213. Hi-Wire Strongman Coffee Milk Stout

"Inspired by our head brewer's cafe con leche fueled travels in Key West, this is a milk stout with some kick.  Local coffee from Dynamite Roasting Co. is cold extracted and added post fermentation to this sweet, creamy stout"

Alright, so it's been a while since I've dropped a post.  So what happened?  A cold happened.  Took me down for several weeks, I was unable to drink since it's not a very good idea to drink when you're sick.  At least, that's the impression I get.  I should be drinking water and juice, not alcohol.  So I was a good boy and I abstained until I got better.  It took a while, but now I'm back.  That said, I've had about seven to eight different beers since I've posted, and I did drink some during the Super Bowl, and I'll get around to catching up eventually.  

Anyway, I had a six-pack of this and finally got around to cracking it open to see what I was about to get.  Beer was poured into a pilsner glass with about one finger of head.  Has a dark brown complexion with a khaki colored head.  Looks good, smells good too.  Coffee is big and bold up front with some roasted malts and some undertones of chocolate.  Straight and to the point.

The beer tasted of coffee, light roasted malt, a little bit of char.  It seems a little watery and light bodied with moderate carbonation.  

Don't get me wrong, I like coffee based beers, but this one was just off for me.  After I thought about it, I realized that I'm missing some lactose or some sugar to really help this beer along.  It had a bitter finish and without the sugar, it was all one-note.  Maybe I'll crack open one of the other 5 beers and come up with a different result.  For now, I think I'll leverage these as an alternative to an espresso shot when I need it.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $2.33 (12 oz bottle)

212. Aviator Hogwild IPA

Okay, so I mentioned that the last beer I had was the last I had before I got sick.  That's technically correct, but I forgot to add one in.  Went with my buddy to a hockey game and grabbed a beer while I was there.  Ended up going with the Aviator Hogwild IPA.  The brew was poured into a plastic 24 oz cup.  Little to no head and lacing based on the pour.  Smells heavy of grass and pine notes.  Seems to be a one trick pony.

The taste is all resin and pine and not much else.  Incredibly bitter.  Too bitter.  For me, this is an absolute palate wrecker.  I had to leave and get something extra to eat just to get through this one.  Moderate body with moderate carbonation.  I wish I knew the IBUs behind this because this was a chore to get through.  I've had many an IPA and I've had some dry hopped IPAs before, but this one was absolutely not for me.  I can't recommend unless you just love bitter, bitter, and more bitter.

Grade: D-

Price Paid: $10.00 (24 oz draught)

211. Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

"You pair wheat, hops and belgian yeast and suddenly Bingo, a wheat like nobody else's.  With real depth, coriander and sweet orange peel, it's citrus-packed and silky smooth going down."

This is the last beer that I got to enjoy before a rather nasty cold put me down for the count for almost the entire week.  I'm still going through the effects now, haven't had anything more solid than mashed potatoes and mac & cheese in three days.  Still feel like crap but hopefully I'm turning the corner.  Hate when it happens over weekends.  Anyway, less about me, more about the beer.

This is my first beer from Deschutes, (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com) which seems to be one of those Oregon breweries that gets some solid attention across the states.  I had this with dinner, if I can remember right, it was with some baked chicken breasts, brussel sprouts, and California vegetable mix.  The cloudy, golden yellow colored beer was poured into a pilsner glass, kicking up almost three fingers of soapy white head that doesn't have much retention.  Webs of lacing still remain on the side of the glass.  I detect aromas of dough, wheat, lemon, grass, coriander and black pepper.  All the smells are subtle aside from the dough and the wheat, it doesn't give me the impression that this is an IPA.

The taste also doesn't give an impression of an IPA.  All the tastes are there, the dough, wheat, lemon, grass, spice.  Added is a slightly sweeter citrus note, like orange peel.  I also can taste bubblegum.  The finish is dry, but only slightly bitter.  For an IPA, this is very nuanced and controlled.  I would think this is a pale ale based on the finish.  With a moderate body with moderate carbonation, this beer is very easy to drink, has a lot of sessionable qualities to it.  Maybe that is appropriate for the style, being classified as a Belgian IPA instead of an American IPA.  

This was easy to drink, easy to enjoy.  Very solid beer, which I would heartily recommend.  If anyone can provide some other very good White IPA alternatives, I'm all ears.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $2.50

210. Ass Kisser Porter Pounder Smoked Porter

"Ass Kisser Ale is a state of mind!  Just as you contemplate the flavors of this fine ale you can contemplate sharing a bottle with a friend or your boss...maybe they are one in the same and then again maybe not!  We are just sayin'!  The Ass Kisser Porter Pounder is a dark, rich, balanced ale that is smooth and yet structured with light coffee and mocha aromas.  The subtle smoky aroma lures your palate to sip through the dark tan head.  Enjoy with grilled and spiced foods.  Enjoy!"

I had this to go with dinner, which consisted of some homemade beef vegetable soup and some toasted french bread.  The beer was poured into a white wine glass since I was too lazy to go upstairs and get some more appropriate stemware.  It had a dark mahogany color with about two fingers of khaki colored head.  The head is dense, leading some spotty amounts of lacing along the glass.  I detect aromas of smoke, milk chocolate, and coffee grounds.  The smoke is strong with this one, it's clearly evident that it is there.

Tastes of smoke, ash, roasted malt, milk chocolate is still there, along with some boozy afternotes.  I don't mind having smoked beers, but this one just didn't sit well with me.  I think it has to do with the ash and char that I'm tasting in the beer.  The brew is medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.  I think it is a good effort, but I've had better smoked beers and better porters.  Agree?  Disagree?  Let me know!

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $3.99 (12 oz bottle)

209. Devil's Backbone Kilt Flasher Scottish Ale

I decided to enjoy this beer after dinner, getting a glass of this with my popcorn while the wife and I caught up on some tv shows we had on the DVR.  Good times.  I have to admit, the picture on the bottle is humorous.  I've never heard of Devil's Backbone Brewing Company (http://www.dbbrewingcompany.com) until I had picked up the beer, so I'm hoping for some good things.

The beer was poured into a stemless brandy snifter.  It has a nice dark brown color, very reminiscent of sweet tea (or just regular tea for you folks that don't live in the South).  It had about a finger of tan head that had low retention.  No signs of lacing on the glass.  Aromas of caramel, toffee, toasted malt, some dark fruit, and some alcohol esters.  

The taste was similar, more caramel, toffee, and malt than anything.  The dark fruit barely comes through, just enough to make you think something is there.  A little bit of the alcohol comes through as well.  There's a little more depth to this beer, maybe some earthy notes.  It's sweet, but not overly sweet.  Medium bodied but with low carbonation, it's easy to drink but the sweetness might get cloying after a while.  I haven't had a Scottish Ale in a while and I was pleasantly surprised by this and enjoyed it.  I'm not sure how it compares with other beers of the same style, but it will get some pretty good marks from me in the meantime.  For a beer that might be available in a six pack, I would definitely recommend.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle) 

208. Bold Rock Virginia Draft Hard Cider

"From the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Wintergreen, VA comes Virginia Draft.  This smooth and distinctive Hard Cider combines its apple heritage with superb drinkability.  Crafted with care and tasted (at least) daily by our thirsty band of Bold Rockers, Virginia Draft is perfect anytime anywhere.  Bold and refreshing, it is best served stone cold or over ice.  Gluten free.  We invite you to come by and drink in the scenery or visit us online at www.boldrock.com."

I decided to have this cider after dinner and not during dinner.  I figured it would be something good to drink while playing video games with the wife (Borderlands 2, for those of you wondering).  This is my first beer from the folks at Bold Rock (http://www.boldrock.com) and I'm interested to see their take on hard cider.

The beer was poured into a pilsner glass and it's what you would expect from a cider.  Apple juice colored, no head, no lacing, no nothing.  Aromas of sweet apples and that's about it.

The taste is..something.  It has a nice sweet apple taste, but then the apple goes away.  The lingering sweetness in the cider that simply seems bland.  Imagine tasting a canned pear.  While it is carbonated, it is not as highly carbonated as a Woodchuck cider.  After a while, it simply tastes like apple juice with maybe some earthy kick.  It wasn't a drain pour, but it simply wasn't good either.  I may pass on trying the other offerings from Bold Rock.  

Grade: D+
Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)

207. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

Before Christmas, I had to clear the beer out of the fridge to make space and because I have family members that don't drink and don't approve of drinking and I essentially had to hide my goods.  No big deal, these particular family members only come over once or twice a year anyway, and since I keep no more than 4 beers in the fridge, it doesn't pain me to make it happen.  Nothing like a little extra motivation to drink beer!

La Fin Du Monde is a belgian tripel and it's been a while since I've had one.  I know the reputation behind this beer.  It was poured into a stemless brandy class.  It didn't pour as light as the picture that I have shown, it was a darker, copper like color to it.  Two fingers of off-white head, average retention that leaves rings of lacing.  I detect aromas of fresh baked bread, banana, clove, allspice, steel, and bubble gum.  Interesting combination here.

I could taste many of the same elements that I could smell.  The banana and malt are dominant, the spices also come through.  It comes off a little sweet, just slightly cloying.  The alcohol is well hidden, but I suspect that it shows itself a little more as this beer warms.   It has a great mouthfeel, medium to full bodied with a creaminess to it that comes from low carbonation.  

I don't drink a lot of tripels so I know that this one is hard to gauge, especially when compared to my personal preferences and my likes and dislikes.  That said, as a beer drinking fan, I found no problem drinking this brew.  It was pretty good.  I know it gets a lot of high praise, so I came off being slightly disappointed.  Still, I would gladly have again if it's available.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $2.75 (12 oz bottle)