Catching up

I owe all of you an apology (all those still following after my hiatus). My beer journey is complete but my blog is not. I have nearly 90 beers photographed and documented but not shared with all of you, yet. I will be catching up over the next week or two, so stay tuned.

Cheers!
Phil

Day 265, April 4 - Hop Notch

The Offering: Hop Notch, IPA, Uinita Brewing Company, Utah USA

ABV: 7.3%

Nice biter clean IPA. Fresh. Solid brew. Floral hop aroma. Pretty classic presentation, recommend to the hop lovers.

Points: 89

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers

Day 264, April 3 - Hurricane Kitty

The Offering: Hurricane Kitty, IPA, Keegan Ales, New York USA.

ABV: 5.5%

Super bitter. Not good. Tastes like a red. Huge piney hops profile combined with a nearly equal malt character. The combination just doesn't work here.

Points: 71

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 263, April 2 - Stoudt's Tripel

The Offering: Stoudt's Triple, Triple, Stoudt's Brewing Company, Pennsylvania USA

ABV: 9.0%

Serious brew here. Bottle conditioned triple that has a great yeast quality and is complex. Love it. Thank Ailia for the picture. First purposeful bathroom visit.

Points: 91

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 262, April 1 - McCarthy's Bane

The Offering: McCarthy's Bane, Imperial Red, Knee Deep Brewing, California USA

ABV: 8.0%

Smooth, bitter, dry and rich. It brings together some fantastic qualities. Great brew for the style. I didn't have high expectations but this was quite enjoyable. I would venture that most any beer drinker would have a taste for this Red brew.

Points: 90

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 261, March 31 - Hoptologist DIPA

The Offering: Hoptologist DIPA, Double IPA, Knee Deep Brewing, California USA

ABV: 9.0%

Super hoppy but fun. If you like straight hops this is a pretty raw brew that will do it for you. 102 ibu's will throw a party in you mouth. Honestly this one is more of a marketing ploy than great beer but it doesn't necessarily disappoint if you know what you are getting in to. Have fun.

Points: 87

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 260, March 30 - Green Flash Trippel

The Offering: Green Flash Trippel, Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co. California USA.

ABV: 9.7%

Golden fruity spicy Trippel. Apple nose. Really clean finish. Has some cider qualities and is not as eventful as I like but not bad. Most people would like this beer but it doesn't quite hit the notes I like.

Points: 82

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 259, March 29 - Drakonic

The Offering: Drakonic, Imperial Stout, Drake's Brewing Co. California USA

ABV: 8.75%

Dark and thick. Rich fruity mouth. Chocolate. Coffee finish. A little molasses. Slightly warming but not aggressive. Pretty solid.

Points: 88

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 258, March 28 - Whistling Pig

The Offering: Leavenworth Whistling Pig, Hefeweizen, Fishbowl Brewpub, Washington USA.

ABV: 4.0%

Bitter Hef. More ipa than Hef. The color is right but after that nothing is quite right. Not really that good. It's got a lot of lager characteristics, none of them good.

Points: 75

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 257, March 27 - Monks Uncle

The Offering: Monk's Uncle, Tripel, Pike Pub & Brewery, Washington USA

ABV: 9.0%

Fun brew but nothing near a typical Tripel. The nose is pretty bland, almost non existent. Bitter and fruit notes. I can't say this is at the top of my list but it's not bad.

Points: 84

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 256, March 26 - Hellcat

The Offering: Hellcat Peppered Tripel, Tripel, Fort George Brewery, Oregon USA

ABV: 8.2%

Holy crap that is a spicy beer. No messing around here. This will not blow your socks off like a Texas chili, but it is most definitely the spiciest beer I've tasted. Super spicy jalapeño from the beginning. Definitely unique but also a one trick pony. More spice than tripel. This one is a must try but more of a circus sideshow than a main event. Have fun.

Points: 84

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 255, March 25 - Hog Heaven

The Offering: Hog Heaven, Barley Wine, Avery Brewing Co. Colorado USA

ABV: 9.2%

Sweet boozy nose. Dark fruits and whiskey barrel. Sweet bitter brew with a pretty clean bitter aftertaste. Nothing crazy good but a beer most would like.

Points: 85

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 254, March 24

The Offering: Irish Death, Dark Ale, Iron Horse Brewery, Washington USA

ABV: 7.6%

Though he was German, all Uncle Ron wanted was a proper Irish wake. He was a Kelleher in spirit. I wish the brew lived up to his legacy. This one drinks a bit flat. There is definite sweetness stemming from the dark malts, I actually get a bit of vanilla. The nose is sweet and dark as well. All in all it just falls away as you drink it. Not terrible, but not great.

Points: 80

Thanks to Mom

Cheers

Day 253, March 23 - Caboose Oatmeal Stout

The Offering: Caboose, Oatmeal Stout, American Brewing Co. Washington USA

ABV: 7.0%

Thin stout, nothing fancy. I've had this a couple times in Washington but never been too impressed. If you want a stout, this isn't bad but don't go looking.

Points: 82

Thanks to Mom

Cheers

Day 252, March 22 - Koko Brown

The Offering: Koko Brown, Brown Ale, Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii USA

ABV: 5.5%

Nice coconut brown. Solid notes of caramel, chocolate and vanilla, and coconut of course. I like it, but there's a little too much coconut additive for me. It would be one thing to brew with a bunch of coconut, but here they add some extracts. Anyway, it's definitely kitsch but not bad.

Points: 80

Thanks to Dan

Cheers

Day 251, March 21 - Hopf Helle Weisse

The Offering: Hopf Helle Weisse, hefeweizen, Weissbierbrauerie Hopf, Germany

ABV: 5.3%

I had to go with a German brew to honor Uncle Ron who passed today. He read this blog every day but remained an avid connoisseur of Bud Light. Which reminds me to tell people - drink what you like. Breweries and beer geeks will tell you all sorts of things that you can like in a beer but if it's not for you, it's not for you. "Goat sweat" and "barnyard floor" are not for everybody.

To the beer. This is nice yeasty wheaty brew. It's a really solid Hef. Typical citrus notes combining with banana and clove for a great brew. This pours thick and bready. I recommend to all.

Points: 86

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 250, March 20 - Allagash Four

The Offering: Allagash Four, quadrupel, Allagash Brewing Co., Maine USA

ABV: 10.0%

So I accidentally restored my phone to 2010 and in doing so deleted my photos. I think I backed up tonight's photo so I will post it when I find it.

As for the brew, it's delicious. Dark fruits and honey combined with a thick yeasty base. Exactly how I like my quads. Great fun brew and a solid add from Allagash.

Points: 89

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 249, March 19 - Biere de Chocolat

The Offering: Biere de Chocolat, American Porter, Almanac Beer Co. California.

ABV: 5.6%

Super chocolate nose. Smells sweet but it is one of the driest beers to date. Nice bitterness but no complexity. I personally prefer the complex Belgian style, so this is not full bodied enough for me but not bad. The mouthfeel is thin but it hits some nice notes.

Points: 81

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers

Day 248, March 18 - Double DBA

The Offering: Double DBA, American Strong Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing, California

ABV: 12%

Wow this is quite a beer. Drinks like a bourbon. Super smooth with Big time butterscotch notes. Totally unique. Love it, go get some.

Points: 91

Thanks to Katie and Ale Arsenal

Cheers

Day 247, March 17 - Dragoons

The Offering: Moylan's Dragoons, Irish Dry Stout, Moylan's Brewery, California USA

ABV:5.0%

Happy St. Paddy's Day! Nothing died green this year, but I did have a nice creamy Irish Stout. I had this on draft with nitro so the bubbles were super fine, making this drink very creamy. It's an interesting brew because you can definitely taste the dark roasted malts but the whole brew comes off as light and clean. Even the nose is light. Pleasant but not eventful.

Points: 83

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 246, March 16

The Offering: Bracia, English Strong Ale, Thornbridge Brewery, England

ABV: 9.0%

Awesome brew! The head is perfect when you first pour it, I recommend taking your first swig right away and taking advantage of the creamy mouth feel.  This is a dark complex brew with a lot of coffee, chocolate and dark roast malts.  Add to that a sweet and fruity element and you have a delicious complex meal of a  brew. The nose has notes of sweetness, umami and teryaki.  This is a brew that will stay with you for a while like a strong cup of espresso.  Definitely gives the Alesmith Speedway Stout a run for its money.

Points: 95

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 245, March 15

The Offering: Anubis, Imperial Coffee Porter, Laughing Dog Brewery, Idaho, USA.

ABV: 9.2%

I may be admitting to being too much of a nerd here, but all I can think of when I see Anubis is the main evil dude in Stargate SG1 (I may or may not have watched every episode).
Anyway, to the beer. Serious coffee abounds. Coffee, dates, and molasses on the nose. The mouth proves to be a nice bitter porter with a little tang and more coffee overtones. Pretty simple brew and solid for most porter lovers. Nowhere near the Alesmith Speedway Stout but still decent.

Points: 85

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 244, March 14

The Offering: Brother David's Double, Dubbel, Anderson Valley Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 9.0%

Pretty solid American attempt at the Belgian Dubbel. Not as rich and complex as I'd like but still good. The nose has distinct teriyaki and dark fruits. Definitely sweet and bitter on the mouth. It's worth a shot if it's available but most of the Dubbels out of Belgium are a step up.

Points: 85

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 243, March 13

The Offering:  Drakes Denogginizer, Imperial IPA, Drakes Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV:  9.75%

Big imperial IPA, nothing is subtle here. Fruity hoppy nose and a big bitter flavor that is in your face. Not well rounded like the Pliny or Stone, definitely a more simplistic West Coast IPA. Good but not great. There is an off putting note just past the initial bitterness that stays with you the rest of the way. I can't name it really, I just know that I don't like it.  Anyway, I rate this a little lower than the typical West Coast IPA hop bomb but it's not bad, definitely drinkable.

Points: 83

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 242, March 12

The Offering:  Stone Enjoy by 4/1/13 IPA, Imperial IPA, Stone Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 9.4%

Recommended by my local beer shop, this brew is incredible. Wow.. Ridiculously smooth, bitter and complex. Another liquid hops brew that rivals Pliny the Younger. If you missed your chance there and want a relatively close runner up, this is your brew. Not much bad to say. Get it now and "Enjoy by 4/1/13"

Points:  95

Thanks to Katie and the Holly Market

Cheers

Day 241, March 11

The Offering  :Krombacher Pils, German Pilsener, Krombacher Brauerei, Germany

ABV: 4.8%

Delicious lager on a spring day.  Not sure why this Pils struck me in particular after all the German Pilseners I've had, but it's good to me.  What can I say.  Seems to have the usual suspects of bitter grains and hops that every other pure brewed German Pils has but I like this more.  Maybe the Pilseners need to be drunk in the sunshine under flowering trees.

Points:  84

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 240, March 10

The Offering:  Einbecker Brauherren Premium Pils, German Pilsener, Einbecker Brauhaus, Germany

ABV: 4.9%

Sweet smelling nice clean pils.  Nothing extraordinary but it exemplifies my German pils expectations.  

Points:  80

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 239, March 9

The Offering:  St. Bernardus Abt 12 Abby ale, Quadrupel, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV. Belgium

ABV:  10.0%

I enjoyed this one at the Bloodhound, SF.  Great place to drink a beer.  The brew is dark, bitter and delicious. Nice quad. Very spicy, complex. Quite warming.  Solid choice amongst many delicious quads out there.

Points: 92

Thanks to Jeff Chen

Cheers

Day 238, March 8

The Offering:  Radeburger Pilsener, Pilsener, Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei, Germany

ABV:  4.8%

Pretty clean pils. Bitter, a little grapefruit. Unfortunately has a slight urine smell, but if you get by that it's pretty good. Finish is vey dry and the astringency stays with you for a while.

Points: 79

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 237, March 7

The Offering: Pannepot Special Reserve '09, Quadrupel, De Struise Brouwers. Belgium.

ABV:  10.0%

De Struise won Best Brewery in the World 2010 at the World Beer Awards, and it's not hard to imagine why.  This is a great brew.  Dark strong ale aged in oak port barrels for over a year. Thick, rich, dark, complex and spicy. Super smooth as well. The nose hints at tart but none comes through in the mouth. Rich rich rich. Sweet cumquat and super creamy. It's out of production now but if you can get your hands on this one savor it.

Points:  93

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 236, March 6

The Offering:  Gregorious, Trappist Quadrupel, Stift Engelszell, Austria

ABV:  9.7%

Tasty tasty Trappist Quad. Dark malty brew with dark fruit undertones and a super rich finish, quite syrupy. In the same class as Westy but definitely a step down. The nose is the only let down for me, it really comes off as light when the brew itself is dark, thick and rich. I recommend this to the Belgian lovers.

Points: 90

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 235, March 5

The Offering:  Reissdorf Kolsch, Kolsch, Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf GMBH & CO. Germany

ABV: 4.8%

Smells like sour apple cider, very tart on the nose. Bland lager mouth, no tartness. Pretty clean drinking but not a whole lot going on. Chalk this up to the Germans perfecting uneventful but very drinkable beer. This is to be drunk not savored.

Points:  80

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 234, March 4

The Offering:  Spotted Owl, Barleywine style ale, North Fork Brewery, Wedding Chapel, and Beer Shrine. Bellingham Washington, USA

ABV: 11.0%

Aged two years, this barleywine is the smoothest richest brew you'll ever have. Super rich molasses nose. The mouth is complex, slightly sweet, dark rich and simply awesome. It has a great clean finish. I love this brew. Go to Bellingham and ask for it along with their regular barley wine.  Great brews!

Points: 94

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 233, March 3

The Offering: India Pelican Ale, IPA. Pelican Pub and Brewery. Oregon, USA.

ABV: 7.5%

Cascade nose, classic west coast IPA. Great bitter nose. Nothing unusual positive or negative, just a good drinking IPA.

Points: 82

Thanks to Katie Maughan

Cheers

Day 232, March 2

The Offering:  North Fork Brewery Barley Wine, North Fork Brewery, Wedding Chapel, and Beer Shrine. Bellingham Washington, USA

ABV: 13.0%

Sweet dark fruit nose. Chocolate and sweet dark current on the mouth. Smooth and complex. Malt and molasses. Clean finish. Awesome brew.  Go up to Bellingham and get one. 

Points:  90

Thanks to Uncle Ron

Cheers

Day 231, March 1

The Offering:  Tsunami Stout, Pelican Pub & brewery. Oregon USA

ABV: 7.0%

Pretty good. Nice bitter stout. Dark sweet malts and coffee on the nose. A little spice on the tongue. Warming.  Definitely decent.

Points:  82

Thanks to Katie Maughan

Cheers

Day 230, February 28

The Offering: Erdinger Dunkel, Dunkelweizen , Erdinger Weissbrau, Germany

ABV: 5.3%

From the top of a Bangkok Sky Bar... A delicious German brew. Super malty with pretty strong caramel notes.  There is a definite spice to the brew along with some fruit, apple or pear maybe.  Nice thick mouthfeel.  Enjoy.

p.s. Skybars are the way to go in Bangkok, at least for a night.  The beer is the same price everywhere so you may as well drink at the top.

Points: 85

Thanks to Eric Tao

Cheers

Day 229, February 27

The Offering: Beer Lao, Euro pale lager, Lao Brewing Co. Laos

ABV: 5.0%

Sweet, not terrible. Bad aftertaste. Watery but refreshing in 90• weather.  This beer, like most over here is all about location.  Not to be drunk outside of Asia, specifically tropical Asia.

Points: 78

Thanks to Jansen Tredway

Cheers

Day 228, February 26

The Offering:  Blue Girl Pilsener, American Adjunct Lager, Oriental Brewing Co., Ltd.  Hong Kong

ABV: 5.0%

Now this is local.  German beer, brewed in Hong Kong, modeled by a Chinese Captain America with a man purse.  After all that, we still have a very standard American lager beer.  Not bad but simply your standard pils.  I must say it was fun to drink though.  By the way Chinese Captain America doubles as a magician.

Points: 75

Thanks to Captain America

Cheers

Day 227, February 25

The Offering:  Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, Imperial Stout, Kiuchi Brewery, Japan

ABV: 7.5%

Still in Hong Kong and surprised to find a pub with a great beer selection.  Nothing local so I thought I'd keep it as local as possible (Japan's still Asia right?).  Anyway, too bad.  I should have gone with one of the Belgians on tap.  I was not impressed.  Basically a shot of espresso in a thin stout. Not great and not complex. I hear some of there other brews are pretty good but this one doesn't do it for me.

Points: 78

Thanks to Joyce Wang

Cheers

Day 226, February 24

The Offering:  Tsingtao, American adjunct lager, Tsingtao Brewery Co. China

ABV: 4.8%

Simply enjoying the brew with a good friend at her own office was pleasure enough (abrewaday may have to consult on future fridge additions however).  The brew was definitely not as bad as I remember.  A bit watered down for my taste but not offensive.  Enjoy with friends.

Points: 71

Thanks to Joyce Wang - joycewang.com

Cheers

Day 225, February 23

The Offering:  Fordham Helles Lager, Munich Helles lager, Fordham Brewing Co. Delaware USA

ABV:  5.4%

Being my least favorite beer style, this is not terrible. It does however leave that soured lager yeast funk in your mouth as a leftover which is really not my thing. Nothing better than average lager.

Points:  74

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 224, February 22

The Offering:  Fred Golden Special Ale, American Srong Ale, Hair of the Dog Brewing Co. Oregon, USA

ABV: 10.0%

Molasses and dark fruit nose. The mouth follows suit... Rich intense thick malts, almost overpowering. Even though this is so base heavy I really enjoy it. Super thick mouthfeel that drinks like a Belgian dubbel. I'm not sure where the "golden ale" description comes from, but this is delicious brew none the less.

Points:  87

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 223, February 21

The Offering:  Jubelale 25th Anniversary Winter Ale, Winter Warmer, Deschutes Brewery, Oregon USA

ABV:  6.7%

Dark malty nose with some sweetness. The mouth is bitter and roasted. The profile is thin for such a dark beer but it's not bad. The finish is super bitter and almost fruity. Like a grapefruit from a fireplace. Leaves a little wanting but alright brew overall.

Points:  82

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 222, February 20

The Offering:  Sanctification, American Wild Ale

ABV: 6.75%

Another winner from russian river. They really have an amazing line up of sours. This is my least favorite and it is still outstanding. Definitely lighter and more citrusy than the others. The bottle says its a Bret beer but it is so subtle that I may not have noticed without the heads up. Usually the bretonomyces is in your face buts it's nice to see it take a back seat here. The nose is tart and yeasty. The mouth is sour as well with some spiciness that stays with you throughout. Like the others,

I recommend this to all beer drinkers.

Points:  90

Thanks to Katie

Cheers
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Day 221, February 19

The Offering: Dubbel Down, Belgian style Dubbel, Black Diamond Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 7.2%

From the makers of the Rampage Imperial IPA, this is another worthy brew.  Dark toasty malty nose. Syrupy dark molasses and bitter. Decent brew and valiant attempt at a Dubbel.  There is room for improvement but solid on it's own.

Points:  83

Thanks to Katie

Cheers
 

Day 220, February 18

The Offering: Supplication. American wild ale, Russian River Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 7.0%

Sour and a little sweet. Bitterness is present but merely compliments the complexity. Very similar to the Consecration. Solid stuff. Do not pass these brews up!

Points: 95

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 219, February 17

The Offering:  Consecration, American wild ale. Russian River brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 10.0%

Great dark sour brew, aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Citrus and currant nose with grape. The mouth is bitter with hints of cider. Incredibly complex sour brew landing somewhere between beer and wine. Great! Drink this and love it!

Points: 96

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 218, February 16

The Offering:  Red Tale Ale, Ale, Mendocino Brewing Co, California, USA

ABV:  6.0%

Super bitter red ale. Fruity nose, apple cider maybe. Reasonable drinking brew.  Alright, but nothing great.

Points:  76

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 217, February 15

The Offering:  Russian River Saison Blonde, Saison, Russian River Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 4.2%

Wild citrus nose. There is a little hint of sulphur but not enough to be off putting. great yeast character. The mouth is floral, citrusy and bitter. The yeast profile comes through with strong floral notes, lilacs almost. The finish is funky. Overall the brew has a lot going on but is a little too thin. Good but not great. 

Points: 82

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 216, February 14

The Offering:  The Perfect Crime, Black Smoked Saison, Smoked Saison. Stone Brewing Co. with Stillwater and Evil Twin. California, USA

ABV: 6.8%

Incredibly complex brew. Nose comes off like a Belgian dubbel with the sweet malt character. The mouth is completely different, roasted coffee with a slight farmhouse funk. The finish is dark and bitter roasted malts.  Fun brew and a great collaborative effort of the three brewers.

Points: 86

Thanks to Katie and Happy Valentine's Day

Cheers