Stone Double Bastard Ale

A beer that I've been itching to review (drink) for quite some time now. Stone Brewing Double Bastard Ale is a brew that comes to the east coast in relatively limited quantities. I just never got around to having a bottle for myself until this one. Of course, this bottle has been sitting in my beer fridge since just before the New Year. Now that we're half0way to snowed in, I figure this is a good time to crack open the Double Bastard Ale, finally.

As soon as I open the cap, I can smell a good bit of booze seeping out the top. I can't say that I'm surprised, with a name like Double Bastard, I would expect it to be a big, boozy version of the Arrogant Bastard. If you haven't seen my reviews of the Arrogant Bastard in the past, I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of Stone's flagship beer. I've always found the Arrogant Bastard to be a bit too rough and unbalanced for me.

The Double Bastard pours a dark, rusty brown color, and very cloudy opaque. Almost no head whatsoever surfaces, except when I pour it vigorously. Even the head that does arise is a very thin film of off-white head, which dissipates quickly. The nose reveals a touch of hops, but is largely overwhelmed by some roasted malts and booze.

On the palate, the Stone Double Bastard is bounding with roasted malts, distinctly rough and earthy sides to the sweetness. There's a good bit of subtle hops on the back of the tongue, but the bitterness is quickly washed away by the booze and malts.

Have you ever had the Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale? Imagine the Arrogant Bastard pumped up with more roasty, sweet malts, and lots and lots of alcohol. For my personal taste, this is exactly what I was hoping the Double Bastard would be. As I've said before, I think the standard Arrogant Bastard isn't quite my style. It's plenty hoppy and plenty malty, but neither the bitter hops nor the sweet malts take the lead. Tonight's beer, the Double Bastard, takes the indecisiveness of the Arrogant Bastard and kicks it in the ass with booze and malts!

The Double Bastard is a bit intense to drink much of, but since the snow isn't getting any lighter, I might as well keep going. I've got a couple more beers in the cooler, but they're going to have to be pretty bold and serious beers to follow this Stone Double Bastard!

Stone Brewing
Double Bastard Ale
TCSH Rating - 8.5/10
Good beer, but nothing incredible.

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

Firestone Walker Double Jack Double IPA

Happy International IPA Day, everybody! This day, August 2nd, is dedicated to the glory and praise of the hops. I used to be a big Hop Head back in the day and I do still enjoy the bitter every now and again. Today I will focus on a gloriously hoppy beer from Firestone Walker.

Firestone Walker is a very popular brewery out of Paso Robles, California, and like a lot of other West Coast breweries (Stone, Sierra Nevada, etc.) they are masterful in their use of hops. When I saw this in Missouri, I just had to have it (since Firestone Walker doesn't make it down to Texas). Shall we dive in?

Double Jack pours clear copper orange with a large, LARGE, white head from the 22 oz bomber. At 9.5% ABV there is no alcohol presence on the nose, and it explodes with citrus and pine and has a hints of light sweeter malt aromas. The taste on the Double Jack is SO BITTER but so amazing. There are lots of tropical fruit flavors and a pleasant sweetness that lingers underneath the bitterness that is reminiscent of caramel.

Double Jack coats the mouth, lingers, and then fades. It is not too thick, but thick enough to handle the bitterness, is very smooth feeling in the mouth and does not have very much carbonation despite the giant head that formed when poured. The finish reminds me of spicy hops, usually from the Czech Republic, and is still quite bitter, but not all that drying. 22 oz and 9.5% ABV, perfect for sharing.

Firestone Walker Brewing
Double Jack Double IPA
TCSH - 10/10
Aka - Near perfect, but as they say "best enjoyed in moderation."

Dallas

Russian River Consecration

As "Sour Beer Week" comes to a close it seems to have turned into "Sour Beer Fortnight." I wanted to close with another great American sour, the highly sought after Consecration by Russian River Brewing out of Santa Rosa, California. This brewery is famous for their "-tion" series of sour and wild ales, and the ever sought after Pliny the Elder (and Pliny the Younger) imperial IPAs. Russian River does something interesting with all their beers that are, as they say, "refermented in the (this) bottle". They cork and cage all of them, even the 12 oz bottles, which this one was.

Consecration is not just a "sour" beer, it is aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with currants added. Are you noticing a pattern here? Sour ales tend to be aged in oak and often have fruit in the barrels. You won't hear me complaining. I love barrel aged beers.

Anyway, Consecration pours out somewhere on the spectrum between amber and mahogany, which might seem like splitting hairs (or light waves) but it's important, and has hints of orange. The head fizzled away faster than I was able to register in my mind that it was there, leaving a thin ring around the edges of the glass.

Consecration smells sour from start to finish and has some lovely fruit notes and an oaky vinous dimension as well. Consecration is mouth-puckering sour with a pleasant black currant, and other fruit, sweetness that hints of barrel aging. Consecration is on the thicker side of beer with an astringent sort of feel in the mouth, and is definitely fizzy and prickly, but not like a soda. Consecration has a finish that is almost divine, both sweet and sour, calling for another drink and also demanding for the utmost respect.

This now concludes "Sour Beer Week" part 1. I will come back in an undetermined amount of time with another great handful of sours from both Belgium and the States. What should I start reviewing next?

Russian River Brewing
Consecration
TCSH - 10/10
Aka - Get as much as you can, but that could break bank.

Dallas

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

Here I am with my obligatory "sour beer week continues" message.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales (yes, that's right "Artisan Ales"; they only brew ales, no lagers) is out of Dexter, Michigan and seems to specialize in sours, based on what I've heard.

This was my first beer from them, and they are not available in Texas. Hopefully this "Artisan Amber Ale" delivers.

La Roja pours brownish red, I guess that's amber, from the 750 mL bottle and has a nice khaki cap for a head. The aroma is sour, mild fruitiness, and has some sweetness from the barrel blended ales that ranged from two to ten months of aging. The taste is a lot of the same, sourness and hints of fruit and a very subtle sweetness. I might not have a lot to say, but that doesn't mean that I haven't saved the best sours for last.

La Roja coats the mouth with a lovely, prickly sourness and has a fair amount of carbonation in the mouth, expected for the style, and has a pleasant sweet and sour finish that really makes you wish the bottle weren't empty.


Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
La Roja Artisan Amber Ale
TCSH - 9.5/10
Aka - Fantastic American sour, with a cat pirate on the label. Cannot lose.

Dallas

Goose Island Juliet

Today I look at an American sour after doing quite a handful of Belgian sours. This is none other than Goose Island Juliet, one of the Three Sisters (a series of sour beers aged on different fruits). Fermented with Brett, and aged in cabernet barrels on blackberries, Juliet shows a lot of promise, so I hope she does not disappoint me. Hopefully I will get to try the other two.

Juliet pours hazy orange with hints of purple and a super tiny white head. I actually really like the slight purple tinge to the beer, really sells the beer. The smell is straightforward, but amazing: sourness, a nice vinous character from the barrel aging, and some blackberry notes. The taste follows the nose with lots of sour fruitiness and a nice blackberry profile that is both a little sweet and a bit tangy.

Not thick, but not watery, Juliet is refreshing, with a nice sour astringency and a fair amount of mouth-carbonation. Available in 22 oz bottles, I know this one is expensive, but worth it. I would love to try a bottle that has been aged a few years, if anybody can wait that long to drink it.

Goose Island Brewing Company
Juliet
TCSH - 10/10
Aka - Almost worth killing yourself over...

Dallas

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Here is another shining star from New Glarus Brewing. The concept is the same as the Wisconsin Belgian Red, but this time they use Oregon berries instead of Door County cherries. With no other background info, on to the beer.

Raspberry Tart pours rather brownish red with a small fizzy head that is less pink than the other. The aroma is, rather obviously, of raspberries, but there is a slight woody touch in there as well, for a pleasant surprise. The taste is simply raspberries with a touch of tartness to keep it a bit interesting. This, like the cherry beer, is a fairly one-dimensional ale, but at least they are straight forward with what you're going to get and if you don't like it then don't drink it.

The 750 mL bottle comes with a couple thin layers of purplish wax around the cap. There is one issue I have with this beer. Well, not really the beer itself but the production of both of these beers. Raspberry Tart, which I prefer over the Wisconsin Belgian Red, is often overlooked because most people seem to prefer the Wisconsin Belgian Red, including both my parents, but I suppose cherries are just more popular than raspberries and sweet is more popular than tart. I guess I'm the odd one out...

New Glarus Brewing Co.
Raspberry Tart
TCSH - 9/10
Aka - Somewhere between beer and raspberry lemonade, but not a blend.

Dallas

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

So, after reading Eli's post about the Founder's Cerise (which I would still like to try) I decided I should post about a cherry fruit beer. And it just so happens to be one of the hardest beers to get outside of Wisconsin. That's right, the state that is the furthest laterally north of me. My mother brought back a bottle, and I've had it a few times up there, including once at the brewery.

New Glarus Brewing Company is a tiny operation run by Daniel and Deborah Carey up in the small Swiss style town of New Glarus, Wisconsin and the brewery grounds are breathe-taking. Imagine a little Château-like thing sitting atop a hill overlooking the town, with a decent sized field area with picnic tables scattered about. On to the beer!

Wisconsin Belgian Red is a cherry beer made with Door County cherries, which are supposedly famous (I'll take their word for it), and locally grown barley. The bottle is a 750 mL bottle that comes with a couple thin layers of reddish wax around the cap. The beer pours out pretty much straight red, or ruby red, very clear, and has pink (you heard it ladies, pink) fizz sitting on top. The smell is exclusively of cherries, as expected. And the taste is, as well, exclusively of cherries and is rather sweet.

If you like cherries, fruit beers, sweet beers, or just trying new and different beers then this is a must try. I will say this, though I really liked it, it can be a little too sweet after a while.

New Glarus Brewing Co.
Wisconsin Belgian Red
TCSH - 9/10
Aka - "she's my cherry pie..."

Dallas

Cigar City Kalevipoeg

I've been waiting for a good reason to review this, and Matt's first post with The Cork Stops Here was the perfect excuse.

Matt and I have done several trades; he sends me lower East coast beers (mainly Cigar City and Terrapin) and I send him lower Midwest beers (Texas stuff and Boulevard). Though this beer was not from our most recent trade, but rather a trade that was done back in February or March, I still think of this as a very recent trade (and I suppose it is, in some sense of time). On to the beer!

Cigar City is out of Tampa, Florida and has gathered quite a bit of popularity, even though they don't seem to distribute far from their home state. And this beer was specially brewed to celebrate their 10,000th batch. Yes, that is right, ten thousand batches. Not bad for a brewery that has only been around for four years (yes, founded in 2008).

Kalevipoeg (KAH-lay-vee-po-egg) is named for some Estonian epic poem about a giant who helped create the land and fight other giants. I'm not going to question it; I just care about the beer. Baltic Porters are a lager style that often fall between a British porter and a Russian stout on the flavor scale (and are sometimes fermented with cold fermenting ale yeast), and more often than not have higher alcohol percents. Cigar City's offering fits the bill perfectly, coming in at 9% ABV.

When poured into a tulip or snifter (or small mouthed, large bowled stem glass) Kalevipoeg appears pitch black with a sizable tan head. Being pitch black, there is pretty much nothing else that can be said about the body of the beer until after the first taste. The aroma... man, I could smell this beer all day long (figuratively). Smoke (another key flavor in the style), caramel-like sweetness, and lots of dark fruits, such as raisins and figs, aromas just flow from the glass. The taste follows the nose almost to the T: there is smoke, that caramel or lighter candy sweetness, and the dark fruits, but this time it is raisins and dates.

Kalevipoeg is fairly thick in the mouth, but not chewy, so it coats the mouth without being difficult to swallow. The beer is smooth and not disrupted by lots of carbonation, but it does still fizz to remind you that you are drinking beer and not supping liquid heaven clouds. All-in-all, I say this is a fantastic representation of what was a forgotten style in the West until the fall of the Iron Curtain in the late 1980's. I really wish I could get it again, but alas, it was a one time offering.

Cigar City Brewing
Kalevipoeg Baltic Porter
TCSH - 9.5/10
Aka - Worth creating the land and fighting giants for.

Dallas

Stone Ruination 10th Anniversary IPA

Stone is easily one of my favorite breweries. They are masters of the hops and are not afraid to make beers they like, in the face of market demands. And this beer was easily one of the most anticipated releases of the year by hop-lovers such as myself.

Stone Ruination, one of the beers that paved the way for the imperial/double IPA style, turned ten years old this year. How did Stone celebrate? They amped-up EVERYTHING. The malts, the hops, the IBUs, the ABV. This is more like an older brother to Ruination than a birthday celebration, but you won't hear me complaining.

Ruination Tenth pours a beautiful, mostly clear sunset orange with about a finger to two fingers of a solid white head. Without a doubt this should be poured into a tulip or snifter to maximize the beauty of the beer. I haven't seen anything so bitter look this good since Avery Maharaja.

The aroma that rose from the glass was like that of incense to the gods: heavenly. Strong citrus aromas, flowers, and some tropical fruits, like mangoes. This is probably the closest I've come to smelling a bunch of whole hop cones. And I absolutely love it. The taste on the Ruination Tenth is just as impressive as the nose. This one is definitely bitter and not for the faint of heart. With the bitterness there is a lot of citrus, mostly orange, and a pleasant sweetness lies underneath all of it with some sweet mango and soft caramel notes.

Despite being a MASSIVE beer, Ruination Tenth has a medium body feel in the mouth and is rather slick feeling with a very mild amount of carbonation, so the flavors linger and are not scrubbed away. The finish on the Ruination Tenth Anniversary is actually a bit dry, as if it were wood aged, but not before a blast of bitterness punches your palate. Well worth the price, and was cheaper than I expected.

Stone Brewing Company
Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA
TCSH - 9.5/10
Aka - Liquid perfection. If you still have a chance to drink this, do not wait any longer.

Dallas

Rahr & Sons The Regulator

Two posts in one day? What is wrong with me? Answer: there is so much beer to drink and so little time (in other words, it's not my fault).

Another Rahr & Sons beer on the docket for the night (day, whatever). And this one is a lager. A doppelbock, to be exact. This should be exciting, right? The Regulator sounds intimidating. Here it goes...

The Regulator pours a lovely ruby red-mahogany, crystal clear, with a variable light tan head (size seems to depend on the type of glass used, as it often does; for most beers I tend to use a footed/stem glass but even those have a wide variation in bowl shape). The body, while clear, does not look thick nor oily, and actually seems a bit watery, which might be the only downside to the whole appearance package. Unfortunately, I fear the appearance might be the best part of this beer.

This was not a particularly aromatic beer, and the little I could pick up was less than astounding. There were bits of chocolate, hints of caramel, and hints of bread, and not much in the ways of hops either; with doppelbocks being a malt bomb most times, this was rather underwhelming and did not bode well for the taste.

As I expected, the taste was also unimpressive but not bad, mind you. It had hints of chocolate and hints of caramel, but nothing stood out. Doppelbocks are supposed to be big, bold beers (see classics such as Ayinger Celebrator and Weihenstephaner Korbinian; or even an American take on the style that is quite popular: Great Lakes The Dopplerock) and The Regulator did not live up to the standard. Not to mention the finish was somewhat dry, like a bread verging on stale that calls for a drink of water after eating it or perhaps butter on the bread itself.

Available around Texas, $7-9 for a 22 oz bottle.

Rahr & Sons Brewing
The Regulator Doppelbock
TCSH - 6-6.5/10
Aka - Worth trying once. Split it, and the cost, with a friend.

Dallas

Rahr & Sons Lã Grange

Now, for all intents and purposes, Fort Worth is my backyard (please don't hate me, all you great people from Fort Worth), and Rahr and Sons is my metaphorical playground. I have visited on several occasions, have several Rahr pint glasses, and have sampled many of their beers. But on to THIS beer...


Lã Grange... Most of us, hopefully, think of the song by the Southern rock legend ZZ Top, who were from Texas, but what a lot of people don't seem to realize is Lã Grange is referring to a whore house. Thankfully, this beer does not.

This Texas saison, or "farmhouse" ale, pours out hazy golden straw yellow with a large, fluffy white head. One can make out a few bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. It looks exactly like what you would want to be drinking on a hot summer's day after working out on the farm for several hours, or with your plowman's lunch.

The aroma is earthy; it has lots of strong yeasty notes that lend to both fruitiness and some mild funk that is characteristic of saisons. One thing I appreciated about this beer is that they did not use brettanomyces in the production of this product, as many saisons do (and I love brett in my beers, especially sours). The taste follows the nose pretty well; there are nice fruit flavors such as white grapes and pears, some spices and straw-like characters, and some funk to round it out.

Lã Grange also has a nice feel in the mouth, being bubbly but not excessive, and not too thick that you're eating bread but not too thin that you're drinking water. This beer also has a nice, crisp, refreshing finish, perfect for the Texas heat, for sure. Available throughout Texas, $6-7 for a 22 oz bottle.

Rahr & Sons Brewing
Lã Grange Farmhouse Ale
TCSH - 8.5/10
Aka - A must try.

Dallas

Goose Island Demolition

I don't know what Eli has in the shop (if you haven't visited the site yet, you should), but I got this beer in a trade with a guy from Kentucky, along with a few other special Goose Island beers that will show up here if Eli lets me have my way. And I must say, this beer delivered.

Most people in the US beer world have heard of Goose Island, and their sale to InBev, and most people still really want their beer. Well, I am no exception. I even made a trip up to Chicago just to drink at their Clybourn location. Sadly I was there a day early and, therefore, missed their release of Black Mission on tap...

Anyway, on to the beer. Demolition is a Belgian style Golden Ale, which really doesn't mean much except that it will be golden in color, usually lighter in body, and have some yeasty and light fruit flavors. This is all true, but there was something different.

A lot of Goose Island beers that are "special" releases (Bourbon County Stout, Matilda, Pepe Nero, Pere Jacques, The Three Sisters, King Henry, you get the idea) have on their label that the beer will mature in the bottle for up to five years. Demolition did not say this, but instead said that it would remain fresh for up to 180 days past the bottle on date. That is fine, I like beers to have a bottle on date on the label and/or a drink by date. This bottle of Demolition was bottled on May 18, 2011.

This beer was over a year old!

I drank it anyway. It was very pleasant. Light in body with a slick, almost oily looking texture and body with a bright white head, as expected. Smelled like bread, had a bold yeast profile, and reminded me of lighter colored fruits, such as white grapes. For a year old beer, when it is only expected to last half a year, I was quite surprised at how well it held up.

I would like to try a fresher bottle, but given what I had, I enjoyed it.

Goose Island Beer Company
Demolition Belgian Style Golden Ale
TCSH - 8.5/10
Aka - If you can get it, try it. Maybe even age it for a while.

Dallas
I'm still the new guy

Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer

Okay, so we all hate clowns, right? I do. They are creepy. But their shoes, man, those shoes are pretty awesome. Am I right? Well, I like Clown Shoes. The small, contract brewery out of Ipswich, Massachusetts, I mean.


I'm going to look at what is probably my favorite beer from them, and I've had almost all of their beers at this point. Vampire Slayer, an American style imperial stout, is their second anniversary release (Hoppy Feet 1.5 is their first anniversary release), and is both expected and surprising. This beer is almost nothing like their Russian imperial stout, Blaecorn Unidragon, other than the fact that it is an imperial stout and has a high ABV.


Vampire Slayer is big, bold, and surprisingly not too in-your-face. Lots of chocolate notes spew from the glass without being overly sweet, and has some nice smoke character, made from "vampire killing stakes," and a punch of roast. The taste is pretty much what you would expect based on the nose: lots of chocolate, but again, not too sweet, and some smoky character and some roast. It is all very pleasant, and not too brutal.


The body is, of course, pitch black and has a pretty nice sized medium brown head. I would recommend pouring this into a tulip or a snifter to get the full effect of the aroma and appearance, but I suppose your standard pint glass would work as well. The mouth-feel is somewhat creamy, somewhat smooth, and not so thick that you have to chew the beer. But it isn't watery either. The carbonation is subdued and so is the 10% ABV; there is no heat going down at all, making this beer surprisingly drinkable. All things considered, I will likely pick up another bottle or two. $6-8 for a 22 oz bottle, available throughout Texas and wherever Clown Shoes beers are sold.

Clown Shoes Beer

Vampire Slayer American Imperial Stout

TCSH - 9-9.5/10

Aka - Amazing! Highly Recommend.

Dallas (Stephen)

I'm the new guy

New England Brewing Gandi-Bot Double IPA

The always anticipated recent release of New England Brewing's Gandhi-Bot Double India Pale Ale...

When you first pour this hop-crazy Gandi-Bot you notice the light golden colored body and the fairly thin, egg shell colored head. There is a lot of lacing around the glass as there should be with this double hopped brew.

As I was writing in my notebook about this beer, and before I had taken my first sip I was maybe a foot away and could just smell the intensity of this. Genuine American hops that'll blow your nose away, very aromatic.

The first sip you take isn't as intense as you may think when it comes to a double I.P.A, in fact it may taste quite hoppy and even bitter but what I noticed is that its a softer hoppy taste, unlike such I.P.A's like Smuttynose. I've had Smuttynose IPA and it just seemed to stick to my tongue like duct-tape.

Overall, after having this I can safely say that even though I'm personally not a big I.P.A drinker, this double IPA Gandi-Bot has won me over. It's smoother than expected for a double and has just the right amount of hop flavor and bitterness for anyone to brag about. 

New England Brewing
Gandi-Bot Double IPA
TCSH Rating - 7/10
Aka - very good, but not awe-inspiring

Gunnar

Victory Brewing Company Saison du Buff

Just released, I've been super anxious to crack a bottle of this Victory Brewing Company Saison du Buff.  This beer was first released two years ago as a collaboration brew between Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory Brewing. At the time, the beer was never released in Connecticut because of some awful hiccups in the distribution network.  This year Victory Brewing did a batch of it's own, for release during it's normal distribution network.

Just arrived this morning, I immediately set a bottle aside so that I could try one tonight.  The Saison du Buff pours a bright golden yellow color with an egg-shell white foam.  There's plenty of carbonation, but the foam never gets more than one finger thick.  While the initial carbonation fades back, there's a persistent thin film of foam throughout the entire glass of beer. There is also a ton of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass for the duration of my beer.

On the nose, there's very little hops, an unexpected surprise considering the three breweries involved in this collaboration. There's a very nice complex variety of spice on the nose, with just a touch of malts. On the palate, the Saison du Buff is relatively light-bodied, with plenty of spice, and a clean dry finish.

Despite the name, I really didn't expect a very saison-esque brew. There have been dozens of American saisons that I've tried, always falling a bit short of the Belgian versions. By definition, a Saison should be relatively light and easy to drink.  This Saison du Buff has been one of the two best American Saisons I've had to date, only competing with the Goose Island "Sofie". I like the Saison du Buff so much, that I've already emailed my salesman asking for another couple cases.  At the very least, I'll buy a whole case for myself!

Victory Brewing Company/Dogfish/Stone
Saison du Buff
TCSH - 9.5/10
Aka - Absolutely delicious!

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

The Goose is Loose in Connecticut, finally! My salesmen have been taunting me with the Goose Island beers for over a year now, and as of May 1st they've finally been released. Just today we received our first shipment which included this little gem, the 312 Urban Wheat Ale.

Despite its appearance in the picture, the 312 pours a light straw shade of yellow with a touch of haze and bright white one finger foam on top.  As the foam recedes, a small amount of lacing remains.On the nose, the 312 is a light crisp combination of malts, wheat, citrus, and just a touch of soft hops.

The Goose 312 drinks somewhere between a crisp summer ale and a soft American wheat ale.  The body is light and easy drinking, there's a subtle hint of hops, just a little sweetness, and nice lingering finish.

This is the first time I've had the Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat ale, and I'm definitely a fan. Where I come from we do our best to keep the freezer full of geese, but now that Goose Island is available in Connecticut, the hunt is going to be a lot easier.

Goose Island Beer Company
312 Urban Wheat Ale
TCSH Rating - 9/10
Aka - Delicious and refreshing!

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard

From the great folks at Stone Brewing Company, tonight's brew is the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale.  While I've had the [standard] Arrogant Bastard Ale several times, I've never sat down to evaluate the Oak-aged version.

The Oaked Arrogant Bastard comes in 12oz bottles, in big, black 6-pack holders. On the shelf next to the IPA, Pale Ale, and Levitation, the Oaked 6-pack sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Oaked Bastard pours out a darker shade of red, somewhere between rust and chestnut.  A nice thick foam arises in a slightly off-white shade.  The thickness of the foam fades back pretty quickly, but a thin layer of larger bubbles remains through the entire glass of beer.  As the foam recedes, just a mild amount of lacing remains on the glass.

Aromas are pretty heavy on the hops, but not super intense.  There's actually a touch of malty sweetness coming through between the hops.  The palate reveals a similar profile.  There's quite a bit of bitter hops at first, but then that little bit of sweetness from the malt comes through quietly.  Just as I type that, the hops clings to the back of my tongue and seems to beat my palate into submission. While not super intense, there's a unique quality about the hops that seems to hold onto the back of my tongue for ages!

While I've never been a huge fan of the original Arrogant Bastard, I find this Oak-aged version to be much better balanced and quite drinkable. Or, maybe I'm just becoming more and more a fan of the hops?

Stone Brewing Company
Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
TCSH Rating - 8/10
Aka - Very nice, I stand corrected

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

Dogfish Head Black & Blue

Dogfish Head Craft Brewing's Black and Blue - a Belgian-style golden ale fermented with black raspberries and blueberries.  A brand new addition to our store, and fairly limited in quantity, so of course we had to try one.

The Black & Blue pours brilliant reddish amber color, with fine carbonation. The off-white foam rises to one finger thick, but dissipates fairly quickly.  From the bottom of my Chimay glass, there's a constant stream of carbonation rising throughout this glass.  Even as I'm pouring I can smell some of the fruity esters rising from the brew.

The nose is dominated by an overwhelming amount of fruit, I can't pick up any sense of hops at all.  There's just a little bit of candy-malt in the background, but the nose is heavily controlled by the fruitiness from the raspberries and blueberries.

The first few sips are pretty intense, and by intense, I mean super fruity and sweet. The first little bit of the Black and Blue are really, really fruit driven, and almost framboise lambic-ish.  After I get a few sips under my belt and it warms up a little bit, I can pick out more of the complexity of the brew.  There's now a significant malty character in the background, and the alcohol is coming through more and more as it warms to room temperature.

At first, I was significantly unimpressed by this Black and Blue from Dogfish.  After a few sips in, I'm coming around a bit.  It's pretty drinkable, relatively light in body, and probably pretty mass-appealing. I'm still not in love with the Black and Blue, but it is growing on my slowly.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Black & Blue
TCSH Rating - 7.5/10
Aka - Good, but nothing I'm crazy about

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

New England Brewing - 668

A brand new arrival, and a very limited one at that, this is the 668 "The Neighbor of the Beast" from New England Brewing.  Even though they're located just a short drive from here, we get very limited quantities of the 668, and therefore I've never been able to try it before.  Tonight I thought it was a necessity, so Gunnar and I cracked a can to split.

The 668 comes in 12oz aluminum cans with no discernible canning date or alcohol level. The cardboard flat that the cans arrived on was dated March 28th, 2012, so this batch is pretty darn fresh. The brew pours a slightly hazy golden straw color, with a nice white foam.  The main body of foam dissipates relatively quickly, but a thin film of carbonation is present throughout the duration.

The aromas on the 668 are lightly sweet and citrusy.  The last brew I had from New England Brewing was the Ghandi Bot, and I totally wasn't prepared for this soft little guy today. A little bit of that typical 'belgian funk' is present in the background, but the citrus and spice is definitely the dominate force in the aromas.

On the palate the start is very nicely sweet, followed by some nice fruit esters, and finishes with a crisp dryness in the back of the palate.  There's just a touch of hops clinging to the back of my tongue, but the overall impression is distinctly citrusy, fruity, and a touch sweet.  A nice medium body makes the 668 both flavorful and quite drinkable.

All said and done, I'm quite impressed! This "Belgian Strong Pale Ale" is very balanced, smooth, and well-done.  If this were available on a regular basis, it would be a staple in my own fridge.  Great job guys!

New England Brewing
668 - The Neighbor of the Beast
TCSH Rating - 9/10
Aka - When can we get more?

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum

He'Brew Hop Manna

From the Shmaltz Brewing Company, this is the He'Brew Hop Manna IPA. Limited release in 22oz bottles, I was fairly excited to try this little guy.  The label states that Hop Manna is dry hopped with Centennial Cascade and Citra hops, checking in at 65 IBUs and 6.8% abv.

The Hop Manna pours a great straw-golden color, with quite a bit of fluffy off-white foam.  There is a ton of carbonation rising from the bottom of my Unibroue-brand tulip glass.  As usual, there's a long story on the side of the label in tiny print that I don't dare try to read after I start drinking.

The nose is full of brightly floral hops, bitter at the core, but mostly floral and citrusy in nature.  On the palate, this is much more subtle than some of the other IPAs I've been trying lately.  The hops are definitely present, but not nearly as rough and bitter as others. The alcohol isn't even noticeable, it's seamlessly blended in behind the hops. The finish is not super-long lasting, but it does linger for a few minutes.

Soft, smooth, flavorful, and quite drinkable.  I like the Hop Manna!

Shmaltz Brewing Company
He'Brew Hop Manna
TCSH Rating - 8.5/10
Aka - L'Chaim!

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum