The Sounds Inside My Mind

Clipper City Heavy Seas The Great’er Pumpkin
An Imperial Pumpkin Ale aged in Bourbon barrels

A / 4.3
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a Smuttynose Big Beer Series goblet. The beer has a translucent orange color, with notes of brown to give it a slightly tarnished look. A bubbly tan head settled to a skim with a ring of large bubbles at the edges. Tiny carbonation bubbles can be seen within.

This beer smells very good to me. Woodsy bourbon and oak are present, but so is warm pumpkin fruit. There is just a hint of spice mixed in as well. A touch of hot alcohol gives away this aroma as belonging to a strong beer, but otherwise it smells like an appealing pumpkin dish. This is by far the best pumpkin beer aroma I’ve come across.

This beer has an interesting blend of flavors. It’s hard to tell where the pumpkin ends and the bourbon begins. The pumpkin does feel stronger as I first sip, with bold fruit flavors present here. Smokey bourbon and oak move forward as I swallow. Some alcohol burn is present here. Pumpkin spice lingers on after I swallow.

Great’er Pumpkin is a smooth, full bodied beer without too much carbonation. A decent coat is left behind. It has a pumpkin flavor and gives off alcoholic vapors. This warmth is similar to how a sip of bourbon feels going down.

It won’t be difficult for me to finish my glass of this imperial beer. I wouldn’t want to have too many glasses of this in a session, simply because it is so strong. I would like to pick up a few bottles of this next fall to spread out across the season. It’s a very enjoyable beverage. Who would have thought bourbon aging a pumpkin ale would work so well?

Tonight we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company at the Great Lost Bear with 10 different SN beers available on draft!  This included all four of the XXX Anniversary limited releases!  To get you (and myself) in the mood, here are my reviews of the first three beers in the series (astute readers will remember that I already posted one of these reviews here, sorry for the repost); my review of the Grand Cru will be posted sometime after tonight’s tasting.  Also, if you are unable to make it to the GLB tonight, all the beers will be flowing again tomorrow as part of the Thursday Night Showcase.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Fritz and Ken’s Ale

A- / 4.15
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Served in my Uprising chalice at Novare Res. The beer is super dark with a thick brown foam head. As I drink the beer, a patchy lace of foam is left behind. It has a robust coffee and dark chocolate aroma (does mean it smells like mocha?). There is a great balance of the malts and just a slight bit of grassy hops. Once I sip the beer, I can taste milk chocolate, roasted malts and a bit of alcohol. There is some sweetness, but not too much–it doesn’t taste as sweet as some other RISes I’ve had. The finish features a flavor that reminds me of vanilla beans. I’m interested in how this will age, as it tastes great now. It’s neither too hot nor too sweet, a problem than can affect some fresh imperial stouts. Each mouthful feels thick and creamy. I can also feel the carbonation. The coat that is left behind is top-notch; it’s stick but not too sweet. This beer feels like an important stout. This beer is very drinkable. The alcohol is never an issue. The stickiness may be a bit much for some people, but I’m pairing this beer with a glass of water and that works for me. I think I could easily finish off an entire 750ml bottle of this.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Bock

A- / 4.1
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Served from a just-tapped keg at the Great Lost Bear; poured into a tulip glass. The liquid is a golden orange/copper color, kind of like a sunrise. There is a good white foam head that is slowly settling. Very little carbonation is rising. It i surprisingly still inside the glass. The bock has a flowery nose, lots of hops and grain. This is a rather cold glass of beer, so I imagine that a bottle pulled from my cellar would have a more impressive nose. This has an interesting flavor. It’s hard to classify. There is a slight alcoholic vinegar blast in the finish that is it’s most striking quality. I use the descriptor vinegar, but I don’t mean it in a bad way. The rest of the flavor has a strong floral taste, lots of pale grain and whole hops. The aftertaste is a bit sweet. It’s pretty interesting. I haven’t had too many bocks, so I don’t really have a frame of reference for this beer, but I am enjoying what I’m tasting. It has a medium body and a thin mouth coat. Carbonation is average. This si a pretty drinkable beer, but the alcohol does come through a bit, which would limit consumption. I think I could finish an entire 750ml bottle myself, but I wouldn’t want more than that. All in all, a great beer to celebrate Sierra Nevada’s anniversary.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Jack and Ken’s Ale

A- / 4.15
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Served from a cellar temperature bottle into a tulip glass. The beer pours dark and opaque. It’s colored ruby brown. As I pour, a large tan head forms; it is easily 2 inches tall. After a bit of time, the foam is forming into a series of bubbles or various sizes. Looking into the head gives the appearance of Swiss cheese. Very good lacing is left behind as I swirl my glass.

This barleywine has a nice toasted malt aroma. There is a little sweetness, perhaps toffee or caramel. I can detect plenty of plum aromas. There are some nice hops that give off the essence of pine. A bit of alcohol rounds things out and lets you know you are about to sip a strong beer.

The flavor is robust. Roasted malts are present that posses flavors of plum, raisin and a touch of black licorice. Some brown sugar sweetness comes to the front as I swallow. Alcohol flavors the after taste, along with a touch of roasted malts. It is not quite charcoal, but it certainly tastes charred to me.

The mouthfeel is very impressive. The beer is thick and creamy, but not sticky or viscous. The carbonation is crisp. A little bit of sweetness coats my mouth after I swallow, but it doesn’t feel like a large coating. There isn’t any warmth from the alcohol, which is surprising to me, as it id readily apparent in the nose and taste.

I enjoy this ale. It is certainly a sipper. I’m also not upset that I’m splitting this bottle; I could drink it all, but it would take a while. I will savor this bottle, and I have a second aging in my cellar, but I don’t think I will get any additional bottles. Bigfoot, although not for sale right now, will be my SN barleywine of choice.

I tried to make it to Novare‘s Chimay event this afternoon, but I forgot that they had switched to their winter hours; when I showed up at 1, the lights were off and the door was closed.  Oh well…it looks like no Chimay drafts or cheeses for me today.  Luckily, in late October, I picked up a Chimay gift pack from Bootleggers in Topsham.  The box contained a 33cl bottle of each of the regularly available Chimay beers, plus a logo glass.

Chimay Première (Red)

A / 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 5

A cellar temperature 33 cl bottle poured into a Chimay goblet. A translucent brownish liquid with copper highlights fills my glass. Atop is sits a big head of tan foam. The head settles to a skim. Swirling the beer about leaves an impressive even coat of foam on the sides of the glass. Some small bubbles rise from the bottom.

A sweet malty aroma greets my nose as I inhale. I can discern sweet plums, Belgian yeast, and a bit of molasses. It smells very much what I expect this style to smell like.

The flavor isn’t very sweet, but I do taste a lot of molasses and brown sugar flavors. There is also some plum and raisin. The finish has that characteristic Belgian funky bite to it; it’s a flavor that is alcoholic and not quite vinegary, slightly tart, and catches your attention. I remember it being strong in the Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw; it isn’t that strong here, but very noticeable.

This is a full bodied beer. It leaves a mildly sticky coat that has a lot of molasses and plum flavors contained within. Carbonation is at above average levels.

I find this beer to be easily consumed. In the past I’ve worked my way through the 750ml large format bottles’ I wish this was one of those times. I’ve never grown tired of this beer. All of the flavors work well together and keep me coming back for more. This is an exceptional beverage; we’re lucky that it is as available as it is.

Chimay Trippel (White)

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature 33 cl bottle into a Chimay goblet. The beer has a tarnished gold color and a pure white head. The head is made up of tiny white bubbles and was about two fingers in height, although it has slowly settled. Some lacing is left behind. A noticeable amount of carbonation is rinsing from the bottom of the glass.

This triple has a very nice aroma. There is a lot of orange peel. A hint of spice mixes with the Belgian yeast to provide a crisp scent. Crystal sugar provides a bit of sweetness.

The flavor is characterized by a subtle sweetness and a mild peppery kick. A little bit of alcohol is present; it is more noticeable after I swallow. Flavors of lemongrass are also apparent.

This beer has a full body and a lot of carbonation. There are so many bubbles that if I hold onto a mouthful before swallowing, it foams up without me swishing it around. It isn’t a sticky beer, and the coating is slight–both impressive aspects. The foaming is kind of off-putting though, hence a lower score.

Despite this foaminess, I will easily finish my glass. The spices aren’t overpowering and are easily consumed. This isn’t my go to triple, simply because there are local Belgian style versions that I prefer, but for an authentic Trappist version, this is a great example.

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

A+ / 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

Poured from a cellar temperature 33 cl bottle into a Chimay goblet. The beer has a dark brown color; It is to dark for any light to penetrate. The head is about a finger in thickness and composed of egg shell colored foam. Fairly even lacing is left behind as I swirl the glass about.

The aroma is very interesting. Slightly sweet, it reminds me of a red, velvety candy. There is some molasses. Aspects remind me of ginger snap cookies, although I would say that there is any ginger in the nose. There is only the slightest bitterness, but a grassy aroma is present. A hint of the alcohol is also hidden in the mix.

A smooth, prune and plum like flavor greets my tongue as I sip the beer. A bit of molasses is also apparent. The finish is crisp and effervescent. It has that neat twist that the Chimay yeast provides which has none of the mustiness Belgian yeast strains often impart on a beer. It is an all-around exception strong dark Belgian flavor.

The Blue has a medium body and a lot of carbonation. The bubbles are not distracting, but can certainly be felt, especially if you hold the beer on your tongue briefly before swallowing. A coat is left behind, but it isn’t sticky or thick; it is much less intense than other 9% ABV beers.

For such a strong beer, this is incredibly drinkable. I don’t think I would have much of a problem if this were a 75 cl bottle. There is a reason this beer is so highly regarded. If you haven’t had this beer before, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Sebago Brewing Co. Single Batch Series Barleywine Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

A- / 4.05
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 3.5

This bottle has been in my cellar since the week it went on sale and I’ve been eying it lately. Today was the day to crack it open. Poured from the slightly above cellar temperature bottle into a tulip glass.

The beer has a beautiful red/ruby color. It’s quite clear and I can see lots of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and swirling about as it rises. The head was two fingers in height, colored tan, and made up of small bubbles. Swirling the glass about, the sides of my glass get coated with a film that won’t recede. The bubbles leave an even coat of foam, but it slowly drops back down into the liquid. This is a very pretty barleywine.

Most of the nose is made up of bourbon aromas. They are roasty and oaky, like there are some slightly singed wood chips in there. Behind the bourbon are some malt scents. I think I can detect toffee and raisin.

Maybe I’m just looking for it, but I can taste bourbon as soon as the beer crosses my tongue. It’s flavors last throughout each sip, but are strongest in the aftertaste. That lingering burn and alcoholic flavor I associate with bourbon is present here. There are some sweet malts as well. Like the aroma, I can identify toffee and dark colored fruits (perhaps more plum or prune than raisin though). Still, it is the bourbon that is strongest (yet not as strong as, say, a cask of Allagash Curieux).

This si a full bodied beer. It is thick and sticky. It leaves a syrupy film on my lips. The coat covers my entire mouth. My tongue tingles after I swallow–I can’t tell if its the carbonation or the alcohol. After swallowing, it is as if I can feel the alcoholic vapors collecting at the back of my mouth and evaporating there. The mouthfeel of this beer doesn’t hide it’s high ABV.

This beer is hard to drink, but it is strong and full of bourbon flavors that limit its drinkability. I would never want to drink it fast, nor would I ever want more than this one 22 oz bottle in a session. If you have a some time, and want a warming, strong beverage, this would work perfectly for you. It isn’t too sticky; I don’t feel as though I need to accompany the beer with a glass of water. Drinkers who are not fans of bourbon barrel aging or barleywines in general would not enjoy this beverage, but fans of those criteria should definitely seek this one out. I think the beer would be a bit better, and easier to drink, if it were chilled more than I have it (since I started writing this review, I place the open and mostly full bottle into the fridge to cool down a bit).

Tomorrow I’m headed up to Lovell for Ebenezer’s Belgian Beer Fest and to take my seat at the Sean Z. Paxton beer dinner.  I’m sure I’ll return with a bunch of tasting notes in my Moleskine, so I wanted to clean out a few reviews that needed to be translated from my notes.  I posted a bunch of them to BA, but here are the four best written ones.

Sebago Roundabout Red Ale

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a big 23oz glass at the Great Lost Bear.

Roundabout Red has, appropriately enough, a reddish brown color. The head is foamy and off-white. Some large bubbles are rising within the glass. The liquid is impressively clear.

It has a nice toffee malt aroma. There is a hint of grassy hops. The smells aren’t very strong, but the are pleasing.

I can taste toffee malts and grassy hops. The finish has a kiss of bitterness along with dry, fresh malts–two row perhaps? [The brewery’s website confirms that it is American 2-row and Caramel malts]

There isn’t much physical coat, but a lot of flavor is left behind. The body is of medium intensity. There are above average levels of carbonation. This 23oz pour was served pretty cold, so that may affect some aspects of this beer.

I find this to be a very drinkable offering. There is nothing too strong about this beer (the ABV does put it at the upper levels of being sessionable). If you like this style, it is worth trying, especially if you can visit one of Sebago’s brewpubs. I certainly don’t mind that I got a 23oz pour pour instead of a 16oz one. I did try to get this beer on cask, but it had sold out. I think the Roundabout Red would really shine when poured from a cask.

Sheepscot Valley Tinky Winky Double IPA

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. This is a one time only experimental beer from Sheepscot that tasted good enough to be sent to the Great Lost Bear to be offered to the public. It is described as a double IPA brewed with all Northwestern hops: Centennial, Cascade, Willamette and Mt. Hood. It was served to me in a pint glass.

The beer has a big, tan foamy head. The liquid is reddish copper colored. There is some visible carbonation rising within, but not too much.

The nose has some citrus and grass hop aroma. There are also tones of graham cracker that provide a touch of sweetness.

Each taste begins with some caramel malts. Soon, big hop flavors come in. They are sharp and bitter at first. Alcohol can be tasted, as well as some pine. Lots of oily hops throughout the finish; these linger on after swallowing.

This beer feels like a big beer. It leaves me with sticky lips and a long last coat all over my mouth. I can move my tongue around and taste hops and alcohol. There isn’t much carbonation to be felt, but the head is nice and creamy.

Considering the style, I find this beer to be drinkable. If you could get this beer by the growler, it would be a good companion for an evening…if you weren’t expected to drive. As it sounds like this will not be brewed again, it is worth getting a glass or two at the Great Lost Bear while it is still available.

It is great to see this brewery experimenting with some different styles. This is not style I ever expected them to produce.

Duvel

A / 4.45
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5
rDev: +3.1%
Reviewed from my notes. A corked and caged 750ml bottle, best before 21/11/2012, poured into my Smuttynose Big Beer Series goblet.

The bottle opened with a loud pop. Visible vapors could be seen escaping from the chilled bottle. Pouring into my glass produces a huge white foam head. It settles into soap bubbles strung across and around the glass, like regular lacing, by in three dimensions. Lots of rising carbonation is visible in the clear straw liquid. Not too much film is left behind when I swirl the glass around, but some good lace remains.

Duvel has, to me, a great sweet Belgian aroma. It’s a great mixture of candi sugar, Belgian yeast, bready malts, orange peel and coriander.

The flavor begins with some pale malts that provide a small amount of sweetness. Each sip finishes with some alcohol and a peppery bite. It’s a great strong Belgian pale flavor.

You can feel a lot of carbonation in each mouthful, but it works well. The coat is slick and a little buttery (but without any butter flavors). It has a medium/ful body and a quick dry finish.

This beer is very drinkable. In a single glass, each sip goes down well. It also works over a longer session–I’ll finish off this 750ml bottle myself without issue. Duvel is worthy of the praise it receives and worth seeking out.

Mikkeller It’s Alive!

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4
rDev: +12%
Reviewed from my notes. The first thing I notice about this beer is high amount of carbonation clinging to the sides of my glass. It’s more than I expected. The liquid itself has a rusty orange color. On top was a thin tan head that settled to a skim.

There is a lot of funk in the nose, like a stinky cheese. I can also detect a slight sweetness and a bit of grass.

The flavor starts out big and malty. There is a good amount of sweetness–all of the carbonation helps it feel airy, like ginger ale without the ginger. It is a bit sour in the finish, but not as Brett heavy as some US uses of this yeast. The end is also a little bit bready. Both the sourness and bready flavors linger on after I swallow.

The beer is full bodied and has lots of carbonation. It leaves a noticeable coat, but it isn’t very sticky. I was afraid the level of carbonation would be too much, but it works. I’m curious to know how it felt when poured from a bottle.

It’s Alive is pretty drinkable. Its a filling beer. I wouldn’t want more than one, I think it would sit too heavy. There is a good amount of funk–it isn’t limiting at all.

Allagash White

A+ / 4.65
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed this beer. Allagash White was my gateway beer. I can still remember the Allagash night I went to at my college’s pub, where I got a pint of White in a logo pint glass I got to keep. It started my beer glass collection. Anyway, I’m reviewing a fridge chilled 12oz bottle poured into a different Allagash logo glass (a 25cl flute). I can only fit about 2/3 of the bottle into this glass, so the appearance may change after I pour in the yeast. The liquid is a slighty tarnished yellow, with a small white head. There is a lot of rising carbonation and a bit that clings to the sides. [After emptying the bottle, I bumped this category up from a 4 to a 5. There is a huge pure white head now, great lacing, and a beautiful opaque body. It looks as a wit should.] This beer has a great aroma. It is dry and sweet, with lots of Belgian sugar and yeast. I can also smell wheat, grass and a bit of pepper spice. The beer tastes of wheat and Belgian candi sugar. It has some champagne-like flavors up front, but I wouldn’t say I can taste white grapes specifically. The finish has more spices; black pepper and coriander. The wheat and yeast wrap things up in the aftertaste that lingers slightly. The white has a medium body and plenty of carbonation. There isn’t much coating after I swallow, but it feels like it covers every corner of my mouth white I’m drinking each sip. And oh does each sip come easily. This is such a drinkable beer. On a warm, humid day like today, I could easily drink a number of these beers. No aspect of this beer every gets tiring. Unfortunately, I think this beer gets a slightly bad rap in its hometown. I know that a number of us Portland beer nerds (aka beer snobs) occasionally look down at people who order an Allagash White when there are more adventurous beers available. A lot of us see this beer as Portland’s training wheels craft beer; its fine if your scared, but real beer drinkers will get a strong, more intense beer. Is this a side-effect of the demand for extreme, barrel-aged everything? Perhaps. Either way, White deserve all the respect it can get. This is an incredible beer and a wonderful flagship for one of the best breweries in the country. It is worth ordering, no matter what the other folks at the bar think; just don’t ask for a slice of lemon with it…[Just try asking the wrong bartender at Novare for a piece of lemon; I’ve seen reactions from the sarcastic to all-out death stares]

On Tuesday afternoon, I headed over to the Great Lost Bear to try a limited release beer I’ve had my eye on, Allagash Blonde.  Luckily, there were a couple other fine drafts that I’ve been meaning to review also available.  As far as I know, all of these are still being poured at 540 Forrest Ave, so head down there and order yourself a round!

Allagash Blonde

A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

This special limited Allagash released was served in a tulip glass at the Great Lost Bear. The beer is a translucent golden yellow with a good sized white foam head. The head settled down to a skim, but left a bit of lacing on my glass. It looks like there is plenty of rising carbonation in the glass. I’d like to see a bit better head retention, but otherwise, this beer looks outstanding. It has a very nice aroma. For the most part, it is a slightly sweet nose, made up of Belgian candi sugar. I can also pick up some grassy hops and the mustiness that is common to Allagash’s house Belgian yeast. The flavor is very interesting. It’s like a combination of a strong Belgian Pale and an American Blonde. It has the sweetness of Belgian sugars and an estery, bitter finish. There are light grassy hops throughout each sip. It is very refreshing; I like that it is served fairly cold. I notice that I’ve used the descriptor “sweet” a few times in this review. The sweetness is intentional and very well done. It does not feel like excess malts left over from the fermenting process. This tastes like an exceptionally well-crafted beverage. The beer is full-bodied, but also very smooth and not too sticky, despite the sweetness of the flavor. There is a lot of carbonation that plays on my tongue. Considering the strength and full-bodied characteristics of this beer, I find it incredibly drinkable. I could easily drink a 750ml bottle of this, if it were ever released that way. For now, I’ll just have to hope that there are a number of kegs in circulation in the area. If you see this available in your area, don’t pass it up!

Victory Storm King Stout

A+ / 4.65
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

Served cask’d, in a tulip glass, at the Great Lost Bear. It’s an opaque dark brown liquid, with a big tan foam head. There is lots of rising carbonation in the glass, that slowed and finally disappeared. Some clinging carbonation remains on the sides of the glass. The aroma isn’t as strong as I expected it to be. It can detect some roasted malts and some chocolate. Perhaps the cask format has limited it’s aroma? Wow, what a stout! I can see why this used to the top ranked beer here. It starts out creamy and slightly sweet, with a kiss of chocolate. I swallow, and the bitter malt flavors come out. It’s not a coffee bitterness, per se, but more of a roasted whole grain flavor. After swallowing, there is a coat that has a dark chocolate combination of sweet and bitter that lingers on for a long time. This is a very smooth medium bodied beer. Not too much carbonation; at least it isn’t overbearing. There is a lot of coat left behind, which can sometimes be a problem if it is sticky or too sweet, but this really works well. Overall, this is a very drinkable beer. The high ABV is completely hidden, as is the sweetness put off but the amount of malt in this beer. This really is a great beer, and I’m very glad I could try it on cask. I’ve passed over the Storm King bottles for other stouts a number of times, but no longer. This is a great, readily available beer. It’s worth reconsidering if you haven’t had any in a while.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Bock

A- / 4.1
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Served from a just-tapped keg at the Great Lost Bear; poured into a tulip glass. The liquid is a golden orange/copper color, kind of like a sunrise. There is a good white foam head that is slowly settling. Very little carbonation is rising. It i surprisingly still inside the glass. The bock has a flowery nose, lots of hops and grain. This is a rather cold glass of beer, so I imagine that a bottle pulled from my cellar would have a more impressive nose. This has an interesting flavor. It’s hard to classify. There is a slight alcoholic vinegar blast in the finish that is it’s most striking quality. I use the descriptor vinegar, but I don’t mean it in a bad way. The rest of the flavor has a strong floral taste, lots of pale grain and whole hops. The aftertaste is a bit sweet. It’s pretty interesting. I haven’t had too many bocks, so I don’t really have a frame of reference for this beer, but I am enjoying what I’m tasting. It has a medium body and a thin mouth coat. Carbonation is average. This si a pretty drinkable beer, but the alcohol does come through a bit, which would limit consumption. I think I could finish an entire 750ml bottle myself, but I wouldn’t want more than that. All in all, a great beer to celebrate Sierra Nevada’s anniversary.

Bell’s Expedition Stout

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a 1+ year old cellar temperature bottle into a Delerium Tremens snifter. It is an opaque, dark brown liquid with a small head of tan foam and bubbles. I can see bubbles popping on top of the foam. There is no light penetration. Swirling the beer produces a bit of a film and a very good foam coating. The head has now settles to just a skim of foam. It’s a pretty beer, but I’ve seen better looking RISes. I can smell roasted malts, alcohol, caramel and some chocolate. Even with all of these candy scents, it doesn’t smell overly sweet. This is a tasty stout. Creamy milk chocolate and a few dark roasted malts greet my tongue as soon as I sip. Some bitterness moves in aa I swallow. It’s akin to dark chocolate, but not quite the same. Prehaps the year of aging has made the bitterness harder to identify? Also present in the finish and moreso in the aftertaste is a bit of alcohol burn. It is hot, but not exclusively in an alcoholic sense; it’s also ever so slightly peppery. The alcohol flavors aren’t too strong, but are certainly present. I imagine that the year of age has mellowed this flavor out as well. After swallowing, I can run my tongue over my mouth and pick up more chocolate and alcohol flavors. The Expedition leaves behind a persistent coat. It has lower levels of carbonation and is full-bodied. For a 10%+ ABV stout, this beer is pretty drinkable. I wouldn’t have more than one bottle of this, but each swallow goes down very well. If you can get your hands on some of this, I would highly recommend putting a few bottles in your cellar for a year or more.

It’s been a while since I posted any beer reviews.  I’ve been writing, but not sharing.  Here are a couple impressions I had this evening, sampling a couple of beers I’ve never had before.

Manchester Brewing Conspiracy Theory Oatmeal Stout

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

I picked up this bottle at Smiley’s in Dover, NH on my way home from Kate Day 2010. I’m opening it tonight, I hope it is ok with a few months of age on it. The bottle has been kept in my cellar since I bought it, I’m pouring it into my Smuttynose Big Beer Series Tulip. This is a loud hiss as I pop the cap. I can feel the air escaping the bottle. I pour into the center of my glass. The liquid is very dark brown and entirely opaque. The head is made of brown bubbles and foam, but isn’t very large. In the time it took me to type these last few sentences, it has receded to a tiny skim that doesn’t even cover all of the liquid. Swirling the beer about brings back the head to a degree, but not as much as I’d like to see. It does leave a good coat on the sides of the glass. I stick my nose into the glass and inhale. I can smell roasted oats and semi-sweet chocolate. There also seems to be a bit of alcohol in the nose. I take a taste. It is a reasonable decent stout. I can taste the oatmeal, some toasted malts, and a bit of dark chocolate sweetness. It isn’t too thick. The carbonation isn’t too high, but I can feel it on my tongue. The mouthfeel reminds me of the Harpoon 100 bbl series Oyster Stout, but it has been a while since I had that beer, so I could be mistaken in their similarity. It is very drinkable. I am going to finish this 22oz bottle myself, but it could very easily be split by two beer fans over an appropriate meal. I don’t think I’d seek this one out again, just because it isn’t available in my area and if I found myself in Manchester Brewing’s distribution area, I would want to try another of the brewery’s offerings.

Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks Barley Wine Style Ale

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a tulip glass. There is no date on the bottle, but I believe this is from the winter of 2009-2010. It has a tawny red/brown color that is very pretty. It looks a lot like port. The head is a thin layer of tan foam that has settled quickly to a skim. As a swirl the glass around, a good coat is left behind. The beer is translucent and I can make out a healthy amount of carbonation rising within. The aroma also reminds of a glass of port. There is warming quality. It smells alcoholic, but also of plums, raisins and oak. The beer has a strong English malt flavor. It is slightly bready, but also full of toffee, plum and caramel. Of course, there is also a lot of alcohol. The sweet coat that is left behind burns off of my mouth like the residue rubbing alcohol leaves behind. It turns into a detectable vapor that is strong but not off-putting. It doesn’t have as heavy of a body as I expected; in fact, it is slightly watery. This surprising lightness is tempered by the strong alcohol burn. I like this sensation, but I can see if affecting the drinkabilty of this beer for many consumers. I’m glad I have a couple bottles still left in my cellar; I will left them sit for a while before opening them. This beer is pretty enjoyable now, but I think some age will really improve it.

Have you ever heard of Pennichuck Brewery?  If you have, you know how special their beers are today.  If not, don’t go looking for them at your local bottle shop: this little New Hampshire brewery closed it’s doors last year and the few remaining bottles in the wild are quickly snapped up by beer nerds like yours truly.  I was fortunate enough to come across a 650ml bottle of The Big O Ocktoberfest Lager at Smiley’s in Dover when I stopped in there on Kate the Great day.  The label describes the Big O as such:

An award winning Marzen style Oktoberfest that presents a dark color and pours with a lacey tan head.  Aromas of Vienna and Caramel malt which balances well with its slightly sweet & fruity palate.  Oktoberfest takes place during the 16 days before the first Sunday in October in an area named the “Theresienwiese,” and is called “die Wiesen” or “the Meadow,” in Bavarian dialect for short.  SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Pairs well with German food, of course.  Serve in a pint glass, mug, stein or seidel at 45-50°F.  Cellar at 45-50°F but not recommended for extended cellaring.

That last sentence is one that stood out to me.  I knew that Pennichuck was defunct when I bought the beer, but I was hoping this bottle was from the past fall and only a few months old when I bought it.  Since Kate Day I’ve had the bottle in my cellar, and every time I venture down to select a beverage, I return to that extended cellaring warning.  Not able to take it any longer, I cracked the bottle open tonight, and I am glad I did.

Pennichuck The Big O Ocktoberfest Lager

A / 4.3
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a cellar temp bottle into my old Binga’s Winga’s hand-thrown ceramic mug (a relic form the Portland Street location’s mug club days).  Because this is a ceramic mug, I can’t look in to see the beer, but while pouring, it appeared to be pretty rusty amber color.  I poured a couple ounces into a juice glass to confirm this, and I can now see that there is more of a brownish color to the Big O.  I can also see numerous streams of tiny bubbles rising.  Back to the mug, there is a good tan foam head.  The beer leaves good lacing.  It has a sweet, complex malty aroma; it certainly reminds me of autumn.  I can pick out brown sugar, banana bread, and caramel.  There is a real hearty sweetness to the smell.  The taste starts out bready, but it’s a darker bread, like Irish soda or honey whole wheat.  It’s sweet, slightly nutty and has some caramel to it.  There is a hint of estuary alcohol as I swallow, but it doesn’t really linger.  I can also taste raisins in the finish; this flavor, along with some brown sugar sweetness remain after swallowing.  It has a heavy body, it feels slightly thick and creamy.  It leaves a good coating behind.  The easily visible carbonation doesn’t play much of a role in the mouthfeel.  This is a very drinkable oktoberfest.  I can see it working very well on a rainy fall evening (it’s certainly working well on this raining spring night).  It’s a little strong, but I don’t see that being a problem.  This is a beer that calls out to be drank by the mug full, ABV be damned.  It’s too bad that this beer is no longer being produced.  I’m glad I was able to find this forgotten bottle.