114. Big Boss The Countess

I'm enjoying this one now as I finished watching the Syracuse/Marquette game on the TV.  Just felt the urge to enjoy beer after a long day.  It's nice to unwind and relax sometimes.  Big Boss is going through the process of re-releasing all of their one-offs and I hope to get my mitts on all of them.  

The beer poured a hazy siena color, with a finger of head.  The head looked more like the head on a soda as it dissipated quickly, leaving no lacing.  I was using my snifter glass for this one.  I detected aromas of bready malt and raspberries.  

The raspberries in the aroma barely came through in the taste.  Some bread notes were picked up, but were quickly drowned out by the bitter finish.  I wished that it was sweeter.  The bitter finish is overbearing, and while that's good with an IPA, it does not work with this beer.  It just left a bad taste in my mouth.  The beer itself is light bodied, with average carbonation.  I'm going to hope the other one-offs aren't like this, or I won't be going through the process of getting my mitts on all of them.  Pass on this one.  Agree or disagree?  Let me know.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $2.20 (12 oz bottle)

113. Ballast Point Sextant Nitro Oatmeal Stout

A couple of nights ago, I found myself back at Tyler's Taproom, but this time I was having a few brews with some coworkers instead of having date night.  I took this opportunity to try two more new beers that I haven't had a chance to have yet, and Ballast Point Sextant was one of them.  It ended up only being one beer, as I had picked up an Abita Root Beer and was hoping that it was alcoholic root beer.  Nope!  Good root beer, but definitely disappointed.  Only one beer to review!  Reading the description in the beer menu, it had me intrigued and I just had to give it a try.  Ballast Point (http://www.ballastpoint.com) is based out of California, and there are plenty of great breweries in the golden state, so I'll spread the love and sample from each for the time being.    

I had the benefit of the nitro-tap.  Beer was served to me in your standard pint, with a half finger of white foam on the top that wasn't letting up anytime soon.  Dark brown in color, it looked very much like a Guinness Stout.  A lot of high hopes with this beer!  Light aromas of cocoa and coffee, with some roasted malts.  I was hoping for more pop in the nose, but maybe it wouldn't be indicative of the taste.

Unfortunately, the aroma was indicative of the taste.  The majority of the taste was bland coffee, with the cocoa notes barely showing up.  It had a sour kick to it, much like coffee, which I didn't really appreciate.  I was hoping that the oats would cut that acidic taste out, but it didn't.  It was weird, since the oats did help the beer with the creaminess, but at the same time, I was finding the beer to be too watery.  Light bodied, it had a decent mouthfeel, with little carbonation, probably because of the nitro-tap style.  Maybe it's better if it's not served through the nitro-tap, but I found myself to be disappointed with this one.  

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $5.50 (16 oz draught)

112. Weyerbacher Fourteen Ale

Ok, so in a few days ago, I felt like enjoying a beer with dinner and opted to try Weyerbacher's 14th Anniversary ale.  Weyerbacher (http://www.weyerbacher.com) is based out of Pennsylvania and their wheatwine offering stood out immensely, as something I haven't had before.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was looking forward to the experience.

Poured into my good ol' snifter glass, I was greeted with a hazy, burnt orange colored beer.  I barely got half a finger of head, and it was gone before I knew it.  Little to no retention, little to no lacing.  I detected aromas of banana bread, rum raisins, booze, and candy.

The taste was shockingly sweet.  Could pick up more of the rum raisin and booze, with the wheat being a light touch on the back end.  Picked up caramel and butterscotch as well.  Full bodied and packing a wallop, it was meant to be drank slowly.  Little to no carbonation, which is probably why the sweetness had such punch.  I was able to drink the whole thing, and I gave it it's proper respect, since at 11.8% ABV, I wasn't in any rush to drink.  Still, the sweetness was a little overwhelming and I'm curious to see how some of Weyerbacher's other offerings will be.  

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $4.00 (12 oz bottle) 

111. Green Man Stormtrooper White IPA

This was being offered at Tyler's Taproom as well, and I couldn't turn down the chance at getting a beer that was named after Star Wars of all things!  Green Man Brewing (http://www.greenmanbrewery.com) is based out of North Carolina, so I was glad to continue to support my local breweries.  Compared to the hopulent, this beer was more of a hazy straw like color, with a whiter finger of head.  The aroma was what I wish the hopulent would have been.  Grapefruit aromas are evident right from the get go.  I could get my wife to smell and she could even agree that it smelled appealing.  There's also an aroma of bread, which probably comes from the wheat.

The taste was what I expected, which was a cross between a Shock Top and an IPA.  The hops are not as pronounced, with the wheat finding a way to mute the bitterness.  Average body, average carbonation makes this one very drinkable.   I enjoyed this much more than the Hopulent, but it's still not the best IPA I've had.  Still, for a White IPA variety, it's very enjoyable.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $5.50 (16 oz draught)

110. Epic Hopulent IPA

Ok, so I forgot to mention, before I left for my beach trip, I went to restaurant to have a date night with the wife.  We went somewhere close, which happened to be Tyler's Taproom in Apex.  Tyler's specializes in having a great variety of beers.  By that, I'm not talking about having twenty different bottles.  They have lots of different taps, and the beer menu can be intimidating.  That said, I was able to pick this one up off of the menu on draught, as I was in an IPA mood that night.

The beer was presented in a pint glass with very little head.  It was a cloudy siena color with an off-white head.  I was hoping for some bright aromas, but was disappointed to get some faint notes of citrus and woodsy hops.  Seemed to have more malt character in the aroma.  For a double IPA, I was hoping to get more of that "in your face" hop.  I can settle for subtle, but I was hoping for more.

The taste is definitely more hop forward, bringing out more citrus hops than the woodsy variety.  I detect some tangerine, along with some caramel.  Bitter finish lingers for a bit, making you thirsty enough to want another drink.  Average mouthfeel and carbonation, which is expected for the brew.  The aroma really hurt my impression of the beer, but it wasn't all that bad.  It just wasn't great either, and I know I can find better.  

Grade: C

Price Paid: $6.00 (16 oz draught)

109. Fullsteam Chombers One

So while still on the NC east coast, I spent the night with my brother, then went to work the next morning.  After I finished up work, I had dinner with my brother and one of my childhood best friends at a nearby BBQ joint, then decided to share this beer before leaving for Morehead City.  Fullsteam (http://www.fullsteam.ag) is a relatively new brewery based out of Durham, NC, and Chombers One happens to be their first anniversary beer.  Hooray for Fullsteam making it 1!  Woo!  Anyway, they released 2012 bottles and I wanted to get my hands on one, and I did.  

My brothers house had better glassware, so I was able to pour into a tulip glass.  My brother and his roommate scoffed at not using a beer pint..oh what little they know!  I did my best to educate while I was there.  Anyway, it poured a hazy yellow with a tremendous three-finger plus head of white.  And that head had some serious staying power.  I needed to drink up quickly enough so I could get on the road, but the retention was tremendous to the point that even I was starting to get impatient.  The beer is brewed with sage and lemon verbena, and it's easy to get the lemon citrus notes, the spicy notes, and the yeast/wheat aroma as well.  

The taste was similar, with the spice and lemon blending with a biscuity malt taste.  My brother and friends thought it tasted like a seasonal Sam Adams offering (I question their palate..)  I thought it tasted like a seasonal Blue Moon blended with Widmer's Drifter Pale Ale.  I found the beer to be light and refreshing, definitely a springtime beer.  Hop finish wasn't too harsh.  Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.  I know Fullsteam has gotten mixed reviews in its young life, but I'd have to say that this one of those beers that gets a higher mark from me.  Anyone else get to sample this limited time delight?  Agree or disagree?  Let me know.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $6.99 (22 oz bomber)

108. Luk Hard Apple Cider

After the beers that were consumed over the previous two days, I found my stomach to be a little sensitive to more beer.  The "vacation" part of the trip was effectively over, but I still had work and business in the area and my brother lives close by, so I spent the day with him, watching more basketball, catching up, doing that sort of thing.  I shared the Luk with him, since I knew I'd be more than content just drinking half the contents, especially the way my stomach was feeling.

I had never heard of Luk before, so maybe they're new to the hard cider game.  Apparently they're based out of Canada (http://www.lukeluk.com), in the Quebec area, so the website is in French.  I don't know if Luk means anything in French, and I'm too lazy to look it up.  That said, the cider poured into the glass much like a sauvignon blanc wine.  More yellow green than golden colored, there was no lacing since it's a cider.  Aromas of, you guessed it, apple, and not much else.

The cider comes off as tart instead of sweet, and is definitely on the dry side.  My brother didn't like it, but I have more appreciation for the drier ciders, and I thought it was just fine.  Highly carbonated, I took my time with this one and could still see the bubbles coming up, even an hour later.  Reminded me of champagne.  This cider is definitely a palate cleanser, and I'd definitely have another.  The price point is a little high for my liking, but maybe I'll save some for more special occasions.  

Grade: B

Price Paid: $3.49 (11 oz bottle)  

107. Hoppin' Frog BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout

This was the last beer that I enjoyed while on the beach vacation trip.  Got back from a St. Patty's Day festival, had some time to burn before dinnertime.  Was able to relax, watch some of the ACC tournament, and open up this bad boy.  Hoppin' Frog (http://www.hoppinfrog.com) is based out of Ohio, and from my experience, tends to be highly regarded.  The only thing that makes me think twice about them is their price point.  I guess you have to pay for good beer, but sometimes the sticker shock makes me look elsewhere.  I finally pulled the trigger on BORIS here.

Beer was poured into a beer pint, and I know I wasn't doing it justice by using such a vessel.  Still, my friends watched me pour it and they called it "black gold".  Oh, it certainly looked like it.  Dense, thick, almost syrupy, the motor oil colored brew poured beautifully, leaving a finger of mocha head that had decent retention.  Aromas of dark malts, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, and oatmeal stood out the most and had me salivating.

Tasting the beer, the dark fruits come through first, then opens up to the dark malts, molasses, chocolate, and coffee.  I also thought I detected licorice, but I could be imagining things.  There's a very light hop punch, but it's masked by a bigger alcohol punch.  At 9.4% ABV, it's got plenty of booze to give.  I won't say that the alcohol is overbearing or anything, you just know at the end that you're drinking something alcoholic.  To me, it's still smooth enough that you could drink this one too fast and pay the price later.  Full bodied, creamy, it's definitely my type of brew.  I have to say, I find this one to be a winner, and probably one of the best imperial stouts that I've ever had.  For now, I can say that Hoppin' Frog BORIS is the king of the mountain.  Agree?  Disagree?  Feel free to let me know!

Grade: A

Price Paid: $9.99 (22 oz bomber)

106. Terrapin Side Project #19 Mosaic Red Rye Ale

Ok, so my beach experience was soooo two weeks ago, and I know I need to catch up, so I plan on spending Easter weekend doing exactly that!  I ended up cracking open the Mosaic while playing bucket pong.  If you've never heard of bucket pong, it's like beer pong, except you use five gallon buckets filled with water, tennis balls instead of ping pongs, and everything is on the ground.  Pretty different experience and pretty fun.  

Again, poured into your standard pint glass, I was greeting with a amber and garnet colored brew, with two fingers of beige head.  Retention was excellent, with the lacing sticking along the sides of the glass in nice big splotches.  I detected aromas of earthy hops, light citrus hops as well, including tangerine, maybe some mango.  I also detected some spice, maybe from the rye.  There's also a light caramel undertone.

A lot of the same aromas came through with the taste.  The spice and graininess from the rye, the caramel malts, the earthy hops.  There's a light hop kick at the end, but I could compare to the pale ale variety, not extremely bitter at all.  It doesn't taste like your typical amber, but I'm sure it wasn't meant to taste like your typical amber.  Medium carbonation and medium bodied, I thought it sat just right where it needed to be.  I thought this one was pretty good, but it didn't wow or blow me away.  Not bad for a side project though.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $7.99 (22 oz bomber)

105. Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale

Still enjoying my time at the beach, I came across to cracking this one open too.  I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I opened it.  Brown Shugga substitute gave me the impression that it was something similar, not the opposite of what was there.  

Beer was poured into a pint glass, where I was able to get about a finger of head.  The color was somewhere between brown and amber, which gave me the impression that I was going to be drinking more of a malt focused beer than a hop focused beer.  Sharp aromas of pine and woodsy hops stood out over everything else, but I could also pick out the malt base as well.  (Edit: I don't know what beer I had at the beach, but the flavor and aroma profile are totally different than listed.  First of all, this bad boy is a citrus bomb.  Imagine sweet tangerines, pummelo, and candy.  It's one of the most aromatic beers I've had the pleasure of having.  You can't not take a whiff of this beer and not get excited.)

For a DIPA, I thought I'd have more pucker effect.  Instead, it tasted more like your standard IPA, except it had some sweeter undercurrents, primarily because you need more malt to get the high alcohol content that comes from a DIPA.  The only thing is that the alcohol content isn't all that high at 7.85%  I'll be honest, I wasn't as focused on trying to get every little flavor and taste nuance out of this one..after all, with friends present and games happening, it's easier to just drink than to drink and appreciate.  That said, for my first DIPA (or at least the first I can remember..), this was just as easy to drink as a regular American IPA.  I think I'll have some more in the future! (Edit: Again, having enjoyed this since then, all I can think is "Sweet Mother of God".  What I said about the aroma?  It comes right through in the taste.  Malt forward and sweet, but very full flavored with the citrus.  Yes, there's some bitter bite and a bit of pine in the beer as well, but it's more citrus forward than pine forward, and for someone like me, that's a winner.  Reigning champ in the DIPA department!)

Grade: B A+

Price Paid: $1.79 (12 oz bottle)

104. Miller Lite

It's Miller time!  At least, that's what time it is when your drunk friend hands you a bottle and expects you to drink it.  And because you're in the moment and because you don't want to look ungrateful, you take the beer, give your thanks, then take a drink.  And then you could your blessings that it tastes mostly like water and that it's easy to gulp down.  Until your friend sees that your bottle is empty and gives you another..the sad, sad, circle of life continues.  So yes, as described, I'm still in the Emerald Club, and I get this handed to me.  It's Miller time!

I had the beer in a bottle so I couldn't judge for aroma or appearance.  The bottle looks nice, does that count?  Granted, I didn't get the cool looking vortex ridges, so I feel like I've been had.  I can deal.

And the taste?  Almost tasteless.  You can get a grainy, slightly metallic finish, that has an odd, lingering aftertaste.  Since it's a light lager, it's much more mundane than your full flavored variety.  To me, if you're going to pay for a MGD or a Miller Lite, and you're paying the same price, get the one with the higher ABV%, right?  Light to medium carbonation, light bodied.  Honestly, this barely qualifies as beer..I'd rather throw half a shot of vodka into some vitamin water and shake it up.  Pass.

Grade: D-

Price Paid: Free (12 oz bottle...I get by with a little help from my friends..!)

103. Red Stripe Jamaican Lager

Hooray beer!  I remember when I was younger, watching the Red Stripe commercials when I used to watch PTI religiously on ESPN.  Those were the good ol' days, when I was in college and I actually had time to be home at 5:30.  Class would be over by 3:30, I'd even have time to screw around and play videogames.  Nowadays, I'm lucky to be home by 5:30.  Red Stripe isn't exactly one of those beers that fits in my quest, but there come times where my selection is limited and I get one of the more prevalent brews that are out there.  In today's story, I was still at the beach for the weekend, but spent the night with some friends at the Emerald Club.  Sounds risque, but it's not.  Just your standard bar with a band playing..Heritage, which was actually pretty good.  Anyway, less about the night, more about the beer!

I got this baby in the stumpy brown bottle, no glass to pour it in.  Based on it's reputation, I figure this is the official beer of Jamaica, but I certainly could be wrong.  Couldn't get a whiff of the aroma..wasn't exactly in a place where I had the freedom or the capability to do so.  Color, lacing, anything of the sort?  Nope.  Nada.  I'm rating this baby purely on taste.

And how did it taste exactly?  Not bad at all.  You mean, you could taste something?  I could!  The lager taste is what you'd expect.  Mild taste of grains, but little to no hops or malt flavor to pull it in any one direction over the other..very neutral.  The key difference is the metallic taste that I get when drinking this.  I don't know what it is about that metallic taste, but it gets me in a good way.  It made the beer feel a little cleaner, gave it a little more character.  Light to moderate carbonation, light bodied.  A sessionable beer, definitely.  This actually isn't the first time I've had Red Stripe, but the first one came when this blog never existed, so I was glad to now add it to the list.  With little choice, I was glad to fork over the extra dough to get a Red Stripe over the likes of a Miller Lite.  Hooray beer!

Grade: C+

Price Paid: $4.00 (12 oz bottle)

102. Stone Cali Belgique IPA

Alright, it's time to catch up on some of my misadventures from St. Patty's Day weekend, and I'm starting it off with the first brew I helped myself to as soon as I made it to my friend's place at the beach.  Stone Brewing's Cali-Belgique IPA!  The majority of the brews I had for the weekend were the beers that I just bought, mainly because I didn't want to bring them inside the house and have my wife see that I brought home more beers.  Shhh!  Our little secret!  Stone (http://www.stonebrew.com) has a pretty good reputation around here..I never thought about buying their stuff, mainly because it all looks the same and I can't really tell it apart.  That said, when I first bought this bomber, it stood out from the normal offerings, so I was glad to pick up.

The beer was poured into your standard pint glass.  Since I was visiting, I had a limited selection.  No complaints coming from me though, it was better than drinking out of the bottle.  A hazy, yellow color poured out of the bottle, with about a finger and a half of white head.  Pretty good lacing with this one too.  The aromas wasn't as overpowering as American IPAs.  I'm guessing that had to do with the Belgian yeast, which gave it more of a bready aroma, malt, then the light fruit and grassy notes.  

It tastes more like a Belgian brew on the forefront.  More malt, more sweetness.  Towards the end, the IPA portion comes around, with the citrus.  I'd say IPA, but as mild as it comes through, it's more like a Pale Ale, less like an IPA.  The beer itself is light bodied, with average carbonation.  This beer is just..different.  I don't have a lot of Belgian IPAs, so having one instead of an American IPA makes it stand out.  I'd definitely help myself to another down the road.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $4.49 (22 oz bomber)

Haul for 3/5 and 3/13

Alright, so I'm too sick to sleep (nothing like chronic coughing to keep you up at night!), so I figured I'd do some updating that I had been meaning to do for some time now.  One of the updates involves my various hauls that I've made.  I was too lazy to get the receipts out of my car, but I finally braved the very cold morning to grab them and make this update.  So what did I get, where did I go?  My haul from 3/5 had me at Bottle Revolution and the haul for 3/13 had me at Tasty Beverage, which is the first time that I had purchased anything from that particular store.  What did I get?  Here goes..!

• Luk Cider Apple - Never heard of this cider before, thought I'd give it a try.  Price paid: $3.49
• Sweetwater Happy Ending - One of Sweetwater's seasonals, and I'm trying to keep up with their offerings.  Price paid: $1.79
• Founders Breakfast Stout - They were reduced for quick sale!  I was so thrilled, I picked up 2.  Price paid: $1.59
• Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale - Everytime I turn around, Bottle Revolution is selling out of this.  I saw it, so I decided to get one, see what all the fuss is about. Price paid: $1.79
• Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad - Trying to make an effort to try everything Sierra Nevada, this was one I haven't come across yet.  Price paid: $3.29
• Lagunitas WTF - I thought the price point for the bomber was pretty good, and Lagunitas is typically pretty solid.  Price paid: $4.49
• Hoppin' Frog BORIS The Crusher - I know the barrel aged version goes for a lot more, but I heard good things about this brew, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  Price paid: $9.99
• Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA - I'm guessing that this is pretty popular?  Just saw it, noticed I had several of the other <insert minutes here> IPA, so I'd get this one too.  Price paid: $8.99
• Terrapin Side Project Mosaic - Like Sweetwater, Terrapin is one of those breweries where I'm trying to keep up with their offerings.  Price paid: $7.99
• Fullsteam Chombers One - Fullsteam released this beer for their 1st Anniversary, and I was glad to buy one so I can experience it!  Price paid: $6.99
• Olde Hickory Redeemer - Remember when I went with the Siren Noire over this?  A new shipment came in and I wasn't about to miss out on it a second time around.  Price paid: $9.99
• Stone Cali Belgique - This is Stone's Belgian IPA and it was at a reduced price, notably because it needed to be consumed before the end of the month.  Don't worry, it was consumed before the end of the weekend (reviews coming later).  Price paid: $4.49

Did I make any good choices?  Anything I should definitely look forward to?  Let me know!

101. Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale

Moving on in my journey to #200 (that's my next milestone), I decided to try this beer to go with my dinner.  I thought a pale ale would be a great complement to some pan-grilled cod.  I was right.  I have several beers from Widmer Brothers (http://www.widmerbrothers.com), but this may be the first one that I've actually gotten around to drinking so far.

The beer poured a nice hazy orange color.  I was able to get a finger of head.  Light retention, very light lacing.  Fresh aromas of grapefruit, grass, and bread, with the grapefruit having a surprising about of presence.  Gives the impression that this beer could be very hop forward.

Once you taste it, however, you realize that it's not all that hop forward.  Remarkably balanced is more like it.  The hops are there, but they're mild and don't overpower the malts.  Leaves just enough on the tongue to make you want to keep drinking more.  Light to medium carbonated, the beer is medium bodied but slick and is incredibly easy to drink.  Makes for a great session beer.  I could see myself on the beach this weekend, helping myself to a six pack of this stuff.  It's a very good beer and I can easily recommend it.  Agree with me?  Disagree?  Let me know, I'll be glad to tell you that you're wrong if you don't take my side. *Wink*

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $1.49 (12 oz bottle)

100. Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale

Number 100!  Woo!  While I know I've actually drank more than 100 a while back, I'm just glad I made it to 100 here on my blog.  It's a milestone moment, and I'll celebrate by drinking scotch.  Or whisky.  Yeah, I'll celebrate by drinking something that's not beer.  When I go long spells without a review or without drinking beer, it's probably me subbing in a liquor or a bottle of wine.  Nice to mix it up sometimes.

Now where was I?  Oh yes, for #100, I wanted to drink something that would be slightly relevant to the times..and since we're so close to St. Patrick's Day, I thought it'd be a great time to bust open Conway's Irish Ale.  The beer was poured into a pilsner glass.  Copper colored with three fingers of off-white head.  Light retention, light lacing.  The aroma is quite neutral, but I could pick out some malts, grains, caramel.  

There's a light sweetness that starts on the tongue, then it opens up into some lighter hop notes.  I also can detect a metallic taste and I'm instantly reminded of Red Oak.  And I love me some Red Oak.  This one, being quite similar, made me a fan.  Light to medium carbonated, the mouthfeel was a little slick.  I think this beer would make for a great session beer, and I'd be glad to have many a session with this one.  Solid beer, this one would be a keeper for me!  Would it be a keeper for you?  Feel free to let me know!

Grade: A-

Price Paid: $1.90 (12 oz bottle)

99. Bell's Java Stout

I had been holding onto this one for a while, and when I had breakfast for dinner, I thought a coffee stout would be a great complement to my bacon, eggs, and grits.  

The beer poured a near black, but in the light, there were some dark brown hues.  A finger and a half of mocha colored head makes this a very attractive beer.  The aroma is coffee, and that's about it.  The coffee was so dominating that it was very difficult to pick out anything else.  Since it advertises itself as a coffee stout, this isn't a complaint.

The taste was a little more complex than the aroma.  The coffee is certainly evident, but there's also some faint hops and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.  Spice?  Smoke?  Char?  Some combination of the three?  Either way, it gave it an extra layer of depth and complexity that resonated with me.  Medium bodied and creamy, with moderate carbonation, this beer was a delight to drink.  I've had some good coffee stouts and porters, but I think this is my favorite of the bunch so far.  

Grade: A-

Price Paid: $2.79 (12 oz bottle)

98. Red Brick 17th Anniversary

I actually had this beer this week, but realized that I forgot to review it.  The bottle was still in the fridge, but it wasn't until I was cleaning the fridge that the bottle was near empty.  Better late, than never!  That said, I didn't drink the contents within..tried a taste and it was awful.  That's what I get for ignoring the last ounce or two for a few days.

The beer was poured into a snifter glass and was a hazy brown with what I'll call a slight purple hue.  Two fingers of frothy head, capable of leaving a lot of lacing on the sides of the glass.  Good looking beer.  Aromas of bourbon, caramel, malt, and vanilla right off the bat.  When it said bourbon barrel, it wasn't lying.

The tastes of bourbon, caramel, malt, and vanilla come through as well, along with some dark fruits and a light hop taste at the end.  Very sweet tasting, maybe even a little too sweet.  Boozy on the way down and in the finish.  The beer was medium to full bodied, with moderate carbonation.  To be honest, I didn't drink the whole thing because I wasn't a big fan.  I think the excessive booze taste was a little much, and the sweetness was a little offputting.  I'll probably come across some folks who would vehemently disagree (feel free to let me know!), but I'll stand by my decision on this one.  I was glad to have it once, but I probably won't have it again.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $3.90 (12 oz bottle)

97. Krombacher Dark

To go with my dinner for tonight, I decided to go with the Krombacher Dark from Germany (http://www.krombacher.com).  I'm pretty sure I got this beer back in September, and I finally got around to drinking it now.  

The beer poured a very dark brown into a pilsner glass.  Gorgeous four finger head (vigorous pour) with plenty of retention and fluffy goodness.  Plenty of lacing on the sides of the glass.  Aromas of malt and some light chocolate, maybe some metal..?  

It didn't have a heavy flavor profile.  Malt, grain, a little bit of metal makes up the taste.  I know that people like bold, big, flavors, and while you may not get that here, I thought that it was a pretty good beer for the type.  The light flavors and body makes this easy drinking.  Medium carbonation gives a little bit of spiciness.  The metallic taste reminds me of Red Oak, and since I like that taste, I have no problems with Krombacher. I'd have again.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)

96. Railhouse Mastiff Oatmeal Stout

It was one of those days at work where I needed to have a beer afterwards.  I had time to burn before the Hurricanes game against the hated Buffalo Sabres, and there's a perfect little place that's close by.  To Bottle Revolution!  While I was shopping for mroe beers to take home (you know that's coming in another post!), I decided to have something to drink.  A lot of good choices, but I was particularly drawn to getting a 16 oz pour, and the Mastiff from the Railhouse Brewery (http://www.railhousebrewery.com) piqued my interest, mainly because I like oatmeal stouts.  I didn't realize that Railhouse is based out of North Carolina.  Glad that I was able to buy local!

It poured a very dark brown..I wouldn't call it black.  Looked like it would have been a tan head, but based on the pour, I didn't get any.  No lacing to rate either.  Aromas of roasted malt, coffee, and bread, all of it somewhat faint.  

Tastes of roasted malt, coffee, bread, are in the taste.  A hint of chocolate.  The coffee lingers, giving a very light bitterness that goes away fast.  The ABV is light for a stout, resulting in a more watery brew.  I don't find that to be a bad thing, as the beer is still incredibly drinkable.  Light bodied, slick mouthfeel, light to medium carbonation.  This is a very good beer!  Agree or don't agree?  Let me know.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $5.50 (16 oz draught)

95. Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale

When you hold beers like me, you can experience a little bit of Christmas all days of the year.  In this case, I decided to enjoy a beer before heading to a Carolina Hurricanes game and opted to go with the holiday ale by Rogue.  

The beer poured an amber color into a snifter glass.  A finger and a half of off white head that had a stickiness to it.  Sheets of lacing all over the perimeter of the glass, making for one attractive looking beer.  I picked up aromas of malt, caramel, dark fruit, maybe a little bit of spice.  Also had a touch of citrus.  I tend to like amber ales, but I don't remember any amber ales with this type of profile..I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into!

Malty sweetness comes first, following by a hop bite that tends to linger a little too long for my tastes.  The malt, caramel is evident.  The dark fruit I smelled didn't pick up in the taste.  The citrus that was hard to detect was much more evident..not a sweet citrus either, definitely grapefruit.  I think I could pick off some piney hops as well.  The beer was medium bodied, with moderate carbonation.  Overall, I feel like I've had better amber ales that are a better representation of the type.  I've also had better Christmas ales, since this lacked the spice.  To me, this is a pretty unremarkable beer.  Agree or disagree?  I'd love to hear your opinion.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)

94. Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

In one of my previous hauls, I had some emphasis placed on picking up some brews from Dogfish Head (http://www.dogfish.com).  I finally got around to cracking one open last night to enjoy with a taco salad.  The fact that the label mentioned that it was made with Mexican coffee led me to believe that this would be a very solid match with some Mexican food.  

The beer poured a near black with a tan head.  The label says bone white.  Nope, didn't come close to that color.  I was able to get less than a finger of head, with light retention, light lacing.  Aromas of coffee, roasted malts, chocolate dominate.  Very pleasant.  For whatever reason, I didn't translate chiccory and stout together.  I was expecting some sort of brown ale, even though the labeling says stout.  Must've been off in LaLa land.  

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't know what chicory tastes like, and I certainly couldn't discern it in the aroma.  That said, I picked up something in the taste, and maybe that's what it was.  Tastes of coffee, roasted malt, lactose, and chocolate come in on the front end, then this type of bitterness forces its way in on the back end.  Reminded me a little bit of licorice.  This was different than all the other stouts and porters that I'm used to.  Medium to high carbonation gave the beer some pop.  It took away from the creaminess, but gave it a spicy tone that I found to be quite pleasant.  For my first foray into Dogfish Head beers, I thought this one wasn't too bad.  I look forward to trying their other offerings!  Agree or disagree?  I want to hear your opinions!

Grade: B

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 3/1

It's a new month, and that means that it's time for another visit to the ol' store to stock up on a few more brews!  After work, I decided to drop by The Beer Dispensary in Apex, check out what they had, and try to  stock up on a few more local seasonals.

So what did I get?  Here's the list!

• Great Lakes Alchemy Double IPA - I missed out on Hopslam, and I was looking through some reviews and heard blurbs that this was a worthy substitute and Great Lake's best brew.  I'd argue that hop heads are biased, but since I did miss on Hopslam, I wanted to try this one out and determine what I was getting into.  Price paid: $3.60
• Olde Hickory The Bean - I think The Bean was created specifically for someone's dog, so I figure that this is one of those one-offs that would never come by again.  It's local, it wasn't badly priced, and that equals a pickup.  Price paid: $5.00
• Weyerbacher Tiny - Okay, I'll admit, I saw a blurb that this was a limited supply and I felt compelled to pick it up before it goes away.  A pure impulse buy, I'll let you folks know sooner or later if I did a good job or a crap job with this one.  That said, feel free to warn me in advance too!  Price paid: $8.50
• Big Boss The Countess - I was reading that Big Boss was taking all of their previous one-offs, were in the process of bottling, and would have a different one every month.  Sounds good to me!  The Countess is one of them and since I've never had it, I'm going to pick it up now.  Price paid: $2.20
• Big Boss Big Operator - Like The Countess, this is another of their special brews, but I'm guessing this is made with heavier stuff or is more popular, which translates to the same price point as Aces and Ates.  Price paid: $4.60
• Highland Britches Brew IPA - After Cold Mountain, this is Highland's next seasonal and I'm more than ready to give it a try.  The red IPA concept seems interesting enough, I'm crossing my fingers, hoping for good things.  Price paid: $2.00

93. Catawba Valley Firewater IPA

In this story, my job led me to Charlotte, and I ended up staying overnight.  I was staying in a Holiday Inn Express near Belmont and my Google searching led me to a place called the String Bean Market & Deli.  This store has a little bit of everything.  Wine and beer store, boasting a wide selection of craft beers.  I found the selection to be slightly lacking, but I did appreciate the effort.  Inside, they sell meat and seafood and cheese, AND there's a restaurant inside too.  It has it all!  I ordered a burger to-go and thought I'd take a beer with me too.  Since I lacked a bottle opener, I opted to get something canned, and the Catawba Valley was there for the taking.

Bringing it back to the hotel, I ended up pouring it into a small plastic cup.  Lame, but it was all I had to go with.  Had a nice burnt siena color with a white head that managed to have solid retention and even left lacing on the sides of the plastic cup.  I wasn't expecting that, but color me impressed.  Faint aromas of citrus and malt didn't give me the greatest hope that this was something special.

The taste was your atypical American IPA.  The grapefruit/lemon bitterness was a little more pronounced and was a little off with the balance, but it didn't really charge through until the end.  Some of the caramel sweetness was on the front end, but it typically didn't last long.  The beer was light to average carbonation, medium bodied.  This one failed to impress, and I probably wouldn't try again with all the other IPAs that I've enjoyed lately.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $1.99 (12 oz can)

92. Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale

I was with my buddy and we wanted to go out and watch the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals game at a bar.  We were down to Tyler's Taproom vs. Sparks.  Beer selection vs. 50 cent wings.  50 cent wings won out.  That said, the beer selection was limited and they didn't have much for microbrews.  One of the few they had was Sweetwater 420 and I decided to order it.

The beer came to me in your standard pint glass.  Less than a finger of head, but there was solid retention and was able to get a nice sheet of lacing at the edge of the glass.  I may have picked up an aroma of some light hop presence, but that was it.  This beer had little to no aroma, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

While the aroma was underwhelming, the taste was not.  First word that comes to mind is smooth.  Well balanced.  You get the malt sweetness on the front end, then the light hop kick at the end.  Not overwhelming like an IPA.  I picked up a yeast or wheat-like character in the beer as well.  Light bodied with a slightly dry finish, this is a very sessionable beer.  I can see why it's part of Sweetwater's year-round collection.  Between this and the IPA, Sweetwater is really starting to get on my good side.  Oh, and the Canes lost.  I left disappointed.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $4.50 (16 oz draught pint)

91. Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #44 - El Triunfo Coffee Porter

I was off to New Bern, NC for a marriage function and decided to bring a brew to keep me company while I was there.  After the sessions were over and I was able to retreat to my room, it was time to crack this baby open.  I didn't have the luxury of a refrigerator to keep it cool, so the temp wasn't the most optimal, but I was ready to accept the shortcomings.

The beer poured a dark muddy brown, with an off white head.  I brought my own pilsner glass since a mug or plastic cup wouldn't do.  Medium retention, not much lacing, and I was a little impatient to wait.  Aromas of coffee, roasted malts, burnt sugar, vanilla, and chocolate caught my attention.  It smelled incredibly delectable.  

The strong coffee, burnt sugar/malt came through on the taste.  There was also this taste of old coffee or maybe espresso beans..it was this coffee on coffee taste.  Wasn't bad, just fortified the coffee.  Chocolate notes were also evident.  Slick feeling and light bodied, this one wasn't all that difficult to drink.  Unfortunately, as late as it was, I ended up going to bed without finishing the whole bomber, but then had good enough fortune to have a decent taste left in the bottle when I tried to use it as a morning pick-me-up.  This is a very good coffee porter, dare I say it..better than the Big Shot Espresso Stout I had and reviewed just a short while back.  Too bad it's only a one-shot..hope you get the chance to enjoy!

Grade: A-

Price Paid: $6.49 (22 oz bomber)