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.
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Filed under: Schneider & Sohn, Weizen Bock (mug, stein, weizen) | Tags: American ingenuity, banana, banana bread, beautiful, Belgian style, bitter, caramel, Cinnamon, clove, craft, dark, deep, excellent, fruitiness, hazy, hops, lemon, maple syrup, nearly opaque, nice, orange, persistent head, quick bread, strong, sweet, sweetness, thick, vanilla, walnut, wheat
Purchased at: OakTree BuyRite, South Plainfield, NJ (Thanks, Jason and Matt)
Price: $3.99 (!)
Size: 16.9 fl oz
ABV: 8.2%
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 300 C
RateBeer Rating: 96
Aural: quiet opening, visible carbonation, heady pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: sweet
Impression: nice
Malt Aroma: banana bread, vanilla, walnut
Hops Aroma: cinnamon, orange
Other Aroma: banana
Notes: One of the clearest banana aromas I’ve ever encountered.
Appearance 4 out of 5
Color: amber
Clarity: hazy, nearly opaque.
Head Retention: persistent
Lace: present
Notes: beautiful, deep, hazy, thick, and dark with depth.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: nice
Malt Flavor: wheat, quick bread, maple syrup, walnut, caramel
Hops Flavor: cinnamon, clove, orange, lemon
Other: banana
Notes: Very much the taste profile of banana bread – nicely done. Very hoppy for something that has the impression of sweetness.
Palate 4 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: drying warming
Body: full
Carbonation: medium
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: medium
Balance: bitter
Notes: A very bitter, fruity finish. Very nice.
General Impression: 19 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: loved
Notes: Reminds me of Chouffe’s Dobblen IPA. A very nice mix of hops, sweetness, fruitiness, Belgian style, American ingenuity, and craft.
Filed under: Cantillon, Lambic (flute, tumbler) | Tags: beautiful, bitter, cherry, Cinnamon, clove, crisp, dates, delicious, dry, excellent, floral, lemon, luscious, nearly opaque, nice, oak, orange, overwhelming, pith, plum, quiet, raisin, rind, rose, ruby, sharp, sour, strong
Purchased at: OakTree BuyRite, South Plainfield, NJ (Thanks, Jason and Matt)
Price: $22.99
Size: 25.4 fl oz
ABV: 5 %
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 300 C
RateBeer Rating: 99
Aural: cork opening, but uneventful, beautiful, continuous carbonation, quiet, luscious pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: sharp
Impression: nice
Malt Aroma: sour
Hops Aroma: wholly floral, rose, cinnamon, clove,
Other Aroma: orange, cherry, lemon
Notes: You have to be able to enjoy sour to get into a cherry behemoth like this. While it’s not my favorite style, I genuinely appreciate it when it’s done well. It’s done perfectly.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: ruby
Clarity: nearly opaque
Head Retention: poor
Lace: poor
Notes: Very much like a sparkling wine, with great visual effects.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: nice
Malt Flavor: sour
Hops Flavor: rose, lemon, rind
Other: cherry, plum, dates, raisin
Notes: An absolutely overwhelming sourness and bitterness. Done with finesse and great care.
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: drying
Body: full
Carbonation: heavy
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Notes: A dark, oaky, bitter finish and a very dry bite. delicious.
General Impression: 19 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: liked very much.
Notes: As I said, while this is not my go to style (luckily, since I couldn’t afford it) I definitely appreciate when it’s done well, and this is very well crafted. It demands to be sipped.
Filed under: Mikkeller, Stout (English pint) | Tags: absolutely loved, alcohol, amazing, bacon, burnt toast, caramel, carbon, cashew, chocolate syrup, cilantro, drying, dust, espresso, espresso roast, excellent, favorite, fresh, genius, gift, hazelnut, incomparable, lemon, licorice, mint, mold, oat, phenomenal, resin, rye, sugar, tar, Toast, Toffee, warming
Purchased at: OakTree BuyRite, South Plainfield NJ (Thanks, Jay & Matt!)
Price: $14.99
Size: 22.3 fl oz
ABV: 7.5 %
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 175 C
RateBeer Rating: 100
Aural: quick release in opening, dark, quiet carbonation, intense but uneventful pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: sharp
Impression: so nice
Malt Aroma: oat, sugar, toast, hazelnut, caramel, espresso roast
Hops Aroma: mold, licorice, tar, resin, lemon
Other Aroma: bacon
Notes: An amazing aroma. An aroma by which to compare all others. Phenomenal.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: black
Clarity: wholly opaque
Head Retention: persistent
Lace: poor
Notes: A full darkness with a dark tan head. An exact replica of deep roasted coffee.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: so very nice
Malt Flavor: oat, rye, chocolate syrup, burnt toast, carbon, cashew, caramel, toffee, espresso
Hops Flavor: mint, cilantro, dust
Other: alcohol
Notes: An amazing flavor. Comparable to no others. An instant and lasting favorite.
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: drying, warming
Body: full
Carbonation: faint
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Notes: Leaves you wanting another taste. Would make a great gift. I wish I was having pancakes right now.
General Impression: 20 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: absolutely loved
Notes: I cannot find more superlatives to apply here. It is, without a doubt, my favorite beer. Mikkeller is a genius.
Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), OHanlon | Tags: alcohol, amazing, barley, beautiful, bitter, caramel, coffee, creamy, dry, excellent, licorice, nice, off the charts, opaque, quiet, resin, slick, strong, subtle, sweet, syrup, tar
Glass: Snifter
Purchased at: A gift from Sean.
Price: $ n/a
Size: 8.5 fl oz
ABV: 11.7 %
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 175 C
RateBeer Rating: 98
Aural: very quiet opening, subtle carbonation, beautiful amber pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: overwhelmingly strong
Balance: very sharp
Impression: quite nice
Malt Aroma: barley, syrup, coffee
Hops Aroma: anise, licorice, acid
Other Aroma: alcohol
Notes: A wonderfully enticing smell, though seemingly strong.
Appearance 4 out of 5
Color: brown
Clarity: nearly opaque
Head Retention: poor
Lace: poor
Notes: A deep dark color, stands up impressively against the led test, but of course as with many ales of this strength, there is no head.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: off the charts
Balance: sweet start with a bitter finish
Impression: strong, but very nice
Malt Flavor: grain nut caramel toffee licorice
Hops Flavor: floral tar resin grapefruit rind
Other: alcohol
Notes: The flavor is surprisingly balanced. I expected this to be a repeat of Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, which defined new limits for me. This is much less intense than that, and very enjoyable.
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: creamy slick drying and warming
Body: full
Carbonation: faint
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: mostly bitter
Notes: A very dry, enjoyable finish. It really does need deserve to be sipped.
General Impression: 19 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: loved
Notes: I can’t wait to thank Sean for such an amazing treat. He made my birthday with this gift, even though for him, it was a drainpour giveaway. 😉
Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), Green Flash | Tags: barley, bold, brown sugar, dark, dark roast, deep, delicious, excellent, fantastic, favorite, flint, grapefruit, great price, maple syrup, praiseworthy, pumpernickel, raisin, raisins, red pepper flake, rich, Toffee, tropical flowers, walnut, well done, wonderful
Glass: snifter
Purchased at: Joe Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ
Price: $4.79
Size: 22 fl oz
ABV: 10%
IBU: n/a
Estimated Calories: 400C
RateBeer Rating: 93
Aural: quiet opening, gentle carbonation, uneventful pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: sweet and sharp
Impression: very nice
Malt Aroma: raisin prunes
Hops Aroma: rose spicy grapefruit
Other Aroma: grapes, sour, cherry
Notes: An amazing aroma. Incapacitating.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: dark ruby
Clarity: brilliant
Head Retention: average
Lace: poor
Notes: A menacing appearance – deep beautiful ruby color with brilliant clarity under an off white yellow head.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: very nice
Malt Flavor: barley, pumpernickel, brown sugar, walnut, toffee, dark roast
Hops Flavor: flint, tropical flowers, red pepper flake, grapefruit
Other: maple syrup, raisins
Notes: wonderful, deep, rich, bold, dark, raisin, delicious, favorite
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: drying warming
Body: full
Carbonation: average
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Notes: bitter, long finish, strong, alcohol
General Impression: 20 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: fresh
Personal Taste: loved
Notes: well done, great price, praiseworthy, fantastic
Filed under: Brewery Fonteinen, Lambic (flute, tumbler) | Tags: amazing, beautiful, bitter, cherry, cloudy, depth, excellent, grapefruit, intent, interesting, marigolds, nice, orange, overpowering, peppers, poetry, presence, roast, sharp, sour, strong, stunning, surprising
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Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ
Price: $15.99
Size: 25.4 fl oz
ABV: 6%
IBU:n/a
Estimated Calories: 310C
RateBeer Rating: 99
Aural: interesting cork opening, high carbonation, simple pour
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: very sharp (incredibly sour)
Impression: nice
Malt Aroma: roast
Hops Aroma: marigolds peppers orange
Other Aroma: cherry
Notes: what an amazing aroma. overpowering with sour cherry content and context.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: brown
Clarity: deeply cloudy,
Head Retention: poor
Lace: poor
Notes: An absolutely stunning color, depth and presence. No head at all.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Impression: nice
Malt Flavor: roast
Hops Flavor: grapefruit
Other: cherry
Notes: What an amazing, surprising and wholly sour flavor. Knocks you down with intent and determination. A beautiful flavor with dark intent. This beer wants to take a bough of arrows and send each of them deep into your heart, and you still love it so! It is a fruit based flavor that wants to convince you of IPAs. it’s phenomenal.
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: drying
Body: full
Carbonation: medium
Finish
Length: long
Intensity: strong
Balance: bitter
Notes: what an amazing palate and finish – great depth to the bitterness and sourness of the palate.
General Impression: 18 out of 20
Craftmanship: excellent
Freshness: quite fresh
Personal Taste: loved
Notes: It is dominated by sourness and acidity, but it is interesting to no end as a result. It is not sweet or cloying, but you are overwhelmed by the things we associate with sweetness — cherries, grapes, and melons (rinds). So nice.
Filed under: Great Divide, Imperial/Double IPA (snifter, tulip) | Tags: bitter, caramel, excellent, favorite, good head, good lacing, grapefruit, great aroma, great for pairing, herbal, hoppy, lively, maple, nice, Nut, orange peel, remarkable, resin, strong, sweet, Toast, warming
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Purchased at: Joe Canal’s, Lawrenceville, NJ
Price: $7.29
Size: 22 fl oz
ABV: 9.1%
IBU: 85
Estimated Calories: 400 C
RateBeer Rating: 99
Aroma 10 out of 10
Intensity: Strong
Balance: Sweet
Impression: Nice
Malt Flavor: Sweet Toast Nut Caramel
Hops Flavor:Floral Herbal Spice
Other: Syrup, maple, nuts, grapefruit
Notes: One of the best aromas I’ve encountered – fills the room.
Appearance 5 out of 5
Color: Copper
Clarity: slightly Dull
Head Retention: Persistent
Notes: One of the best head retentions I’ve seen in quite some time. Lacing is remarkable. Color is deep and very good looking. Body is not perfectly clear, but I imagine that’s by design. There is no mention of bottle conditioning.
Flavor 10 out of 10
Intensity: Strong
Balance: well balanced between Sweet and Bitter
Impression: very Nice
Malt Flavor: Grain Bread Sweet Toast Nut Caramel
Hops Flavor: Floral Herbal Spice Resin Citrus
Other: Grapefruit, orange peel
Notes: quite spicy – could stand up to the most potent foods and flavors.
Palate 5 out of 5
Mouthfeel
Sensation: Creamy Slick Drying and Warming
Body: Full
Carbonation: Lively and visible
Finish
Length: Long
Intensity: Strong
Balance: Bitter
Notes: The finish is superb. The carbonation is present and active. The mouth is affected and warmed all over.
General Impression: 20 out of 20
Craftmanship: Excellent
Freshness: Fresh
Personal Taste: Loved
Notes: One of my all time favorite beers – remarkably drinkable, smooth, bitter, sweet, and tasty. Beautiful to behold, and nicely crafted. Aroma is enticing. Price is reasonable for the product, and the finish keeps you interested. A superlative beverage.
