Filed under: Dogfish Head, Imperial/Double IPA (snifter, tulip) | Tags: Alcohol by volume, Arts, Beer rating, biting, bright, clean, electric, Glass, hot, Literature, red, ruby, shocking, South Plainfield, South Plainfield New Jersey, Tanka
Dogfish head Burton Baton Oaked IPA
Originally reviewed July 5th, 2008. Revisited on June 16th, 2009 in honor of Rob Mangold who gave a 4 pack as a gift. Cheers, Rob!
ABV: 10%
RateBeer rating: 94
Calories: estimated at 200 C
Volume: 12 fl oz.
Glass: snifter, tulip
Purchased at: OakTree Buy Rite, South Plainfield, NJ (Thanks, Jay and Matt!)
Price: $4.99
Consumed at: home
Tanka: the fire’s been lit
the devil’s red eyes
the clean smell after phys ed
biting, shocking, hot
live circuit completes in mouth
and lights you up so brightly
aroma 10 out of 10
visuals 5 out of 5
taste 10 out of 10
palate 5 out of 5
overall 20 out of 20
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=de7bbe3f-193d-4216-93dc-ba3360fe2755)
Filed under: IPA (shaker, tulip), Sierra Nevada | Tags: active, Alcohol by volume, amazing, basil, beautiful, beer, Beer rating, blood, cardamom, cloudy, creamy, curry, deep, Drink, dry earth, drying, excellent, Food, fresh, grains, grapefruit, grass, India Pale Ale, orange, peanut oil, pine, Recreation, red, rye toast, sawdust, strong, white
pourn: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2008
Glass: Shaker, Tulip
Purchased at: Oaktree buy rite, South Plainfield, NJ
Price: $16.99 for two 6 packs.
Size: 12 fl oz
ABV: 6.8 %
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 170 C
RateBeer Rating: 96
Aural: quiet opening, active carbonation, nice pour
Aroma 8 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: sweet
Impression: nice
Malt Aroma: rye toast, peanut oil
Hops Aroma: dry earth, grass, basil, grapefruit
Other Aroma: pine
Notes: A great active aroma. Very mindful of a strong IPA.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: dark
Clarity: cloudy, bottle conditioned
Head Retention: average
Lace: intricate
Notes: Beautiful beer. Deep red orange hues with a white head and lace.
Flavor 9 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: nice
Malt Flavor: grain bread toast nut
Hops Flavor: curry, cardamom, grapefruit
Other: orange, grapefruit, pine
Notes: Sawdust and blood. Like an accident happened, but in a good way. How do they make such a commercial beer so very good?
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: creamy drying
Body: full
Carbonation: average
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Notes: Perhaps the best aspect of this very good beer. Leaves you wanting more.
General Impression: 18 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: loved
Notes: An amazing beer for the brewer and price. Just fantastic.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=b5f17e67-9ad8-4e22-a1c7-f7400e4a6b0e)
Filed under: ABT/Quadrupel (trappist), Mikkeller | Tags: Alcohol by volume, California, cherry, Palate, Philadelphia, red, Taste, wine
Mikkeller Monk's Brew/Elixir
Style; glass: ABT/Quadrupel; Trappist
25.4 fl oz x 10% ABV = 254 / 60 = 4.23 beers * 150 C = 634.5 calories (est.)
Purchased at: The Foodery at 3rd and Arch, Philadelphia, PA for $25.00
Aroma: caramel, tar, dirt, dust, earth, wine, fruit, cherries, mold, cellar, dank
Visuals: brand conscious packaging, stylish, deep dark copper body, tan head, staying, looks like an illustration of hell, in a good way.
Taste: well balanced, sweetness up front gives way to funky sourness, and finishes with a delicate bitterness. Phenomenal.
Palate: active carbonation, not drying, rounded mouthfeel.
Overall: Delicious, if expensive. Like many other Mikkeller brews, this one is a great take on the style.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=689dd1ca-33e8-48da-8286-5a1707829eac)
Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), Dominion | Tags: alcohol, bitter, brilliant, caramel, citrus, crisp, dry, fruit, grapefruit, orange, red, resin, ruby
Dominion Millennium BWSA
Style; glass: BWSA; snifter
12 fl oz x 10.5% ABV = 126 / 60 = 2.1 beers * 150 C = 315 calories (est.)
Purchased at: The Beer Outlet for $1.25
Filed under: ABT/Quadrupel (trappist), Smuttynose | Tags: beautiful, brilliant, calories, cherry, citrus, clear, crisp, red, sweet
Smuttynose Gravitation ABT Quadrupel
Style; glass: ABT/Quad; trappist
22 fl oz x 8.5% ABV = 187 / 60 = 3.08 beers * 150 C = 462.5 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Super Saver, Pennington, NJ for $4.99
Aroma: cherry, raisin, wine, fruity, flowery.
Visuals: quirky but not unappealing packaging, ruby red body is brilliant, transparent and foreboding, weak white head thins to nil, little lace. The body is breathtakingly beautiful.
Taste: Very over the top sweet, slightly artificial in flavor. Candy malt, bright cherry sugar flavors, hops seem to be an afterthought, but they are there.
Palate: Tangy, tingly, highly carbonated, sharp, could cut through a heavy meal. Might be better with some age. Finish is acrid, bitter, and biting, but quick and fleeting.
Overall: A nice big beer from Smutty, though not my favorite from them. This one seems kind of chemically influenced, somewhat overly sweet, and just a bit off balance. Some time in the cellar would teach it a few tricks, I think.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bf3feb22-a8dc-477b-b3db-81453fffcf99)
Filed under: Breckenridge, Imperial/Double IPA (snifter, tulip) | Tags: bitter, citrus, cloudy, golden, hazy, hoppy, long finish, orange, pine, red, resin
Breckenridge Small Batch DIPA
Style and Glass: DIPA; Tulip, Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 9.2% in12 fl oz. estimated at 200 C
Purchased at: Hulmeville Inn for $7.00
Aroma: A pine forest with a grapefruit juice truck spill. Delicious.
Visuals: Very nice packaging, inviting, well designed. Hazy thick orange deep body with long lasting, thin white head and thin soapy lace.
Taste: Grapefruit, pine, resin, and hops.
Palate: Thick start with a bitter middle and finish. No crispness. Very much an IPA, and extremely so. Delicious.
Overall: A very good beer, a great example of an DIPA, and a delicious pairing compliment.
Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), Schlafly | Tags: alcohol, amazing, beautiful, bitter, brilliant, clear, dark, deep, hoppy, long finish, oak, pine, red, resin, resinous, sour, whiskey
Schlafly Oak Aged Barley Wine Style Ale
Style and Glass: Barley Wine Style Ale, Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 10.2% in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400C
Purchased at: Canal’s Hamilton for $11.99
Aroma: Oak, whiskey, alcohol, heartburn, smoke, and tobacco. An exhilarating aroma, and just being around it seems a little bit like a spicy barbecue is nearby.
Visuals: Packaging is a bit precious, but well done, and meets the need for specialty presentation. Body is an angry deep hazy red under an almost white long lasting head. Freshness and quality are evident from the way the body acts. Lacing is sticky and thick. Beautiful.
Taste: licorice, smoke, spices, and oak meld at the front, the middle has a deep slow burn, and the finish is almost all hops with a sweet malty undertone. An amazing brew. The oak really gives this BWSA a depth and flavor that I find pretty unique. Barbeque sweetness and smoke is welcome. This should be had with some blackened chicken and spicy curried potatoes. This would be great with Indian cuisine.
Palate: Smoother than you’d expect by far. Very oaky, woody, and crisp. A bit sour, puckers after a moment. Finish is warm, delicious, and strong
Overall: I love this, but I’d love it more playing against some savory and spicy flavors. Delicious.
Filed under: Founders, Imperial/Double IPA (snifter, tulip) | Tags: alcohol, amazing, beautiful, bitter, brilliant, citrus, clear, delicious, golden, grapefruit, hoppy, hops, orange, pine, red, resin, sweet, well balanced
Founders Double Trouble DIPA
Style and Glass: DIPA, Tulip; snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 9.4% in 12 fl oz. estimated at200 C
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $2.75
Aroma: A beautiful, hoppy explosion. Pine, citrus, resin, salt, seawater, and burn of alcohol is very present.
Visuals: design is fun, inviting, and apropos, body is a winter sunset, deep reddish orange with a bright white head, very clear, head is small but withstands the tasting, lace is missing.
Taste: smooth, sweet and burning, syrupy and spicy with savory notes, hops are forefront, bitter and biting.
Palate: smooth throughout. Alcohol inhale on first taste, followed quickly by sweetness, then intense bitterness, then a long dulling battering of the mouth. Delicious.
Overall: An amazing and delicious brew. A bit expensive, but always worth it. .
Filed under: Current selections | Tags: bitter, brown, cherry, deep, licorice, off white, red, smoky, sour, tannins, thin, well done, wine
On tap at the Hulmeville Inn, Hulmeville, PA, for $1.25 as part of a sampler flight. Deep reddish brown with a thin off white head. Sour! Licorice, seems off. Bitter, seems smoky, and deep. Not my type but well done. Cherry and lots of wine. Grapes, tannins, and wine. Once you notice the wine effects, it makes a lot more sense.
Filed under: Founders, Scotch ale (thistle) | Tags: aged, alcohol, barrel, beautiful, bourbon, burnt, dark, flavorful, good finish, good lacing, intense, interesting, leather, long lasting, oaked, opaque, prickly, red, ruby, smoky, strong, superlative, sweet, tan head, tea, well done, whiskey
The color is beautiful. A deep ruby red, almost opaque. Good lacing with a thinner but persistent light tan foamy head.
The aroma is sweet, oak, and tea. Alcohol is present in the nose. Lots of leather, and the aroma is quite strong.
The flavor is mostly whiskey. Very penetrated with the oak aging. Good finish, smoky, dark and burnt. A superlative scotch ale. Founders knows how to do it right.
The palate is prickly — lightly carbonated and long lasting. Very dark, intense flavors. A very well done brew.
Overall, I like this quite a bit. Better, IMHO, than Oaked Arrogant Bastard which does not balance the aging nearly as well. I’d have this again. Not a favorite, but I simply prefer heavier stouts.
