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