Deschutes Black Butte XXIV

From Deschutes website:

"XXIV. 24 years after Black Butte Porter’s debut, our potent, layered, imperial tribute returns. As usual, it’s a jazz riff, guided by the brewer’s muse and the lure of exotic ingredients. Artisanal dark chocolate nibs. Deglet dates. Mission figs. It may, possibly, hopefully, be the best edition yet. But, as it should be, you’ll be the judge of that."

Thanks to AzDback from BeerAdvocate for sending me this bottle! Awesome guy and I hope this beer is just as awesome! Let's dig in!

Looks black in the glass but has a brownish/red hue on the sides of the glass and out of the bottle it looked like a dark brown while pouring.  I didn't expect much of a head on this considering it is a barrel aged beer (Doesn't mention it on the website but it has been confirmed) but a finger head managed to appear but only lasted for a few seconds.  It leaves a really nice tan ring around the glass and sticks to the glass when you swirl it around.  Really nice looking beer and something I have been excited to try for a long, long time.

The dates and figs really shine through in the front.  Almost reminds me of like brown sugar dusted dates and figs? Interesting smell but also amazing.  Definitely a bit of chocolate in there as well and adds to the aroma perfectly.  I'm looking for the barrel character and I get it..sometimes.  I think the mixture of the dates and figs with the wood and the vanilla character from the barrel really give it that brown sugar aroma. I love it.  There is also a really nice roasted character to it in the end.  Subtle, but very welcome!

Here we go, im excited,

Dates and figs are big up front on the palate.  Not like just the small hints of it you get with Imperial Stouts.  Big and in your face but really tasty.  I actually think I get some of the chocolate right before I am blasted with the dark fruits.  Goes from a chocolatey sweet to a fruity sweet and then right to a roasted character on the finish with a bit more of that dark fruit. This is delicious so far but I am hardly getting any of the barrel character I was getting on the nose.  I get a slight bit of it on the very end but other than that I would say it is non-existant.

Delicious beer and I love the full mouthfeel this has.  The roast really lingers through the finish but doesn't quite reach that burnt coffee territory.  The best after date on the bottle is 7/23/13, I would probably recommend waiting til after that date and wait for the flavors to meld together better.  It is delicious now but I think by that date and way after this beer will truly be special.  The flavors are all there and are all delicious but they need time.  With that said, I have a little bit left and I am very much looking forward to sipping the rest of it while relaxing and I hope the rest of you have a great night!

Cheers ladies and gentlemen!

The Rare Barrel

A pharmaceuticals entrepreneur, a brewer, and homebrewer and biotechnology sales rep walk into 3 Fonteinen......and Cantillon, and Gueuzerie Tilquin, and De Troch.....this isn't a joke however, no, these are madmen with space and 205 red wine barrels just aching to be filled.  But by who?

Jay Goodwin (former brewer and Head of Barrel Aging at The Bruery), Alex Wallash (homebrewer and biotechnology sales rep), and Brad Goodwin (pharmaceutical entrepreneur)  set out with the  idea of all sour beer, all the time.  The plan is to work with select craft breweries with the right sized brewhouse that are relatively close to them.  After the base beer is created, it will then be transported back to The Rare Barrel where fermentation and barrel aging will begin.

While Alex mentioned that they were " excited about experimentation with fermentation in the beginning" they do plan to experiment with spontaneous fermentation in the future.  With the world of sour beers, whether they be American Wild Ales, Flanders Reds, Geuzes, or lambics , the idea for The Rare Barrel couldn't have come at a better time.  

Alex said " We’re going to start out by aging our beers in  oak barrels that were previously used to make red wine. These barrels are particularly good for making sour beer because they have a relatively neutral flavor and most of the astringency from the wood has been stripped from the barrel. Those barrels are just our launching pad though, and we’ll experiment with other kinds of barrels soon."  With such a large surplus of barrels available to them already, and they have plenty of room for more, the plan isn't to have wide distribution just yet, instead, they are going to focus mainly on sales through their tasting room and self-distribution in the Bay Area.  He did say that they will expand from there but as to where that will be, well, our guess is as good as theirs.  

With The Bruery, Crooked Stave, and the relatively new Night Shift Brewery all having a Barrel Society the question came up as to whether or not they were thinking about doing something like that.  Alex didn't dismiss the idea of it, in fact he said that they were considering the idea of some sort of beer club.  He didn't elaborate on that statement but was curious if I would like to see something like that and  what I would like to be included in the club.  

As far as what they have in the works now, Alex said that they didn't have anything in barrels yet but they expect to have a few sour beers ready by the end of 2013, in fact they would like to have beer going into these barrels within one month.

Though I probably won't get my hands on any of their beers, I can definitely say that their idea is something new and something great and I wish them nothing but great things in the future. 



twitter: @therarebarrel
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The Brew Kettle White Rajah

From the Brew Kettle:

"A West Coast style IPA full of citrus-like and tropical fruit like hop flavor and aroma with an assertive yet smooth bitter finish....malt, take a back seat please"

Thanks to WesM63 from Beer Advocate for the bottle of this! Great guy for sure!

I've heard this beer mentioned before but I have never had it.  But with the description The Brew Kettle gives and the fact I'm a hophead, I have a feeling I'm going to really enjoy this one!

IPA's are one my favorite styles for sure.  One of the main reasons being the appearance you get with some of them.  This one, for example, poured a golden orange that seemed to glow as the light hit.  2 finger head on it with tight, soapy bubbles for the most part.  Didn't last long but it didn't dissipate fast either.  I can hold the beer up and see to the other side of my computer.  Super, super clear and just really great looking!

Right off the bat in the aroma I get big tropical fruit notes with with grapefruit and pine mixed in there as well.  Just a super great aroma on this.  It is like a bouquet of tropical and citrusy fruit and just laying on a bed of pine needles.  No malt character to speak of really.  I am trying to pick some up in the back but not having any luck.  With an aroma on a beer like this you really aren't disappointed when a malt presence isn't present in the aroma to be honest.  There is also a really nice sweetness on the back end that goes real well with the juicy, citrusy aroma.

Not quite what I was expecting on the initial taste.  I was expecting a huge hop flavor and a huge bitterness to follow.  I got the huge flavor but only a small amount of bitterness.  In some cases I would be disappointed but in this case I was not.  The fruit and citrus seem top just roll around the tongue forever with a constant supply of juicyyness.  Like the aroma, I am not getting much malt on the palate.  What I do get though feels like a tea biscuit.  Bready note with a small touch of sweetness. A fruity and citrusy jam spread onto a tea biscuit.  That is what you are in store for if you have never had this before.

Nice finish on the beer but my lips do feel a bit sticky.  Not a big deal though.  Really glad I tried this sooner rather than later.  I would say this is a good-great but I am a tough critic when it comes to this style of beer.  I enjoy a lot of them but I'm not blown away by them.  This beer I thought was fantastic and I would no doubt like to seek it out again but, again, it didn't blow me away.


Cheers ladies and gentlemen!

Bell's Expedition Stout (2012)

From Bell's website:

"One of the earliest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages."

This is a fairly fresh bottle as it was bottled in mid October.  I haven't had this in a while and my palate has since changed so I definitely wanted to revisit this one and put my thoughts on paper this time around.  I'm hoping to get another 6 pack of it to throw in my cellar and see how it ages. But until then...

This beer poured black from bottle to glass with just a very, very slight red at the bottom and sides of the glass where the light hits it.  Other than that the beer looks the part of a Russian Imperial Stout.  A half finger head from the pour that didn't stay around long at all.  While there isn't much lacing to it, the beer itself really sticks to glass like syrup.  I didn't remember what this beer was like but I am excited to finally try it again!

First whiffs of this and I am majorly surprised so far!  I'm getting a little dark chocolate on the nose but the shining point in the aroma is caramel and coffee mixture.  It smells pretty darn incredible, in my opinion.  There is something else I am having trouble picking up on. Maybe some molasses or anise? Definitely a big sweetness I'm getting on it.  Not sure if the booze in the aroma is blocking some of the raisin and plum character that I am used to in these kinds of beers or maybe that is something that will show its face with a little bit of age.  Aside from that this beer smells incredible and I really like the big coffee and caramel nose.  I actually have no idea what this is going to taste like but I am excited.

Definitely get the coffee and the roast on the taste as well as some really nice dark chocolate mixed with some milk chocolate as well.  The caramel is there on the middle of the palate and provides a nice sweetness.  I really want to see how this beer ages because I think it is nicely balanced right now.  I would guess these flavors will meld together.  I love beers with a heavy roast in them and this is a fine example of that especially on the finish.  The roast lingers well through the finish and helps cut the sweetness.  I really enjoyed this beer but after the aroma I was expecting something a bit more.  Not disappointed but rather surprised.  

Heavy on the palate in both mouthfeel and flavor.  Flavor lingers and leaves you really thinking about what you are drinking.  A perfect beer to sip on on a cold day or night.   After having this I plan on getting more in the future and not just to age but also to drink fresh.  The alcohol, while apparent, wasn't overpowering but just another flavor.  I definitely recommend picking up a six pack of this and giving it a try!


Cheers ladies and gentlemen!

He'Brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale

From He'Brews website:

"16th

 Anniversary Celebration Ale 

Brewed with 16 Malts, 16 Hops, and Soaring to 16% Alc"

16 Malts:

Specialty 2-row.  Vienna.  Munich.  Wheat.  Chocolate.  Crystal Rye.  Dark crystal.  Rye.  Roasted barley. Spelt.  Flaked Qinoa.  Roasted wheat.  Flaked oats.  Caramunich 40.  Carapilsner.  Kiln amber.

16 Hops:

Fuggle.  Wilamette.  Golding.  Palisade.  Tettnang.  Crystal.  Ahtanum.  Columbus.  Zythos.  Cascade.  Centennial.  Apollo.  Siimcoe.  Summit.  Citra.  Amarillo.

Wow...that is a ton of stuff! 

I didn't know what to expect when I popped the bottle but I was hoping for something special so here it goes!

Pours a dark brown/black with a 3 finger head that went away by the time I was able to snap the picture.  Lacing so far is non-existent except for small group of tight bubbles in the center of the glass.  With such a high gravity beer I wasn't expecting much head so I am not surprised.  Poured syrupy it looked like as well so I am doubly excited for this as I can already smell it.

Very reminiscent of Dark Lord on the smell.  It smells very sweet with big raisin and fig and dark cherry notes.  A touch of chocolate and some caramel as well.  Boozy notes mixing in with all of that and making something special so far judging by the aroma.  Not getting much on the nose as far as hop aroma goes but I am guessing it is getting masked by the big sweetness there is to the beer.  Letting it warm in my hands and a few swirls of the glass I am getting a lot more caramel and it just peaks my excitement so I'm going to dig in!

That caramel I was getting on the nose shows up front and center and leads into those dark fruits.  Finish is a really awesome roast that I didn't pick up on in the nose and then a lingering bitterness on the finish which feels like a mix between dark chocolate bitterness and a bitterness from the wide array of hops that are used.    If there is any flavor here from the hop additions then I am missing it due to the huge malt presence.  A subtle spiciness on the tip of the tongue as well that almost got lost with everything this beer has going on.  Mid-palate I'm getting a tiny amount of milk chocolate and sweetness.  For a beer that has just an 87 rating on Beer Advocate I have to say I am blown away by this beer.  Is it a mess? I honestly don't think so.  Flavors are mostly easy to pick up on even with the large malt bill and the beer itself is not overly sweet which is what I was expecting in the beginning.

Heavy/full in the mouth and a lingering non-dry finish.  The finish lingers in the mouth for a while with that dark chocolate bitterness and makes you impatient for the next sip.  At 16% you definitely taste the alcohol and feel it in the chest as it goes down but it is a welcome addition to everything else that is going on.  Just another layer of flavor and complexity.

I wish I would have picked up a few more bottles of this early in the year because this beer is going to age wonderfully.  It already drinks great now but with time those flavors are all going to meld together and form an entirely different yet delicious beer. I am impressed with the only beer I have had from these guys and I will certainly look out for the upcoming anniversary beers.

Cheers ladies and gentlemen!

Founders Imperial Stout 2012

From Founders website:

"Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley, this stout is smooth as silk, yet complex and rich in body. Serve this guy at cellar temperature. Put another log on the fire, sit back and enjoy the friendship of this ultimate winter warmer."

This will be the freshest bottle of this beer that I have had yet.  I have had the 2011 batch several times and it blew me away so I am extremely excited for this batch! Look forward to next years post and I'll have a 2011-2013 vertical to post up for you guys!

Black.  Straight black out of the bottle.  No brown or red to this beer at all just straight black through and through.  The head was a dark brown color that left a 3 finger head on it after an aggressive pour.  The head doesn't last long but the lacing from it does.  Looks a lot like chocolate milk (bubbles and all) on top of black liquid.  Really, really pretty and intense looking beer.  I can smell it from here and I am 2 feet away right now.

Big dark chocolate right upfront and even some sweet milk chocolate in there a bit as well.  Some roasted qualities come through big time as well.  After swirling it and getting a few more whiffs I am also noticing that dark fruit aroma to it that is often apparent in imperial stouts.  Raisin maybe? Or some type of berry in there providing a nice fruity sweetness to compliment the bitter dark chocolate and sweet milk chocolate.  Amazing smelling beer.  I almost wish I didn't have to drink this....almost.

The dark chocolate hits immediately but is quickly followed by roast.  A lot of roast.  I also get a bit of smoke which is not at all disappointing but something that I am really loving.  The roast and the smoke linger through the finish with a very small trace of alcohol (surprising for a 10.5% beer.)  A little bit of dark fruit comes into play on the finish as well but mostly roast, smoke, and bittersweet chocolate.

Mouth coating.  That is the only term you need to know for this beer.  Even after the initial swallow, this beer keeps providing flavor to your taste buds well after the sip is finish.  Full bodied beer and exactly what I expect from a russian imperial stout.

Great example of the style but I have come to expect this sort of thing from Founders.  While I thought this was incredible, I actually give a slight edge to the 2011 batch.  When I had that vintage it was about 10 months old and age did nothing but great things for this beer.  I recommend drinking 2 from the 4 pack and throwing the other your basement, cellar, dark closet, or whatever else you have and forget about it until next years batch is released.  Either way you will not be disappointed!

Cheers ladies and gentlemen!

Ska Brewing Hibernal Vinifera Stout

This is an oak-aged stout from Ska that is also brewed with Malbec grapes.

I have only had one other offering from Ska and that was their Modus Hoperandi which quickly became one of my favorite IPAs so I am excited to be able to have one of their other offerings and review it.  I'm sure I will like this one!

Pour starts out a black/really dark brown color and looks completely black in the glass aside from the reddish hue on the sides.  The pour brought a nice two finger frothy head.but it didn't stick around too long other than a small amount of lace left on the glass.

Up front I am hit with some sweet chocolate and after a swirl of the glass I get a fruity sweet aroma which I am guessing is from the grapes.  Deeper into the aroma I get some roasted coffee notes which is really nice and also surprising because I don't think this beer is brewed with actual coffee.  Maybe a little alcohol on the nose but not overpowering at all and definitely takes a backseat to everything to else!

First flavors I get are the roasted coffee that I got on the nose. This actually excites me because it has such a nice roast to it without actually using coffee.  Very, very interesting.  A mix of some dark chocolate and dark chocolate bitterness but also some sweet milk chocolate notes as well.  I am getting a very small amount of grapes on the palate.  Right before the roasted flavor comes to the front and also a slightly sweet grape note mixed in dark chocolate bitterness.  Really tasty beer but also very interesting.  The roasty flavors I'm getting are easily my favorite part of the beer surprisingly.  I would have liked more of grape on the palate but I'd rather have too little than too much because I think the grape flavor could easily overpower the beer.

In the mouth it has medium mouthfeel and a slight lingering bitterness.  This doesn't quite coat the mouth but it isn't watery either.  I would like a bit more mouthfeel on it but I'm not unhappy about where it is right now.

Overall I would have to say this is a really solid beer.  Is it the best stout I've had? No, it is not but the flavors are all really nice and I keep going back to how much actual coffee I was getting on the nose and in the taste and how much I really enjoy that.  I would drink this again in a heartbeat.  Easy drinking stout with nice flavors and won't leave you needing a designated driver.

Cheers ladies and gentlemen!