Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale

Stone Brewing Company
Escondido (San Diego County), CA


APPEARANCE: 3/3: Pours like a Guinness, a beautiful cascade of bubbles. Opaque, dark brown, tan head laces and lasts. 5 minutes later and it's still huge! Beautiful.

AROMA: 4/4: Sweet raisin, prune, alcohol. Big, rich, complex and sophisticated. Dark chocolate, cherry and grassy. Sweet awesomeness.

TASTE: 9.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 4/4: Chocolate-covered cherries. Woody, complex—sweet and malty, but not cloying. Coffee, roast, smoky. Perfectly balanced.
Aftertaste: 3/3: Really nice bitter, alcohol sour, smoky chocolate roast.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Big, chewy, smooth and boozy. Tingly, lightly effervescent, perfectly carbonated.

OVERALL: 3/3: This is pretty amazing—heck, frickin' phenomenal! A huge beer, but what a treat!

TOTAL: 19.75/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:About as perfect a beer as we've had. A huge beer—11%—implementing 13 grains and 13 hop varietals. Do the math and it adds up to 22 oz. of pure, rich, dark, sweet, hoppy, woody, grassy awesomeness. I bought this on a total whim—God's hand. If you can find it, buy it.

Odell Shenanigans Aged Crimson Ale

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado


APPEARANCE: 2.5/3Thick tan head, orange-brown color. Steady stream of bubbles. Rocky head.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Sweet nose. Orange peel, citrus, lemon, orange blossom. Dried fruit. Sugary, malty.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Spicy woodiness, nicely balanced. Oaky. Malty sugar mixed with sour tart and an earthy finish. Unique.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Sour tart, almost puckering. Nice bitter finish, like a period at the end of a sentence. Subtle brett.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Dry, effervescent, bubbly. Big but not boozy.

OVERALL: 2.75/3
A fun, weird, sour, funky, citrusy treat. I don't know exactly what it is, but I don't care, it's a good beer.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another


NOTES:
Ben says it reminds him of a circus peanut, and I hate circus peanuts, so we disagree there. We DO agree this beer is sugary, earthy, sour, tart goodness. A fun beer, so if you're lucky enough to find it, do yourself a favor and buy it.

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA

Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3Black opaque. Tan head that laces the glass nicely.  Foamy with big bubbles.

AROMA: 3.5/4Peppery and hoppy.  Piney with tropical fruit aromas (New Zealand hops?) Subtle roast aromas.  Pretty.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Flavor: 3.5/4: Black pepper spiciness.  Citrus and tropical fruits hop flavors dominant. Sweet high notes fade to peppery bitterness.  Woody and sour.
Finish: 2.25/3: Bitter pepper tastes linger on the tongue.  Sour hints.  Bitterness sits in the center of the mouth.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Big.  Alcohol and pepper tingle.  A little chewy.  Bitter floods in nice and full.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Union Jack with rye sourness and roasted malt coffee, burnt toast flavors.  Spicy, peppery, full and satisfying.

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

COMMENTS:

Another winner from Firestone Walker.  A tad on the bitter side, but aroma, flavor, and body are great.  A gusty attempt on what is lately a popular style of beer.

New Glarus Cherry Stout (2012)

New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus, Wisconsin

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: Mahogany color. Tan, thin head that rings the glass nicely. Light for a stout.

AROMA: 3.25/4: Cherry nose, cherries and cream. No hop. Sugary, subtle chocolate.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Cherry dominant, some chocolate roast—chocolate-covered cherries!
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Roasted bitterness. Sour, tart cherry up front, fades to chocolate at middle, fades to subtle roast bitter at close.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Mouth-puckering tart, fizzy and full, bounces on the tongue.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: A definite cherry beer, darker malts impart a nice roast flavor. Could use more roasted malt, coffee notes.

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Yet another great New Glarus fruit beer. More roast and it's perfect—nothing more to say.
Ben: Needs more roasted malt for stout character. Maybe add some lactose to this? Milk chocolate cherry stout? Call me, NG, this is a winner!

Snarling Badger Berliner-Weisse

Grand Teton Brewing Company
Victor, Idaho

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: White, foamy, rocky head (1" thick!) that rings the glass nicely. Lots of bubbles. Hazy, pure gold, pretty! if a bit dark for a wheat.

AROMA: 3/4: Orange-citrus aroma. Clean, high-toned. Subtle alcohol, sugary. Not terribly aromatic.

TASTE: 9/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Sour/tart, big citrus up front, banana at close. Crisp and clean.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Big, sour. Lemony-citrus up front, lactic acid. Banana-clove finish, alcohol.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Alcohol warming, bubbly explosion that expands to fill the mouth. Yes, I said explosion. Just try it.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Lactobacillus tartness is a great addition to this fruity, fizzy, spicy treat. Clean and refreshing, a great summer beer. Home run.

TOTAL: 17.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Fizzy, flavorful and refreshing. I'm a cheapskate, so I often balk at spending $10 for a bomber; the exception is when it's a Grand Teton bomber. Buy this beer.
Ben: A great summer beer. Sour, but finishes crisp and clean. A really good sipper, it would be interesting to let it age a while and see how it comes out.

Epic Barrel-Aged IPA

Epic Brewing Company
Auckland, New Zealand

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3: Gold color, foamy head, slight haze.

AROMA: 3/4: Hoppy nose. Citrus, pine, some pineapple. Slight oaky nose, maybe.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Lots of pineapple, some apricot, nice subtle lemony hints at the end.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Whiskey-oak sour up-front, big bitter middle.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: A bit thin, could use more body. Woodiness overwhelms.

OVERALL: 2/3: Tastes like a booze-infused beer. They should have blended this. Not bad, but the barrel-aging is overwhelming.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I appreciate the effort, but it's a bit much. Add body, blend it to tamp down the oak, and we're in business.
Ben: Grows on me the more I drink it. It's okay—good, but falls short of great. Almost too much oak flavor, like it's an extreme barrel beer; should be more subtle.

Cerise Cherry Fermented Ale

Founders Brewing Company
Grand Rapids, Michigan

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: Ruby red, crystal clear. White head rings the glass nicely.

AROMA: 2.5/4: Subtle maraschino cherry nose, sugary. Not terribly aromatic.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Tart, very grainy. Cane sugar. Sour lasts to close, falls out quickly.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Cherry finish, bitter aftertaste lingers. Slight metallic tang.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Fizzy, a bit thin. Puckery.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: A bit watery, needs more cherry. Not bad, but could be better. (When you've had New Glarus Belgian Red, anything else is going to compare unfavorably.)

TOTAL: 13.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Okay for what it is, but it's no Belgian Red. A high bar, I know, but tough.
Ben: Unfortunately for Founders, we've had the pinnacle of cherry fruit beer. This one falls short—needs much more cherry!

Midas Touch Handcrafted Ancient Ale

Dogfish Head Brewing Company
Milton, Delaware

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3: Deep gold, foamy head. Slight yeast haze.

AROMA: 3/4: Grape nose, very clean. Smells like wine, or white grape juice. Grain/cereal aroma.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Sweet up-front, spicy and grainy middle. Lots of white grape flavor.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Big alcohol sour. Dry, bitter finish, white wine aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Alcohol warming, booze rises up into the sinuses. Dry, fizzy and full.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: The new fad, seemingly—wine-beer. Or beer-wine. Straddles the line, but definitely a beer. Dry, grapey, interesting.

TOTAL: 15.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I'm just okay with it—an interesting wine/beer hybrid. At 9%, though, alcohol is overwhelming!
Ben: I don't really taste the mead (as described on the label), but there is a sweet floral or blossom flavor there. Very dry and sweet, an interesting offering. Worth a try.

Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA

Dogfish Head Brewing Company
Milton, Delaware

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3: Dark copper to light brown. Clear, crisp, clean. Thin, off-white head that fades. Steady stream of bubbles.

AROMA: 3/4: Clean, sugary, subtle citrus. Subtle apricot, subdued hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Apricot up-front and through the middle, hop bitterness at finish. Sugary sweet, apricot present. Some citrus hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Sweet finish. Hop bitterness lingers. Nice high flavors.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Chewy, full-bodied. Weakly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Pleasant. Sweet and fruity, peaches (apricot) and cream-like, with a bitter finish.

TOTAL: 15/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice beer. The apricot is understated, a nice accent flavor. Is it an IPA? Doubtful. Still, a nice ale, well done (as usual, by DFH).
Ben: Apricot accents the citrus hop nicely. Bitter finish is nice, though it's a little thin. Overall, not bad—another good offering from a great brewer.