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vile det
Considered a bit of a neo-berliner, Dogfish Head's Festina Peche is one of my favorite summer seasonals. This year seems to be a bit more on the tart-side which, for my money, is great. Peach sugars are included in the fermentation process so the yeast is farting all that nice peachy flavor right into the brew. It's a light peach too so this isn't really that overly sweet type of brew. Extremely drinkable and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year. It almost has a pinot grigio essence to it and would pair great with the same things a white wine would pair with: fish, chicken and salads. A hazy straw color with a fluffy white head, the nose upon first pouring reminds me of what your sock would smell like after cutting the grass. I mean that in the best way possible. It's a little sweet on the nose but the funk is there. Berliners are meant to be drinkable and this one rings in at 4.5%abv so you can have more and more. A nice alternative to the overly sweet shandy beers that tend to find their way around this time of year. Cheers!
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My Score_80
Rate Beer_60
Beer Advocate_83
I was at a bar last night where some older gentlemen next to me were experiencing their first sour beer. One guy said it tasted like a fruity bandaid. He's not wrong. Most people assume a beer with a sour taste has gone bad and cannot find the appreciation behind the talent it takes to make a truly good sour. It's certainly an acquired taste, but when you get it there will never be enough. One brewery who certainly understands the delicate art of funkifying beers is the Bruery out of California. Tart of darkness has all the great chocolately-roasty qualities of a stout but this ponys trick is an amped up carbonation(lessens when aged, highly recommended) and a HUGE sour bite. Even thinking about this beer makes the back of my jaw water. It's definitely overwhelming if it's your first dive into the sour world, but such a giant treat once you're addicted to them. A low 5.6%abv to so drink away. Honestly, buy a bottle and forget about it in your cool basement for a couple years. Thank me later. Cheers!
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My score: 100
Rate beer: 99
beer advocate: 94
welcome to michigan deschutes! i'm very happy to finally be getting this Oregon brewery on the regular. having just tried this beer yesterday i can happily say i'm eager for more. this year round ipa offers such a juicy, citrusy flavor given to it by the citra and mosaic hops. two of my favs. great malt balance, this beer doesn't have too big of a mouth feel. very easy drinking at 6%abv. this is one of those ipas that has such a balance and just the right amount of sweetness that is going to make you want one after another. pair with seafoods, red sauce pastas and cold cuts. duh. cheers!
my score: 100
rate beer: 98
beer advocate: 95
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Have you ever been inside of a humidor? It's a very distinct smell. Ever wonder what it would be like to burn one down and then use the ashes to make a beer that tasted just like it? Wonder no more. This version of Flying Monkeys The Matador dark rye ale is aged on a bed of Spanish Cedar. This process marries the beer with the flavors of the wood and, with the spiciness of the rye malt, leaves this beer with an amazing flavor and mouth-feel. A little on the beefier side in the mouth, along with a huge 10.10% abv Flying Monkeys is no stranger to gigantic flavors and huge beers. This beer is no exception. I can only imagine chewing the perfect medium-rare steak and sipping this in unison. The flavors were almost meant to be. Drink it now or cellar this beast for up to 2 years and see where it goes. Cheers!
My Score: 97
Rate Beer: 95
Beer Advocate: 87
When first seeing Stillwater come into the state it seemed as if they were sort of a one trick pony. Everything I saw was a saison, or a take on a saison. I'm not a huge saison fan but they seemed to have an allure to them that made me try every single beer of theirs. Then some other stuff started to trickle in with an eye-catching packing and style descriptions that begged to be sampled. Specifically the new Contemporary Works series that has just been released. The Surround is... wait for it, an oak-smoked imperial wheat stout. Oh yeah. Unfortunately this is a one-off brew so you may never see it again but for now it's in abundance. Taken from Stillwater's site: "Like a sound system that fills the room with audibles swarming in every direction. This massive stout overtakes your senses with aromas & flavor of dark chocolate, caramel, roast, smoke, earth & wood, It's heavy I know, but you have to drop that bass every once in a while if you really wanna get down." Fuckin' A Stillwater. I'm always tryin' to get down. Pair with all of the bbq. Especially a fat Delmonico steak. Cheers!
The ever elusive Dripa. Once found all around Michigan at all times has now been brought down to, maybe they have it, maybe they don't. Even it's consistency is inconsistent. Yet, it remains one of the best IPA's I've ever had. Double Rice IPA. Someone once argued with me that rice doesn't belong in beer. That it's left for the Bud's and the Miller's to fuck up beer that way. I farted in that persons general direction. Rice does belong in beer. The gold medals they have won for this beer proves it. Rice allows the character of the hop to walk right up to your lips and punch your tongues face. Finishes so clean without any hop residue. Insanely easy to drink, which may pose a problem since it's 9.5%abv. I think the worst part about this beer is that it's rarely bottled and absolutely never distributed. You can usually find it on draft either at a bar or at the brewery itself, though. Thankfully growlers of the stuff as long as they have it. So, if you haven't already, go visit Kuhnhenn. They also own a bed and breakfast across the street should you get blitzed. Don't for get to order some amazing Vincenzo's pizza while you're there! Cheers!
My Score: 100
Rate Beer: 98
Beer Advocate: 98
Sours! All of them, please and thanks. This one happens to be one of my favorites. Not only is it delicious and a near perfect sour, it's also readily available and for an exceptional price. Especially considering the methods used to make a Flemish Ale. Rodenbach has been making beer since the 1800's so the history is all in the sip. It's around 5%abv so it's not here to get you drunk as it is to give you flavor. Dark fruit notes, acidic sour, yet sweet bite, and a very present carbonation but not overwhelming. Flemish ales tend to be nice and vinegary, but in the best way. It's a crazy blend of flavors that just finish so nicely. You're sure to find this where most imports are found. Cheers!
My Score: 90
Beer Advocate: 90
Rate Beer: 93
You're thirsty, this is what you're having. Dating as far back as the 17th century "nog" used to refer to a style of strong beer. A "noggin" was a small cup used for drinking that beer. Most culinary anthropologists believe modern eggnog descended from a thick, boozy, late-medieval concoction called posset that was composed of hot milk and hooch enhanced with whatever spice the lord of the castle had on hand. Much like bottle fermenting, Nog can be aged for up to a year. The chemical interaction that takes place makes all the separately discernible flavors of cream, egg and booze become the one flavor known as egg nog. Typically bourbon is the booze of choice in most nog's, rum was the preferred choice in colonial days. So there you have it. A few things you probably didn't know about an old boozy, practically ice cream, beverage. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!
My Score: I'm lactose intolerant so this kills the human but I fucking love it.
Alton Brown: 5 stars <--Recipe!
Gose. You already said it wrong. Pronounced Go-zuh, this style of beer, originating from German, is a refreshingly tart, wheat beer. Much like your typical berliner weisse except one extra ingredient. Salt water. Weird? Yup. Delicious? Absolutely. The style is old as shit, dating back to before the 1900's, gose's are slowly (but thankfully) coming back as craft brewers look to keep pushing the envelope. Very few American breweries do this style but Anderson Valley said they were going to do it year-round. Then they said they were going to can it. Thus your new favorite summer thirst quencher was born. Lightly acidic, lemony tartness, easy on the wheat malt. This beer is super drinkable. Even at 4.2%abv the flavor has you coming back for more. It's like if Mike's hard lemonade wasn't complete dog shit. This style and beer for me, is as refreshing as it gets. Pair one of these with the other 5 in the sixer you pick up. Sold where finer beers are carried. Seriously, just go buy this beer. Cheers!
Rate Beer: 92
Beer Advocate: 87
My Score: 90
A lot of people try to mimic the bold style of a west coast IPA, and few get it right. Odd Side kind of nails it. As far as I'm concerned, it's the mid-west equivalent of Pliny the Elder. Had that beer before? Think my claim is ridiculous? Suck it. I've done the taste test and they're not far from each other. Dankerino is a juicy double IPA with notes of citrus, pineapple and a nice pine bite. Just bitter enough but still smooth drinking. Packs a sly punch at 10% too. The name just seals the deal for me. It really is a "dank" beer and the artwork is great. OVER THE LINE!
My Score: 90
Beer Advocate: 89
Rate Beer: 92
I always want to talk about sour beers every chance I get. I love them. So if you're new to the craft game you've no doubt heard of Fat Tire. It is literally everywhere. Upon tasting your first Fat Tire, you may or may not guess that this brewery has an insane number of tricks up their sleeve. New Belgium's Lips of Faith series has an incredible roster of amazing brews, including some of the best sour, barrel-aged beers I've ever had. One of my favorite beers ever being Le Terroir. This wild ale has a light crisp, easy drinking body but is nicely dry hopped with Amarillo hops for a peachy finish and a touch of Citrus because it's an amazing hop. Having a champagne-like essence this beer is fine on it's own or paired with tons of meats and cheeses. Of course, it wouldn't be surprising that New Belgium's sour program was so good if you had known their head brewer was from a brewery called Rodenbach. If you're familiar with what they do, it all just makes sense. This beer is released once a year and it just came out so go wherever finer beers are sold and just buy up as much as you can. Cheers!
My Score: 100
Rate Beer: 100
Beer Advocate: 96
Originally a Bavarian style beer in a time when you were only allowed to brew between September and April. The beer was often stored through summer until the next Oktoberfest so it was liberally hopped and the alcohol content was higher. Ayinger seems to have the style down pat. Malty, bready beer. Great medium body makes it very easy to drink. You may get a hint of caramel on the back end of your sip and that's okay too. Really, for the cooler month ahead, this will be my go to beer for many nights to come. Pair with a campfire. Cheers!
My score: 90
