style/abv

review date: 12.30.18
bottle date: not captured

Pours a slightly cloudy burnt golden orange with a finger and a half of creamy white head.
Smell is a fruity admixture of tropical and citrus - orange, a bit of peach, and strong pineapple and mango aromas as warmed.
Sweet citrus and pineapple on the palate, mango and a very pleasant building spicy pepper heat without any actual burn - no significant bitterness.
Smooth medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation and a very nice fruity spicy sweetness.
This is actually quite tasty - a nice sweet and gentle heat mix - my only comment is it strikes me more as a fruit/herb beer or a spicy blonde than an IPA….

Better than their other Imperial 9.9% IPA. But wouldn't buy either one anymore.

Delicious i love this one !

330 ml bottle. Pours black with tall, long lasting, creamy, brown head and nice lacing. Aroma is of toasted malt, toffee, dark fruit, alcohol, wood and vanilla. Body is full, creamy and slightly crisp. Taste is of nutty, toasted malt, brown sugar, dark fruit, wood, chocolate, vanilla and herbal hops, some sour notes. Finish is long and dry. Nice brew.

330 ml can, from Helgø Meny Stadionparken. ABV is 4.7%. Hazy yellow colour, moderate white head. Nice aroma of citrus and tropical fruits, hints of sprucetips. Refreshing flavour, not too sweet, citrus and tropical fruits again, hints of yellow stonefruits, also a hint of sprucetips, low bitterness.

First time seeing an offering from this brewery on tap here in Maryland. Unmistakable NEIPA appearance. Low keyed aroma of melon, grapefruit and kiwi fruit. Blend of hops keeps the flavor soft and fruity on the palate with only a slight amount of bitterness. Moderately carbonated, medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, nice to try something new for the first time but the parameters of the style are becoming repetitive.

A: Pours a clear copper orange color. A small white head forms with some lace left behind.
S: Simple malt, toasted and cereal grains. Nothing else that I can really grab hold of, but not bad.
T: Again, just toasted malts and cereal grains. Almost no hop character, and just overly simple.
M/O: A light body with crisp carbonation. Clean and dry. Not hard to drink, but would like a richer malt character to sink my teeth into.

OK enough, just simple toasted malt and grains, but Vienna Lagers need to have a much richer and nuanced malt flavor. They can also have some fairly noticeable hop character. As is, just kind of average and leaves me wanting more.

For a low ABV NEIPA, this one is excellent. Enjoyed on tap at the brewery and later from cans.

Unfortunately, this was bland, syrupy, and lacked any real depth or nuance. It tasted like less astringent cough syrup, making me actually kind of want cough syrup for the kick instead. This just wasn't done well.

Purchased from Purvis Beer in Melbourne in December 2023 and drunk in April 2024.

L: Clear but deep amber, with the thinnest covering of foam atop the beer. Very few small, slow-moving bubbles can be seen in the beer.

S: The nose is sweet, vinous and funky. There's minerality and wet-cut lawn as well. It's definitely a wild-fermented beer!

T: The taste is sweet, acetic, and vinous. There's a honey-like note at the end that does its best to dampen the almost overbearing tartness that threatens throughout the swallow but manages to keep this side of pleasant.

M: Carbonation is very mild; the beer is almost flat and is not misrepresented by the lack of carbonation in the glass.

O: I seem to begin all of my overviews of sour/tart/wild beers with the statement that I'm not a fan of those styles, and I very much want to repeat that here! I do try to rate to style, though, and I can appreciate the art and alchemy that's gone into producing this wild-fermented beer. I'm not a fan (there it is!) but I imagine there are plenty that are.

Cheers!

Deep dark murky red colour. Light fizz. Smell is spicy sweet malty fruit. Taste is the same with a lingering bitterness. Strong red IPA, lots going on, not that keen on the flavour combinations.

It's trashwater

Trashwater embodified.

This review is based on quite fresh bottles from Dan's.
Light golden color, pale head that dissipated quickly.
The aroma gives a little bit of pine and tropical but lots of citrus.
Nice amount of hop bitterness, Pine lime and lots of grapefruit.
A very good warm weather tropical pale ale.

Very boozy with dark stonefruit on the nose.
Lots of coffee and sweet malt, molasses on first taste.
The mouthfeel was a little light/thin for my liking but still pleasant.
The aroma made me expect a high alcohol flavor but no, it was toasty malt, dark fruit, and molasses.
Quite a nice beer but I didn't get the nuttiness that was suggested. Unless they mean chestnut which is sweet and roasty.

473 mL can from Milos'; I don't see a packaging date. Served slightly chilled.

Pours an inky black hue with two fingers of thick, lumpy, tan-coloured head rising from the surface. Good retention; it takes more than five minutes to settle down to a creamy quarter-inch cap and collar, with gobs of beautiful lace coating the glass afterwards. Slightly understated aroma, at least for a 7% stout - I'm getting dark chocolate and espresso, with suggestions of cocoa powder, toffee and maybe a touch of licorice.

I mean, it tastes fine... but given that thick pour and the strength of this stout, I'm leaning towards 'underwhelmed'. Cocoa, dark chocolate and roasted malts, with hints of espresso, cocoa and earthy, herbal hop bitterness on the back end; modest boozy warmth, with licorice and bittersweet chocolate persisting into the aftertaste. Nearing full-bodied, with middling carbonation that gently tickles the surface of the palate; smooth, luxurious mouthfeel that might be this stout's strongest asset. Drinkable enough, but one serving is plenty.

Final Grade: 3.78, a respectable B+. It's strange how appearances can be so misleading - I saw that 7% on the label, and then those visuals after pouring, and I was expecting something so much more intense and rich-tasting than what I ended up with. Don't misunderstand: Blood Brothers' Black Hand is still better than your average stout, it's just nothing out of the ordinary. I would probably drink this semi-regularly if it were stocked locally, but I don't see myself going out of my way for more. Worth a shot at least.

Canned 2/7/24

I don’t think that bourbon barrel aging works particularly well for Wild Ales, but a mix of bourbon and wine barrels sounds intriguing so I had to pick up a can when I saw it on Tavour. Let’s crack it open and find out how the combination of aging works out

Pours a cloudy deep orange with a finger of soapy light beige head that fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is very sharp and quite unique. I’m picking up on aromas of sharp oak, tannic red wine, cherry pit, plum skin, sweet bourbon, molasses, old leather, wet hay, and light apple cider vinegar

It takes an odd turn in taste, it’s more aggressive but less flavorful. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting apple cider vinegar, tannic red wine, sharp oak, lemon zest, crackery malt, light honey, and sweet bourbon. The swallow brings notes of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sharp oak, tannic red wine, wet hay, and bready malt

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a slick beef. Finishes neutral and drinks below its abv

This one is a bit odd but not bad all things considered

500 ml bottle into a snifter. Best by 10/23/28, had 3/9/24.

Pours an opaque dark brown, with a quarter inch quickly dissipating head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, malt, oak, some char, light bourbon- more as it warms. The bourbon takes the lead in the flavor, then cinnamon, malt, raisins, brown sugar, some oak. It’s a little sweet as it warms. Smooth, a very good full body, appropriately carbonated.

Not sure I’ve ever had rice pudding in my life, but forgetting that, the flavors work well together here. Lots of enticing aromas and flavors, but it does get a bit sweet fully warmed. Still, this was quite enjoyable.

2023 vintage; consumed on 4/18/2024

Pours slick, motor-oil body 3.25

Aroma rum essence soaks fragrant, semi-nutty coffee, hints of burnt sugar, dark chocolate; rum toffee cake 4.25

Taste vanilla creme, coffee phases through barrel char, dark chocolate, rum lingering 4

Mouthfeel full body, thick, just shy of syrupy, 3.75

4

500 ml bottle into a snifter. Had 3/8/24.

Pours near black and opaque, with a short, quickly dissipating head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of vanilla, coffee, bourbon, malt, some chocolate and oak. The flavors pretty much match the nose: coffee, bourbon, vanilla, malt, some chocolate, light oak. Smooth, a little creamy, a very good full body, appropriately carbonated.

The vanilla is the brightest star overall, the coffee shows best in the flavor. Great barrels. This was focused and expressive, and really enjoyable.

Lovely soapy head and crystal clear pale yellow body. Soft, sweet and tropical on the nose; light notes of pineapple, mango, lemon; sweet and grassy. Taste follows; subdued tropical fruit upfront proceeded by biscuit and grassy, floral hops. Lemon on the finish. Feel is simultaneously soft and crisp. Such a pleasant beer.

Pours an amber color that is not quite clear. On closer inspection it's zillions of bits in suspension. A brief foam in the Copper Kettle goblet. Aroma of orange. This is weirdly sweet. Hops are not very bitter, but the orange peel taste is suspiciously like a NEIPA. More citrus in the nose, which is actually the best feature. Juicy with some astringency. Unpleasant earthy aftertaste with acidity in the throat. I don't know what is going on here, but it seems like all the wrong moves for an American IPA. From the 16 oz can purchased on the West Coast. No date.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a one finger white head with good retention and light lacing. Aroma of pale malt, dank, citrus and fruit hops, catty dankness, grapefruit, mixed over-ripe light stone fruit and tropical fruit. Flavor with pale and lightly caramel malt, dank and citrus hops, grapefruit, vague mixed fruit and a touch of pine; mostly herbal and catty dankness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess, nice mouth feel. A very pleasant West Coast IPA on the dank end of the spectrum; dankness is the main attraction here. A little citrus and pine, but both take a back seat. This won my heart with a solid, mildly caramel malt base which I like a lot better than lighter pale malt IPAs. I like it.

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a fine, four finger white head that slowly dissipates to a thick cap with nice lacing. Aroma of grainy malt, saison yeast, lemon citrus and clove. Flavor is grainy malt, saison yeast, lemon citrus, raspberry appearing in the finish which also has a slightly sweet lemon meringue pie note. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and sharp carbonation. A pleasant surprise here. I never know what to expect with saisons, as some styles are too tart for me; this one with lemon verbena made me a little nervous. It does have a little tartness, but also the grainy malt base I like in this style. I'm not familiar with lemon verbena except that it has a lemon scent, but that is a clear character in this saison. This has a basic saison base flavor, perhaps a little lighter than typical, and the citrus note gives a lightly tart, but refreshing element to it. There is an interesting red berry flavor in the finish, which is interesting because although this labelled a saison, it was also called a red ale in the past and that berry flavor is quite reminiscent of that style. Not quite a traditional saison,but a flavorful and interesting one that comes together nicely. Another winner from the BIPOC box.

L: Pours thick chocolate, forming no appreciable head. A faint ring of lacing around the edge of the snifter and some light effervescence bubbling to the surface underscores some carbonation. Held to the light, this beer has a nutty, dark walnut hue, completely opaque.

S: Cacao nibs, vanilla, and bourbon barrel on the nose. Some faint charred malt and oak as well. A hint of spice.

T: Wow. Chocolate and Oreos right off the bat, followed by a healthy dose of vanilla and some faint lactose sweetness. The bourbon barrel shines through on the back end. There is a faint hint of malt and char. Cacao nibs. Remarkably, Prairie managed to liquefy Oreos. Pretty damn good.

F: Medium- to full-bodied, bias towards full. There is a healthy amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel is wet, oily, and decadent. Smooth.

O: One of Prairie's stronger imperial stouts. Fairly sweet but not cloying, well-balanced and very drinkable considering the ABV is 14.8%. This is a winner

Very dark brown with minimal foam in the wine glass. Rich and tangy with a burnt sugar finish. Dark roasted malt aroma. Rather sweet but balanced somewhat by the hops. Dark and herbal, even dank notes. Flavors of raisins and bitter chocolate. Overall this is a classic Baltic Porter that satisfies like an Imperial Stout but drinks in a mellower vein. From the 16 oz can dated 11/13/23. The dog on my can looks different from the photo.

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery snifter

A: Pours hazy golden yellow with a frothy off white head that settles to a firm layer and leaves some light lacing.

S: Citrus, grassy resinous herbal notes, tropical and stone fruit that comes out more as it warms, underripe strawberry, bubble gum, earthy undertones, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

T: Resinous, peppery spice, slightly dank grassy herbal notes, citrus, grapefruit, lemon, and orange, underlying tropical and stone fruit, apricot, strawberry, passion fruit, and a hint of pineapple, a little bubblegum, earthy undertones, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, soft on the palate.

O: Was passing through Arizona on a road trip, popped into a bottle shop in Flagstaff to grab some cool AZ beer, and saw this. Couldn't find a date code, tried to look up when it might have been released on their social media but still couldn't nail it down. Said screw it, I trust Tombstone and it's been in the cooler, so I grabbed it. Glad I did. Cool hop combo and super drinkable for a DIPA. Wish there was more of their stuff available, but I'll take what I can get.

Strong citrus aroma with floral notes.
Flavor follows nose, plus some pine.
Not much hop bitterness.
Overall a very good beer, much better than its 87 rating on here had me expecting.

16 oz can from Brewers Haven. Hazy golden poor with a small creamy white head that sticks around throughout the entire session. Fruity Roma, little citrus, a little tropical, and a whole lot of biscuity malts. Taste is carried in on a creamy body. Very light fruit notes, substantial breading notes, very well balanced. A little bit of dryness comes in at the finish although not too much bitterness, but the dryness lingers. Creamy feel

Dark brown, almost ruby colors. Mild head and lacing. Scents and flavors of barrel, vanilla, maple, brown sugar, honey, mild dark fruit, and molasses. Thinner and less bold than I expected, but rounds out well as it warm. Strong booziness. I like it, but I think it could be better.

Pours cloudy orange/gold color with a 2 finger thick white foamy head that stuck around for quite a while, receding and leaving nice lacing coating the tulip glass. Smells of ripe tangerine and orange, apricot, grapefruit, lime, lemon zest, coriander, biscuit, dry citrus hops that come off like yuzu and peach. The nose was soft but full of citrus notes and tropical fruit. The taste is also quite juicy and very similar to the aroma with Razzles candy, yeast, dry chalky yeast and melon added in the mix. The bitterness was high and it came off tart, with a smooth feel, some chewyness and mellow carbonation. Overall a tasty DDH IPA.

Delicious!

A - Pours a hazy bright orange with a sturdy white one finger head. Heavy amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is ripe pineapple, tangerine, peach and dank hop.

T - The taste is pineapple, peach, tangerine, mango, passionfruit and nice herbal hop bite.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.

O - Really top notch. Tropical fruit bomb.

Balanced AF IPA

Swigged this on tap last week & have been looking forward this 12 oz. bottle ever since. The best of Prairie can be some of the best anywhere. Hopes, high.

Black. The nose is rich without straying into cloying: vanilla, maple, bourbon, a bushel of malts, subtle dark chocolate. One of the better smelling things I’ve sniffed in a while.

Paradise – Maple Bourbon Barrel is pretty good. On a scale of bad to pretty good. The maple is intense without leaping overboard, but it dominates the brew. Others catcall the nose: vanilla, creamy chocolate, & a double-layered sammich of deliciousness. Thick. Big. Brutal, without thrusting its big ABV pelvis in your face. I’d love to have a twelve pack of this.

Lives up to its hope. Excellent beer that knocks on the top tier of all beers, of all time, everywhere.

Excellent mouthfeel and flavor, bottled 04/02/24

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours clear straw yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet adjunct grain. Tastes of adjunct grain, not much else. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a below average beer.

Sampling a cellar temp 500 ml bottle and poured into my snifter. Beer was bottled on 4/13/2022, so pretty spot on 2 years ago. Only 660 bottles were made, cool!
The beer pours a rich cola brown and rests slightly darker in the glass with no light passing through. A fizzy beige head foams up about .5 cm and fades to a sturdy edge layer soon after the pour.
Aroma is molasses, leather, brown sugar, some rich brown liquor note and I keep sniffing some earthy, not sweet cinnamon. No hop notes, and no fusol booze on this one. Pretty appealing aroma.
First sip reveals a medium body with pretty smooth texture, a little surprised its not stickier. Carbonation is very fine and tingly, beer drinks easier than I expected with the 13.6%.
Flavor is similar to the nose with some brown sugar and molasses notes, some sweeter cognac and brown liquor quality and some fudge covered raisin. Again, no hops to be found and good dose of warming booze on the swallow. But there isnt any accompanying black pepper bite, so the beer still drinks surprisingly easy. Im enjoying the complexity and depth of this beer and its hidden booziness. Very nice blended beer, glad to have picked up one of these bottles!

I’d been eyeballing this BIG ONE (25oz) for months at the gas station, and tonight I finally manned up and tried it. Hoo-ah!!! This is a beer you buy one of to kick start the night, not one you’ll be sessioning or enjoying for the flavor. At 8% abv, it’s rough, but effective.

Style: Malt Liquor | Tap/Can/Bottle: Can | Abv: 8% | Rating: 2

The best thing about this beer is the alcohol content and everything else is mediocre. Lacks aroma and taste. looks good. the beer is substantial. short finish with nothing behind it

poured from a 750mL bomber-style bottle into a perennial snifter. thick, sludgy black with virtually no foam head. heavy whiskey and chocolate on the nose and taste. the coconut is there but not overpowering. as it warms, the peanut aroma and flavor pops more but it’s all so incredibly balanced. huge, thick mouthfeel. this was a pure joy to drink start to finish. i expected it to be a lot sweeter but it’s the perfect combination of barrel, base stout and flavor additives. one of the best i’ve had from cycle.

Review: 2062
Beer Name: Hop Magnum
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing
Location: Redding, CA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.5%
Date: 02/02/2024
I sampled this a few months back at a beer crawl; I have not seen it since then. I found it today and decided to do a review of it. I served the Hop Magnum in a Tulip glass at 50 degrees. The pour created a creamy, frothy, off-white, two-fingered head with average retention. The amber beer has straw yellow hues, measuring around 12 on the color chart. The slow dissipation left no lacing on the glass. The clarity is clear, with some effervescent bubbles trickling to the top. The beer's appearance is slightly above average in terms of style.
I smell oranges, pine, bay leaves, and biscuits when I nose the glass. Smelling the beer again, I detect toasted bread, grapefruit, and a light floral note. The hop aromas remind me of a classic WIPA, but they are not as intense as I would prefer. The beer is still fresh and pretty close to the production date.
I get those classic West Coast vibes but tamed down with oranges and floral esters. The other hop flavors are melon, pine resin, bay leaves, and a bit of musty. The malts are toasted bread crust, biscuit, and some malty sweetness.
The body is medium-plus and has medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is astringent, finishing somewhat tannic.
Hop Magnum is a beautiful example of an Imperial IPA. However, the beer has too much malty sweetness, which prevents the full-hop experience from exploding on my palate. Frankly, I am a classic guy; I prefer the SNPA over this beer any day. That beer allows me to enjoy the hop experience.

16 oz can from Tavour. Dark hazy golden pour, thin foamy white head settles down to a patchy layer. Overripe fruit in the aroma, apricot, melon, papaya. Taste is fruity and juicy, tropical, stone fruits, then introduces a sizeable bitter bite that dries it out. A lot of action up front, but finishes quick.

Poured into a narrow imperial pint glass: color is straw gold, clear/transparent, head is off white with fine bubbles, head presents 1/4 inch thick but dissipates quickly, limited/no lacing.

Smell is simcoe forward with some cattiness and grass, light pine, subtle citra lemon follows, light malt biscuit aroma.

Taste is balanced malt and hop flavor then a linger hop bitterness; flavor is pilsner malt, light biscuit, some toast, then hop notes with simcoe leading - grass/cattiness/ herbal note, then some citra lemon and pith.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, low/moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness that lingers with just enough bite.

Overall a very good cold IPA - malt and hop balance, clear presentation, clean and bitter lingering mouthfeel.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange red with a small white head. Smells of citrus and earthy hops. Tastes of floral and citrus hops, with grassy notes. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

1st Review. Bought at ferry-bound bodega NYC.
a) The head is as thick and dense as a hockey puck.
s) t) Sierra Nevada profile but more body and fresher pine, grass, yeasty flavors.
f) Mid-body, crisp, good food beer. Lots of flavor for 5.4%
o) If you seek a sessionable, hoppy, piney west coast pale ale this could be an every day favorite.
Brewed down the street in park slope on Sackett St.

Aroma is huge beery/husky malts and mild fruit. The flavor is fruit/citrus and a complex mix of noble-style hops and unique beery/husky/slightly grainy malts.

Pour is a golden amber, unfiltered and slightly hazy. Head is light but persistant; solid lacing. Nose is present, but faintly floral and lightly dank. So far, so good. Taste is hoppy and flavorful, no bitterness and modest finish. Lots of tastes, picking up a bit of fruit and herbal in the finish. Mouthfeel is good, the 8% ABV is definitely present. All together, a serviceable DIPA and quite drinkable, just lacks the oomph to but it into the top toptier.

12oz bottle into a tulip. Recent collaboration with Weihenstefan.

Nice clear dark ruby body. No head, hence no lacing. Aroma is smooth booze with a faint woody note. On tasting, smooth, and a lot of dark fruit comes through. Some port. Finish is raw, alcohol and a little wheat.

Overall, might benefit from some aging, but at present a nice sipper to roll around the tongue.

16oz can, date stamped 01/03/24
L: jet black body is capped by a huge light brown head that holds incredible retention
S: dark chocolate, vanilla, coconut, roast
T: I like that it’s not too sweet; nice balanced notes of roasted barley, dark cocoa, coconut, vanilla, earthy hops
F: full body, ample carbonation, finishes more
bitter than sweet with roast, char, and earthy hops lingering
O: I expected this to be too sweet like so many other stouts brewed with chocolate and coconut. This was not the case. This is a nice roasty stout with some coconut, dark cocoa, and vanilla additions.