217. Pisgah Valdez Coffee Stout

"Adhering to the strict philosophy of the Pisgah brewers, this mouth watering coffee stout is brewed just miles downstream from America's most precious watershed.  Brewed with Dynamite Roasters beans, the aroma of freshly ground coffee leaps from the glass, and lingers long after.  Treat yourself to the finest coffee stout this season.  Unfiltered for your enjoyment."

I decided to crack open this beer as  a treat to myself for dessert after a long day's work.  The beer was poured into a Guinness pint.  Dark brown color, not quite black.  Hues of brown and red along the edges.  A big fluffy three fingers of mocha colored head after a vigorous pour. Solid retention, leaving splotches of lacing along the edge of the glass.  Aromas of coffee dominate.  Couldn't really determine any other subtle aromas.  I can pick up just the slightest amount of semi-sweet chocolate.

The taste is predominantly coffee as expected, but then there's a few unexpected tastes as well.  There's a bitter, tangy, sour finish that does not sit well with me.  It definitely separates itself from the other coffee stouts I've experienced, and not in a good way.  The bitterness lingers a bit and I'm wishing that the aftertaste was sweeter.  Additionally, I don't know how this classifies as an American Imperial Stout.  The brew rates at 6.8% ABV.  Based on some quick research, there isn't a standard naming nomenclature for what constitutes as a an imperial or a double, which I think is kind of silly.  If a beer can't crack the 7.0% ABV number (I'd argue 7.5% even..), then it shouldn't be classified as an imperial or double.  The beer is surprisingly light bodied, with light carbonation, again a contrast to what I'd expect from an imperial stout.

I'm not sure if I ended up getting a bad batch of beer or if this is how the beer truly tastes.  Nevertheless, I can only go on what is here in front of me.  I was ultimately surprised by this beer as it wasn't as potent, not as thick, and had a sour finish and aftertaste.  All these things add up to a beer that I wouldn't recommend.

Grade: D

Price Paid: $6.99 (22 oz bomber)

216. Schilling Oak Aged Cider

"Semi-dry.  Scotch character.  Smokey cinnamon.  Clove and vanilla.  Extra smooth finish.  Perfect at 45 deg. Schilling oak aged."

I like to mix things up.  Beer, wine, cider, spirits, I'm all over the place.  Today I had a beer.  Yesterday I had gin with cranberry juice.  The day before I had wine.  Before that, beer.  Since I like to rotate, I usually get the urge to have a hard cider.  Today wasn't that day, but that day did occur sometime last week.  Schilling is a new brewery to me (http://www.schillingcider.com), but apparently they are from Washington and I'm glad that their stuff is getting distributed out to the east coast.

The beer was poured into a Guinness pint, served somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 degrees as recommended.  Clear yellow color, decent carbonation.  Aromas of apple, honey, oak.  

Much of the nose is in the taste, with a touch of sweetness and the wood lingering in the aftertaste.  The can advertises scotch, cinnamon, clove.  I could pick up the scotch but the spices weren't quite there.  Not overly complex, nor is it meant to be in my opinion.  Finish is a touch on the tart side.  Light bodied with medium carbonation.  

I wasn't sure how I felt about this cider initially.  I've only had so many ciders that went through the barrel process and they were excellent.  I knew from the get-go that I like the combination, and I liked this one.  I'm curious to see how much better it could get if the brewery decided to try and get creative with their offerings.  That said, for one of their standard bearers, this one is solid.

Grade: B

Price Paid: 2.09 (12 oz can)

215. Howard Action Man Lager

I had this beer over a year go but I'm finally getting around to getting this posted.  I was visiting a roommate from college and having dinner together at a restaurant.  Ended up ordering this beer, which came from a nearby brewery.  They had just recently put out a canning line.  I was given a can and a glass to pour it in.

The beer was an amber color with some orange highlights.  A rigorous pour provided about two fingers of foamy, off-white head.  Moderate retention, leaving a healthy amount of lacing on the glass and film at the surface.  Considering this is a lager, I didn't expect a lot of crazy aromas.  Sure enough, I picked up toast, caramel, and a hint of pepper.

The taste was very similar to what I picked up on the nose, fresh toasty bread, a touch of sweetness, and a slightly spicy finish.  Medium body and carbonation makes this one a little on the lively side.  

It's not often that I get my hands on lagers since most breweries tend to focus on ales instead.  Still, I found this one to be quite palatable and definitely refreshing in its own right.  I haven't had a lot of Vienna Lagers, but I'm sure that down the road I'll be more familiar with the style.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $4.00 (12 oz can)