Founders Bolt Cutter

Founder's Bolt Cutter - Our 15'th Anniversary Ale (2012)

Anniversary Brew (Backstage Series)

25.4 fl. oz. / $25.99 / 15% ABV

About: "Bolt Cutter is a cellarable 15% ABV barley wine brewed in celebration of our 15th anniversary. Dry-hopped with a mountain of Cascade hops, it’s balanced by a malty sweetness and spicy complexity, resulting from barrel aging some of it in bourbon barrels, some in maple syrup-bourbon barrels and some not at all (standard fermentation only). We allowed the beer to mature in bottles and kegs for four months so that it would be perfect for its release in November 2012. Bolt Cutter pours a deep copper color and is best sampled at different temperatures to allow the flavors to unfold."

Thoughts: I bought this beer two years ago and it's been in the back of my fridge inside of a closed paper bag ever since. Why? I do not know the answer to that question. I just figured I'd save it for the "right time" or a "special occasion", but there never really was one of those things that ever made me think now is the time. When I decided to buy a Bolt Cutter glass online to pair the shot with they had just sold out, so I guess I felt kind of bummed. Well, that bullshit is over. Last night was Halloween, I got a full weekend to do nothing but jerk off so let's fuckin' do this!

This beer is way clearer than I thought it would be. I'm talking a crystal clear burnt orange with shades of ruby red, and it looks pretty nice. It's so clear that I can read the lettering through it on the back of the glass in this dim room. The off-white head was gloppy and slow to form before dying down into a puddle of mush. I can smell this one from across the table. Just the way I like it. There's only three things I like to be able to smell from across the table: my food, my beer... and my women! The smell is of strong, sweet malted barley and the alcohol is strong with this one. It's got a syrupy burst of toffee that's candy-like and indulgent. Despite the strength on this, it doesn't appear to be hiding a kick.

First sip and it's all there, and with an effervescent surprise on the mouth feel on top of it all. It's absurdly smooth, with a tingling that roars throughout the whole thing, but still, so soothing and soft. How does it stay so smooth?! Is it the two years that have gone by? I got a shiver inducing bite a few seconds after that first sip, but it's settled already by the second. With the third and fourth sip I feel a fire igniting in my stomach. I of course wouldn't put it past Founders to have this barleywine loaded with hops (not much unlike SN Bigfoot) and man are those grassy as all fuck hops bouncing around here. Sometimes after a while, that kind of thing builds up and grimes up a beer, but that's not the case here as it sits back just like a gentle leafy, grassy breeze in the background. It's not strong enough to be distracting, but it's just there enough give a little needed depth... because overall, I'm not getting too much depth here. It's layered, but slightly repetitive.

It tastes like a really smooth hard liquor barleywine hybrid. For the most part it's sweet, especially when you swirl it around in the mouth. After the swallow it's got a very low lever bitterness, but it's there and adds a little complexity to the drink. It's slightly softer than I usually like, most likely due to the aging, but it's still peppery and has a nice zing to it. For being so mellow, it's still damn tasty! This is some exquisite shit here as a matter of fact. Now, I'm of course a little experienced with these High ABV beers. Just the other day I drank a World Wide Stout, Rumpkin, and a Pump[KY]n, in addition to the many others I've tried, this is by far the softest. But that doesn't mean that other people would find this soft at all. Oh hell no! Actually I'm pretty sure that if you gave this to someone who didn't know what the fuck it was they'd think it's straight up booze and not a beer at all.

But that's a good thing, especially about this beer for a guy like me. A freak! No, a guy like me, who enjoys the finer things in life. I just read the info on this beer while preparing to post this review, and while it's obvious that there's some sort of barrel aging it's not on the bottle I don't think. It makes sense now how they did it, what with the syrup I got, then the bourbon and even at times where it didn't really seem as if it were barrel aged at all. So the mix of all three of those things are indeed evident in the taste here. Even then however, I'll admit that this one isn't perfect. Not that it needs to be. In fact, I like it just the way it is, because if were different, well, it'd be something different. And I didn't want to drink something different, I wanted to drink this. And perhaps I'm rambling a bit, but although it's not as good as I was hoping (waiting on it two years and wondering doesn't help that, btw) I still enjoyed the hell out of this one and if given the chance, I'd buy it all over again.

Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged BIGFOOT

Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged BIGFOOT - Barleywine Style Ale Aged in Whiskey Barrels (2013)

Limited Release (Good luck finding this shit!).

25.4 fl. oz. / $16.04 USD / 12.2% ABV

About: "Our Bigfoot Barleywine is a craft beer legend. Each winter, this beast of a beer appears and wreaks havoc on unsuspecting palates with its intense bittersweet flavors. This year - in honor of the 30th Anniversary of this style-bending brew - we're releasing a very special version of this cult classic: Aged in oak whiskey casks for nearly two years, this barrel-aged Bigfoot is incredibly complex. The assault of resinous hops has mellowed, and the influence of the wood has shifted focus toward the malt - with rich burnt-sugar flavors and notes of vanilla, toasted coconut, and raisins. Grab this elusive beast while you can, because it won't be around for long."

Thoughts: Cork was a rough one. The cap on the cage has some really cool artwork of two mingling hops. Light pop off the cork after all that work. Poured a grainy dark ruby / burgundy color with a small frothy head that left a thin layer atop the brew and some thick puddles that lasted forever. 

This beer smells outstanding. Holy shit it has a strong scent to it. It's total candy. Incredibly sweet smelling. I'm getting rich hot chocolate, candy bars, 3 Musketeers melted down over smokey wood and mixed with whiskey for a bad boy milkshake. With a beer like this you've gotta let it warm a little bit to really get just how deep that whiskey is. I love how it just intertwines with this already incredible tasting beer, the essence of it just pulsating throughout the 

Wow that is fucking spicy. Holy shit. I got a little bit of spice in the scent but that just came out blistering! And hot damn does this whiskey barrel aging just simply Dominate the brew. Two gulps and I'm feeling the heat in my lower chest. The whiskey notes really start to come on full and throughout in the scent, but when you get this in your mouth it just cracks the bottle over your head with it. Talk about intense. A deep haze of smokiness follows the swallow and the hops which are usually off the charts in this barleywine are very laid back, though still quite noticeable. It adds up to a nice unique flavor in the aftertaste, and what a splendid aftertaste is it. Talk about mellow, yet effective. This beer has a sting to it alright, and it doesn't die down with each and every small gulp either. It seems as if it is intensifying, or at least holding its original strength which is very rare. Very peppery, absolutely love the burn from the booze, smokey and sweet, it has a very gentle bitterness and it's in your face with all the flavors. Top notch stuff.

For the mouthfeel I've gotta stay that this beer is pretty damn thick. Something to be reckoned with. It's not sludgy, and it's definitely not thin. This stuff coats like oil and leaves a resinous raw hop flavor on the back of the tongue which is offset by the all around sweetness and excellent whiskey flavor.

I remember drinking Bigfoot so many years ago. I used to buy a six pack of Celebration every year, and on the second year of doing that I remember I picked up a six of Bigfoot. This is back when I didn't even know what craft beer was. I grew up in California, and Sierra Nevada had a great distribution to all supermarkets. I remember drinking Bigfoot in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Celebration and Bigfoot have always been special brews to me. When I finally found this one and only bottle on the shelf after driving all around the state, I couldn't not grab it and take it home.

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

Dogfish Head Olde School - A barleywine style ale brewed with figs and dates. (2012)

Occasional Rarity.

12 fl. oz. / $5.45 USD / 15% ABV

About: "Bold, yet smooth! Fermented with dates and figs, this bone-crushing barleywine has a unique flavor. The concept for this beer came from an old cellerman's manual Sam came across. At about 15% ABV, this beer is a great candidate for aging. Over time, the beer dries out and the pit fruit flavors come forward and the hops recede. Our recommendation? Grab a few bottles when you find it - enjoy one now, and age the others for a bit. Let us know which you prefer! Olde School Barlewine comes out in the fall annually. It is available in 12-ounce bottles by the 4-pack. Want more info on the cowboy label art? Check out 'What's The Deal With The Cowboy?"

Thougths: Poured a dark orange color with a one finger light tan head. I wasn't really expecting much of a head but there it was. Also, I wasn't really expecting the color on this one either. While the beer is light enough to see a blurred shadow through, it's still hazy as all hell.

Huh. The first whiff I got it sort of hit me like an extremely high gravity IPA. Wait a minute... I know this one is pretty fresh. It was just put out on the shelf and the bottle recommends in two different spots that I should age it. Is this one of those DIPAs that turns into a Barleywine over time? Or is it the other way around?! Quite perplexing indeed. ;)

But all fucking around aside, this barleywine is very hop forward in the nose! The figs and dates in this are abundant, and the brew itself smells very smooth. Any glimpse of alcohol in the scent is invisible. It smells very fruity, very sugary... like dried apricots, and kinda raisiny. It smells really good, like a baby barleywine though. How in the fuck is this so mellow?

First swig, and it is amazingly smooth. Holy shit. I was expecting a hit of booze, at least on the first gulp (and even with the gentle scent), but man that went down easy and was just full of flavor. Man do I love me some figs too. It's a particular flavor that gives this one something so special. Most of the time when beers have a lot of fruit flavors in them it's either grapefruit, orange zest, lemon, cherries or apple... but man, there is just something about figs that give the raisin and dark fruit type beers an extra special kick. It's just distinct and flavorful, not to mention hard to describe unless you've actually tasted them (and fig newtons only sorta count). While I'm starting to feel the alcohol just a bit, it's laying so low in this beer that quite frankly I'm a bit mystified.

So I'm pretty sure that I'm drinking this way too early. But the way I see it, once it's bottled it's ready to be drank. Whether I can find another bottle and save it is another story. I'd rather find a few dusty old bottles sitting on the shelf but I doubt that'll ever happen. It really feels and tastes like this beer has been barrel aged, but it hasn't. This has to be the most exceptionally smooth barleywine I've ever drank. Not to mention the easiest going with such a high ABV. It's so light feeling that it's nearly distracting. I would have liked this experience to be a little bit more full and rich, but I'm not really complaining here.

This is a weird one. I suppose you can't really expect anything else from DFH, but while this one threw me for a loop, it was indeed tasty and enjoyable. Which is about as much as one can ask when they shell out five bucks for a 12oz beer. If I see this one again at the store and I don't have one last brew to fill my mix-a-six, I'm sure I'll grab this one again and try it out later with something else.

Firestone Walker 15th Anniversray Ale

Firestone Walker 15th Anniversary Ale - A Blend of Barrel Aged Beers (2011)

Limited Release (Brewed Once)

22 fl. oz. / $24.99 USD / 12.5% ABV

About: "As a finished beer, XV is alive with amazing complexity and yet it is quite possibly the most integrated and seamless blend yet.

Looking at a blend of 8 beers on paper at first looks chaotic and potentially disjointed; however, a closer look reveals and interesting theme: 76% Barley Wine style beers, 19% Stout and 5% Imperial IPA. XV introduces our new blonde barley wine "Helldorado" with flavors of lavender honey liqueur. The well established "DDBA" delivers its signature American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. 2010 vintage "Sticky Monkey" folds in brown sugar, maple, cinnamon, ginger and ripe figs. "Parabola" brings the familiar flavors of roasted dark coco, and chocolate covered cherries. "Velvet Merkin" carries silky milk chocolate, toasted coconut and creamy textures. "Good Foot" and "Bravo" add assertive barley wine warmth and lush barrel derived vanilla bean notes.  The game changer this year is the addition of "Double Jack" to the blend.  At just 5% its massive dry hop character brings citrus zest, tangerine and mango aromas making this a completely new beer.

The beer is unfiltered and unfined, so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle.   XV is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass, a richer, orange zested, chocolate dusted, vanilla custard character is reveled, so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. It was an absolute pleasure in the making and I truly hope you enjoy our Sixth oak-aged blend!  Our journey continues and it’s just as fun and exciting now as it was back in 1996.

18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine. (Buckwheat Honey and 100% El Dorado Hops)

17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine. (Mexican Turbinado Brown Sugar)

17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale. (100% US Grown Fuggles Hops)

13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale. (Double Version of Flagship)

11% Good Foot (14.3 ABV) American Barley Wine. (Copious amounts of American Grown Hops)

10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout. (100% US Grown Fuggles Hops)

9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout. (Simcoe, Brao, Styrian Golding and East Kent Golding)

5% Double Jack (9.5% ABV) Double India Pale Ale. (Triple dry-hopped DIPA)"

Thoughts: I've never had a beer that came with a certificate before! Wow... cool shit.

XV poured a dark cherry color with a slightly brownish shade once it filled the glass. The head was minimal and very tan, and understandably faded quickly.

This beer smells absolutely beautiful. God damn... boozy dark fruits and dark chocolate predominate. It is wondrous. This is one fierce smelling barleywine man, I'll tell ya, and the really cool thing is with this blend that they've done this beer has a really awesome stout characteristic that comes in halfway through and a big hop profile at the end. Up front though it's really malty, heavy and dense smelling. In a word: Powerful.

First gulp and I am fucking blown away! You don't really get a ton of oak in the scent at first, but right off the tongue there's a massive sweet and delectable booze blow followed by a smooth woody finish. Second gulp now, this is pure insanity. The spice and flavor rolls around vertically in the mouth, constantly pounding down on the tongue like raindrops of ecstasy. It tingles, it's sticky, it's got a little bit of a harshness to it but it's not overly harsh and it falls back reasonably. It's slightly smoky. Tons of dark fruit, plum, raisins everywhere, figs, freshly fallen leaves, vanilla, Belgian chocolate, cinnamon, pepper... hints of cherry, cut grass, celery salt, mild coffee, red wine and hidden floral notes after it's swallowed. Oak is everywhere and leaves the mouth feeling as is there should be a few splinters in there after a short bit of drinking. This is some crazy shit!

The mouth feel is full, takes a while before it gets foamy, stinging, tickling and coats evenly leaving a massive amount of the gorgeous taste to linger for long periods between sips and gulps. Starts to get drying after a while, though not aggressively so. Nice feeling all around.

After warming for an hour this one gets really mellow. Slightly puckering effect with heavy booze, and yet, the booze isn't grossly overactive, but rather just explosive at first and fades so quick due that barrel aging that it's simply blissful. The price of this one hurt me at first, so much to the fact that I left it in the fridge for a few months. Tonight was the night, and unholy hell, what a fantastic night it has become! If you ever see this on the shelf, buy it!

In an act of courtesy, I offered a drink to my lady:

Me: "Hey, come over here and tell me what this smells like."

Her: "Uhg! I don't know but it's disgusting."

Well played.

Southern Tier Oak Aged Backburner and Backburner

Southern Tier OAK AGED IMPERIAL back*burner - barley wine style ale (2012)

Limited Release Winter Seasonal.

22 fl. oz. / $8.49 USD / 9.6% ABV

About: "Long ago, British farmhouse brewers made special ales using the first runnings of the mash. These beers, now called barley wine, are brewed in the tradition of days past. At Southern Tier this long awaited brew is placed on the back burner until the start of the new year. It’s conceived in three small batches, using voluminous amounts of barley and hops. The process starts early in the morning and ends late into the night. We hope this rare brew reignites your spirit for another trip around the sun. Kettle Hops: Chinook / Aroma Hops: Willamette / Dry Hops: Amarillo, Centennial / Malts: 2 Row Pale, Light, and Dark Caramel."

Thoughts: Poured a dark, red-grape color with a tiny, slightly tan off-white head that faded within twenty seconds. You can see through this beer to a point, like the shape of your fingers for instance, but only in front of light. It looks very pretty clean, and has very little carbonation which is to be expected.

This beer smells fantastic! Dark caramel, SKOR bars, syrup, booze and candy. Love it. Getting a lot of raisins, evil plums, brown sugar and molasses. Yeah baby.

Wonderful oak finish that slowly creeps throughout the taste, starting off soft and then just delivering the beer's taste to a beautiful end. Loads of caramel and dark fruits in the flavor here, a tingling from the dry hops and an oaked essence all the way through. It's very peppery, utterly sweet yet with a mild touch due to that aging, and the hops are really on showcase this time around. Perhaps I didn't notice them too much in the original version, or if maybe the oak is bringing them out even more, but it's a new year and this beer still kicks some major ass.

Mouth feel is medium yet lighter feeling, frothy and disintegrates easily. It leaves flavor clinging all over the brain and inside of the mouth which lasts a super long time. Let it warm, it tastes even better. Imagine for a moment what only time could do to this one. This one is fresh, and is fantastic.

Southern Tier back burner IMPERIAL barley wine style ale (2011)

Winter Seasonal - February (Limited Release)

22 fl. oz. / $7.49 USD / 9.6% ABV

About: "Back Burner Barley Wine is a celebration of things to come and things remembered. It’s conceived in three small batches, using voluminous amounts of barley and hops. The process starts early in the morning and ends late into the night. We hope this rare brew reignites your spirit for another trip around the sun." Stats: 2-Row Pale Malt / Light and Dark Malt / Kettle Hops: Chinook / Aroma Hops: Willamette / Dry  Hops: Amarillo, Centennial."

Thoughts: Poured a deep red, hazy and almost cherry color with a short bubbly head that fizzled itself away.

Smells intense. Sweet. Malts come through first. As it warms slightly, the Hops can be felt. Balance seems very well done as it goes back and forth. It's got one of those smells that I could enjoy all day long.

The taste just blows me away. So very sweet. Tingles the tongue, then when the taste overflows it's like another plane of life, an out of body experience. I could feel this brew throughout my whole body. It went through three insane stages fairly quick: "Wow" then "Holy Shit" then "Damn...", huh, perhaps I'm at a loss for words! Those are the things that my brain produced with my first mouthful though. It's like smoke and cherries. Tangy. Caramel and oats, dark fruits and alcohol, sugar and molasses, light campfire and bitterness, all with an incredibly subtle after burn.

It's a mouthful. But the taste is so damn good that there's no problem gulping it time and time again.

I think I'm in love with this beer. I fall in love way too easily, but this is my favorite Southern Tier so far. And that says something since the other two I've tried have all been totally spectacular. Barley Wine is quickly becoming my favorite of all beer types. I just haven't met one that I disliked so far. I mean, I love pumpkin brews, but some of those items I tried this year were just plain uninspired (I guess that happens with different gravities or mainly: when a company just doesn't give a fuck). But oh man does this stuff drive my brain insane!

Firestone Walker's Sucaba Barleywine

Firestone Proprietor's Reserve Series Sucaba - Barrel-Aged Barley Wine Ale (2012)

Special Limited Release.

22 fl. oz. / $13.99 USD / 12.5% ABV

About: This beer was formerly known as Abacus, before a lawsuit in 2012 forced them to change the name. "Big boozy bourbon and American oak aromas combined with soft chocolate malty undertones. Complex malt flavors framed in oak, with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coconut and just a touch of dark cherry. This is definitely a sipping beer, best served in a brandy snifter. This ale pairs well with dark chocolate and sturdy cheeses. Fermentation: Undisclosed / Malts: Munton's Pale, Crisp Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate / Bittering Hops: Bravo / Late Kettle Hops: East Kent Golding."

Thoughts: This must have sat in my fridge for five or six months. I just couldn't hold out any longer, especially after drinking the Oak Aged Imperial Backburner from Southern Tier last night.

Abacus poured a dark and muddy crimson burgundy with little to no head that was slightly tan.

Damn this smells good! Heavy stuff. Highly toxic. The strength that this these brew exhibits in the scent is an exhilirating experience in itself. I'm getting tons of sweet, dark raisins and some beautiful booziness here. I'm reminded of Lost Abbey's Judgement Day for a moment, but what's this? Semi-sweet chocolate making its way towards the nose, conjuring a goblet of raisenettes drenched in bonfire charred booze. Succulent and indulgent, cold as a dark summer's night by the shore, woodsy, with a subtle whiff of bitter coffee towards the end. Hints of black cherry.

The taste... wow! I was really expecting a sucker punch of harsh booze to the face, but man that first gulp was incredibly smooth and just wonderful tasting. Impressive. A small fire ignites in the belly immediately. Starts off very sweet with dark fruit, tons of plum and cherry, a robust maltiness flows forward and it displays bits of chocolate shavings and a huge amount of that oak just sticking to the mouth. I think my tongue is starting to go numb and I've only had four gulps. Wait, no, that only lasts for a few seconds. This beer is so very rich and flavorful. It's immense and a mutant, all over the place yet at the same time, perfectly contained within itself. How can a beer be milk chocolaty one moment, and the next reminiscent of fucking red wine? Without contradicting itself, it's so many things all at once.

Mouth feel is thick, syrupy, coating and lingering. Without contradicting itself, it's got a somewhat crisp and drying factor to it, but it stops halfway through and still remains wet and satisfying. Strange.

A true sipper brew in every sense of the notion. Aftertaste is a slight burn, oak and vanilla with a gentle hop profile on the back of the tongue. Recommended.

Cambridge Brewing 2012 Pumpkin Beer Festival

Freaks, Geeks and Weirdos - and not to mention some Totally Hot Babes - all united yesterday for a fun filled elbow to elbow beer-breath-a-thon in Cambridge, Mass, known as LineFest! Uhhh, I mean PumpkinFest. Well, it was LineFest for anyone who got there after 2:30 PM, as the small venue was jam f'n packed with thirsty hipsters and pumpkin-lovin' nerdlings alike! Everybody was in the pumpkin pool. A couple of times I even stood in line for a few minutes, only to realize that it wasn't even a line. What in the fuck is that? Just a bunch of people standing around near a line that's so bombarded by other lines that it's nothing short of a rabid zombie horde. There were lines everywhere man. People were getting felt up... warm, wet breath hit the back of necks... boobs were grazed... crotches were pressed upon unsuspecting

And did I mention totally hot babes? Well, there were some pretty hot babes there. One girl looked like Mary Jane's slightly thicker sister. She was wearing a hello kitty shirt and was by far the hottest chick at the place (I fell instantly in lust)... she was Gourd-gous! And there were quite a few ladies there in ultra-tight leather and pleather and spandex outfits as Bayonetta, Black Widow and Baroness. OK, they were all Black Widow. Or trying to be. Whatever. The point is they were hot, and babes too. There was also a guy in a low budget homemade old-school Captain America outfit that really looked the part, so well done on him. Oh, and the girl in the red cloak that works there was really jacking my lantern. If you know what I

Also, I don't know if there were really so many hipsters there, or if they were just dressed up that way for the costume party? Hey, is everyone utilizing Belgian Yeast in their beer now? I thought my tongue was playing tricks on me, but apparently not. I rinsed out my cup each time before getting my next beers, but I could still taste that Belgian Yeast! I thought I didn't clean the cup well enough, but in fact it was because nearly every beer I drank at the place has it in it. What gives? Anyways, I got there at 12:30, a half hour before the doors opened, and ended up being in the middle of a huge ass line down and around the block. The last half of my stay at the establishment, people weren't being allowed to enter until someone else left. So that sucks for them... I guess? But I read that you gotta go either early or late to these things so, yeah. Since I like to get my drinking out of the way early

Onto the hot babes beers:

1. The Bruery Autumn Maple - Belgian Style Brown Ale (2012)

Brewed by The Bruery, in Placentia, CA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 10% ABV

About: "Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this Autumn Seasonal is a different take on the “Pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Vanilla, Molasses, and Maple Syrup, and fermented with our traditional Belgian Yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening."

Thoughts: Autumn Maple. Alright. Oh, The Bruery. Sweet. This looks to be a  good beer to start with. Autumn Maple poured a thick and cloudy burnt orange color with a small white bubbly head.

It's a light smelling ale, toasty, very lightly spiced.... I'm getting loads of Belgian Yeast. There's a little bit of cinnamon lingering about, and a real subtle blend of spices. For a 10%, I expected more of a scent on this one, not one so mild.

It's very tasty. There's a harsh booze sting on the first sip, and I guess that's where that strength was. I'm really trying to get that maple syrup here, it's what I want to taste. Feel is about a medium  and it's a bit fizzy. There's a sticky quality to this beer, and I guess that's the maple syrup coming into play, but it's not really all too evident in the taste itself. I guess I should expect that by now though. However, the beer is very pleasant tasting, and has a classic type taste for the Autumn season. Gotta love those yams! And it's strong, which is always a plus.

2. Hill Farmstead Autumn Saison - Belgian Farmhouse Ale  (2012?)
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery, in Greensboro, VT. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About: "Shaun Hill's 1'st Pumpkin Beer, brewed in collaboration with Jackie O's Brewing Co. and Grassroots Brewing after years of goading from Will Myers. A simple malt bill provides an orange hue. Ben's Pumpkins from Snug Valley Farm provided the requisite squash. The goal: A complex Belgian style pumpkin ale with little to no spicing."

Thoughts: This beer is a very light orange color, especially light compared to the rest actually, but it's still a pretty orange. Kinda murky too. The head was tiny and not condensed at all.

There's a lot of malt in the scent, and it's very straightforward. An underlying Belgian yeast comes up from the back, but overall everything here seems pretty light.

The taste is pretty damn sour. It's very mushy tasting. It gets slightly peppery once that yeast kicks in, and once all the flavors mingle together the beer gets more of a fruity tone about it. Still pretty sour though.

Mouth is light and that sour tone brings on the puckering.

3. Stewart's Brewing Mischief Night - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Stewart's Brewing Company, in Bear, DE. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 1 Ticket / 5.5% ABV

About:  "Many innocent pumpkins met a gruesome fate so that you sadistic people could have your annual spiced treat. We hope you're happy! Straight from the mind of the ‘Beer Admiral’ himself. Head Brewer Rick Hoffman presents a ‘traditional’ spiced pumpkin ale. Rick added over 10 lbs of pumpkin per barrel. Brewed with a touch of Maize for softness, and to fit the harvest spirit. Spiced with a custom blend of whole botanicals including Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves and Nutmeg."

Thoughts: Mischief Night. What a cool name huh? This one poured a reddish-orange with a minimal haze to it. One of the filtered offering of the venue perhaps. The head was pretty frothy, yet faded quickly.

This beer smells really sweet. Kind of like spiced apples, or strawberry syrup! Really cool.

The taste is unique. It's rich and malty, but with a weird kind of tang to it. Not bad at all. It's sweet, spicy and has a a mild sourness to it that creeps up on you.

It's pretty frothy. I'm sure the corn brings it back from being a total malt bomb, but the more you sip this one the sweeter it gets. Is that cloying sweetness? It's a very interesting brew, that's for sure.

4. Elysian Headless Horsey - Pumpkin Brett Beer (2011/2012?)

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Company, in Seattle, WA. USA.

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 6.7% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 2 PM!

About: "100% Brettanomyces-fermented Pumpkin Ale brewed with Pale and Wheat malts and unmalted wheat. With some time to age, it has become more of an elegant thoroughbred than drayhorse. The inspiration for this beer? They thought of the name first, and knew they had to brew it." What the hell kind of description is that?

Thoughts: Headless Horsey poured a super cloudy auburn orange hue with no head whatsoever, which was weird.

And speaking of weird, this one smells weird as shit too! It's very tart, kinda like pineapple juice. Pineapple juice... and funk. Yeah. Not incredibly pleasant.

The taste is a sour pineapple hit to the mouth. Whew! This is a strange ass beer, man. I'm not really diggin' it all too much. And by the looks of things, the people that just got this brew before me aren't really into it either. There's a lot of strange WTF faces around and some not too flattering banter on this one.

This is the funkiest one so far. Like watered down juice with a double extra tart thrown in, and a touch of funk.

5. Cambridge Brewing Valley Ghoul - Scotch Ale with Pumpkin and Heather Flowers (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 8.5% ABV

About: "2011 Strong Scotch Ale with Pumpkins and local barley. Our Valley Girl series of local-ingredient-beers gets ghoulish with barley grown and malted in MA from our Valley Malt BSA. Super rich malt character presides over Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Molasses, and Heather Flowers in the finish. Subtle, like a swift kick in the kilt. Adding pumpkins was a seasonal no-brainer, and a last-minute addition of heather flowers contributes subtle, delicate floral notes to this robust, malty beer. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!"

Thoughts: Valley Ghoul poured a dark and gloomy raspberry red / orangy brown color and was very hazy. The head was small due to the pour but lasted a long while.

This smells Awesome! Wait, what the hell... bubblegum just came rushing in. Oh, and loads of booze! It's flowery, and well, just an insane mix of things going on. This is like a Bride of Frankenbeer.

The taste is hard caramel, molasses, and literally tons of brown sugar. This is some serious malt. It's intense. Very sweet, a little peppery, and then those Heather Flowers come in again and it's bubblegum booze.

There's a bit too much bubblegum for my liking, but I did enjoy the hell out of this one while it lasted. And I'm sure there's a market for a beer like this. A weird market.

6. Cambridge Brewing Kraftwerk - Belgian Tripel brewed with Pumpkins and Aged in White Wine Barrels (2011)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.75% ABV

About: "Kraftwerk is brewed in the style of a Belgian strong ale known as Tripel, but to it we have added hundreds of pounds of pumpkin, along with a very subtle addition of assorted autumnal spices. After a very warm fermentation with our house Belgian ale yeast, Kraftwerk was sent to the CBC Barrel Cellar to age for several months in Sauvignon Blanc barrels where the beer transmogrified into a striking beverage like no other. The result is a classic version of a traditional Tripel, with subtle pumpkin flavors, and notes of oak and a white wine-like finish. The combination of esters from fermentation, barrel aging, and lingering wine character has created a beer with crazy fruitiness, a super dry and sparkling body, and a grape/stone fruit/tropical finish. Simply unlike any pumpkin beer you've ever had."

Thoughts: Werk poured a lighter yellowy orange color with a fluffed white top. The beer is of course quite hazy.

Scent is on the lighter side of things, but really interesting and inviting. It's fruity, and you get a big presence of that white wine. It's pretty cool. Smells a bit like fruit cocktail after a while. Nice.

This tastes excellent! You really get that mix of the oak and white wine straight away. There's a lot of ripe pear, mild squash, and a ton of fruitiness. The spices have all but been lost in the mix, and you wouldn't immediately think of this as a "pumpkin beer", but that flavor is still inherent to the beer. Only muted. Overall though this is a really interesting beer, it has some intriguing layers of taste and it's just "delightful".

7. Cambridge Brewing Fire and Brimstone - Cask-conditioned Ale with Chipotle Peppers and Cacao Nibs (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 6.66% ABV

About: "S.A.T.D cask-conditioned with Ancho, Chipotle, and Habanero Peppers, plus Cinnamon Sticks, Cacao Nibs, and Dried Pumpkin Flakes. Rich, chocolaty, smokey and maybe a little hot. You have no one but yourself to blame!"

Thoughts: Yeah, I suppose after that I may as well hit up the beer with the Habaneros in it. Why the hell not wreck the palate after that whimsical brew above.

This beer is dark. It smells harsh. There's tons of chilies in this. A smile, comes to my face.

That's hot. Not only is this beer just spicy as all hell on the first gulp, but it's got a creeper quality about it too, because halfway through that burn is just rushing in and doesn't let up. There's a nice mingling of flavors going on here. The chocolate really takes a backseat to the peppery flavor and the smoke, and for that I am thankful.

Fire and Brimstone is super tasty, has a slight tartness to it, is rich, malty and brings the heat. Did I taste the dried pumpkin flakes? Nah... but whatever.

8. Elysian The Gourdfather - Pumpkin Barleywine (2012)

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 11.2% ABV

About: "The Gourdfather is a Pumpkin Barleywine you can’t refuse, mellowing with age but still reminding you who’s boss. A veritable pushcart of malt bill brings Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Cara-vienne, C-15 Crystal and Pumpkin Seeds up against a rival neighborhood armed with Magnum hops. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Thoughts: Gourdfather poured an auburn red, honey like color with a foamy white head atop.

This smells like red wine. Ah, memories. There's a super strong barley flow to this one, but at the same time the hops and seeds give off this weird otherworldly type scent to it. It smells slightly acidic and maybe a little bitter. It's pretty cool.

The taste is unexpectedly more sweet than I had expected. It was a bit of a shock. There's not much of that red wine vibe in the taste, but rather a booming slam from those malts. It's slightly tart, there's a heavy dose of dark fruit, plums especially, and a lot of sweetness. After a while some caramel notes start to come out and it gets a little twang from that fruitiness and the hops.

Despite being so heavy and rich, this is some easy drinking.

9. Iron Hill Ichabod - Imperial Pumpkin Ale (2012)

Brewed by Iron Hill Brewery, in West Chester, PA. USA.

4 fl. oz. / 2 Tickets / 9.5% ABV

About: "This extra strong spicy Belgian Pumpkin Ale is truly a beer from the farm. It is unfiltered with a beautiful burnt orange color. Ichabod’s nose is filled with flavors of the harvest including Clove, Allspice, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. The palette is sweet with hints of Roasted Pumpkin, and Caramel. There is a warming finish that is both fruity and aromatic. Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel were added right to the mash. Drink enough and you’ll lose your head too!"

Thoughts: This beer poured a semi-dark auburn haze that's blood orange in color. The head was extremely minimal.

I'm picking up scents of light bubblegum (again!?), toasty malt, a little bit of booze. The spices are light, and aside from that roasted tone to it, it seems pretty mild.

Well, it tastes a bit rubbery. It's malty and the spices are indeed light. Not really too interesting of a beer. It's kind of got this burnt embers mixed with old He-Man toys going on. I've tasted beers with similar problems, and this one isn't too offensive in that area, but it's there. This beer is very boozy, but it's also pretty meh.

Mouth on this one is slightly drying, but I have been ingesting good dose of cinnamon throughout the day. Not to mention that oak. But the drying is just starting to hit after this one particularly so take that into consideration.

10. Stewart's Brewing Gourdzilla - Pumpkin Ale (2012)

8 fl. oz. / 4 Tickets / 8.666% ABV / SPECIAL TAPPING: 4 PM!

About: "This Monstrous Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Radioactive Pumpkins grown at a secret location in the South Pacific, and fermented with Genetically Modified yeast. Gourdzilla is sure to please even the most finicky pumpkin zombies, and still have time to lay waste to Tokyo in its spare time."

Thoughts: Radioactive Pumpkins huh?

Gourdzilla poured a honey gold with orange tones, and featured a frothy light beige head on top. This one's got the biggest head out of all the beers so far. Huh. Must be that "Genetically Modified Yeast"!

The smell starts off with a "traditional" Imperial Pumpkin Ale style scent, which is promising since none of the other beers so far have had this. Spices are present, but a little light, and I can actually smell the water in this one. It's nice.

The taste is very peppery up front. This one isn't too sweet, not too bitter, and while the taste is rich and savory, it feels a little light. There's no kick to this beer, and that's a bit unfortunate. It's the closest thing to tasting pumpkin out of this lineup though, and it's still pretty good.

I guess everything in some way will always be compared to Pumking. If this one had a longer linger to it and a spicier kick, it could very well compete.

11. Cambridge Brewing Grey Ghost - Belgain-Style Double White Ale with Grey Ghost Pumpkins (2012)

12 fl. oz. / 3 Tickets / 6.75% ABV

About: "300 pounds of Grey Ghost heirloom pumpkins from Sylvan Nursery flavor this strong version of a traditional Belgian White Ale, along with Orange Peel, Coriander, and Grains of Paradise. Freshly chopped and shredded, the pumpkin is added to a mash of Pilsner and wheat malt, raw wheat, and flaked oats and fermented with our house Belgian yeast."

Thoughts: Ghost poured a light gold, yellowy orange color. It's slightly hazy and the white head left a ring around the top of the brew for a long while.

The scent is sweet and tart, and of course that Belgian yeast is making an appearance. There's some mild zest and a gentle flow of spice to this one.

The taste, just like the last beer and many other pumpkin beers, is peppery at first. This one has got a heavy taste to it though from that mash. It's also very fruity on the tongue... that orange peel really brings some nice citrusy tones to the brew, and there's almost like a lemon lime thing going on. The wheat and grey ghost pumpkins really blend well and I think adding coriander was a nice choice.

It's slightly watery, and goes down smooth. 

To me, most of these beers are more of an experiment in brewing rather than what's normally classified as a "Pumpkin Ale". These are like "Ale with Pumpkin in it" instead. Of course, I didn't try anything that I have already tasted before when I went to this event. They had Pumking, DFH Punkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin, Heavy Seas and a slew of others. I forgot to try Wormtown's offerings, but I'm not going to cry over it. What I really wanted to try was the Ultra-Rare Allagash Ghoulschip (a Barrel Aged Sour Pumpkin Ale brewed on Halloween night 2008 and aged in oak!), but they were tapping that at 8 PM and I wasn't going to stay that long. They tapped the Avery Rumpkin about forty-five minutes after I left as well, but I just drank that a few days ago.

I had a real mellow time at this extremely festive event. The overly large Pumpkin Ravioli was a really sweet and good tasting dish, though I should have saved some cash and ate a Sausage with Pumpkin Mustard outside. And it would have been a lot more comfortable it I wasn't rushed off of my table, but they've got time limits set up so I don't really give a fuck. Plus it was hot in there. It was just the hovering that bugged me. I also would have liked the Pint Glass to have the pumpkin design from their previous logo above. It looks a lot more sinister with that jagged mouth. Will I ever go to another one of these? Probably. Will I do reviews? Not sure. I would of loved to have drank tons of Pumking on tap and chased it with Rumpkin, but hey, I like trying the new shit. Maybe next time. Hopefully there will be more Totally Hot Babes for me to

Mixing Brews #1

Harpoon Leviathan Barleywine Style Ale "VS" Stone OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale (2011/12)

WHAT'S GOIN' ON: Harpoon's Leviathan Barleywine Style Ale ($2.95) is an "English Barleywine" with a 10% ABV, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts... This vague as all hell interpretation of an English style ale features "a distinct malt backbone balanced by a unique blend of hops." She's keeping the mystery with her for a more interesting encounter perhaps. But what's this? Enter the self-proclaimed "Aggressive Bitch-Slappin" (not an exact quote) brew that throws "sex appeal" out the window and goes straight for the jugular! That time of the month other jugular, that is. Har har. Stone's OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale ($3.55) is an "American Strong Ale" coming out of Escondido, California with an ABV of 7.2%, and features a true... Rapist's wit.

HOW IT WENT DOWN: These two beers formed to create a copper toned brew that is grainy as all fuck! During the pours its yellowish eggshell khaki colored head was growing all over the place. As I hold this big ass mug up to the light and above for a toast, I know that the shit has indeed, just got real.

The scent of this combination is utterly sweet and toasty... like fruity syrup dripping on heated wood, sizzling and wet. An abundance of barley malt come through first, and while the malt dominates for the most part, the hops appear to be crackling in the distance, like embers in a bonfire.

Though the taste goes through several small phases, it is bittersweet all around from beginning to end. But a very sweet bittersweet nonetheless. No sour or foul notes to be had. The two beers play off of each other, and seemingly duel it out on the taste buds at first. Try as it may, the candy like sweetness from the Leviathan becomes engulfed and injected upon by the grassy hops and oak chips from the Arrogant Bastard. It all blends together quite well however and in the end doesn't seem that these two brews are very far apart. As it warms more of the hops get their chance to shine through, and eventually leave this concoction with a medicinal taste almost like cough syrup.

The mouth feel is light, thin and frothy. It's a little bit sticky feeling, and coats evenly.

This merging of brews taste quite pleasant, if a bit underwhelming. Oak aging sometimes compromises a brews natural integrity, for better or worse, but it's always an entirely different monster. From what I've noticed in my limited experience with oak aged beers, it that the original formulas become a lot more mellowed out and subdued. Subdued... yet flavorful, interesting, and unique. This mix is far from a striking blow, but is still some quality stuff. I'd take it over NyQuil any day... wait a minute ...that gives me an idea.

Berkshire Raspberry Barleywine Style Ale

Berkshire Brewing Raspberry Barleywine Style Ale (2012)

Seasonal Release (February)

22 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 9% ABV

About: "This special ale is inviting with its ruby hued appearance from the generous use of half a pound per gallon of fresh raspberries from a local farm only a few miles from the brewery.  Luscious malts and a balanced hop bitterness support the rich sweet/tart character of the fruit.  This brew is dangerously drinkable, challenging the notion of what a “fruit beer” is. Available each year in February, in time for Valentine’s Day." Awwww...

Thoughts: True to its name, this brew poured a raspberry red color straight out of the bottle. Got some pretty good head retention. This beer is has a slight cloudiness to it. 

This smells great. Very sweet, those raspberries come out on top and there's almost like a silky malt flow in the undercurrent. I myself am a bit perplexed as to why my brain went to silky as a way to describe a scent, but it just smells silky smooth. It smells sweet, but not overly sweet and there's a little bit of booze lurking in the shadows. Not getting any hops in the nose.

Taste starts off beautiful with a rich malty tenderness mixed with those sweet raspberries. Very light orange-zest citrus hops come out in the flavor around the middle, and in the end there's a tingling tartness that gently flows in then out. Savor, gulp and repeat. After a while the alcohol brings forth a fog in the mouth that lasts between each sip or chug. The booze seems well hidden, but it's a creeper, slowly wedging its way into the flavors. A gentle bitterness to this beer, I'm going to say, really helps it out from being one of those disgustingly sweet and vomitory semi-brews. This is true Ale, through and through, and it's pretty damn good too.

Mouth feel, and very important, this feels like Beer! It's a bit frothy, medium to heavy, good carbonation, and filling. It doesn't really coat the mouth much in terms of anything sticky, which one may consider with a fruit beer or barleywine/strong ale, but the taste stays long after it's been swallowed.

Alright, poured the rest of the bottle in and now it's a little bit grainy and hazy as all fuck. Berkshire of course produces unfiltered and unpasteurized brews that allow the yeast to remain in the bottle... so always expect a treat when that second glass is in front of you. This beer isn't really complex at all, but I have no problem with the way it presents itself. Especially for a fruit beer, since they're apparently so easy to fuck up.

At the end of the bottle now and it's a bit warm and still tastes good, but it's far better when it's cold. If you're one of those people who think all fruit beers are absolute shite, I'm going to tell you that this one has a 50/50 chance of you enjoying it, and those are the best possible odds in this imaginary scenario. If you give fruit beers a try from time to time and a lot of them suck, which they will, then this one will not. You can trust me. I'm a professional. Though Valentine's Day has far since passed, you can still buy your girl a bottle of this, smash it over her head and say "I love you... when you're unconscious."

Stone Old Guardian BELGO

Stone Old Guardian BELGO - Barley Wine Style Ale (2011)

Odd Year Release (Special Limited Version)
22 fl. oz. / $7.19 USD / 12% ABV

About: "Ingredients: Tons and tons of Barley, bountiful Hops, Water and Belgian Yeast. When our illustrious brewing team spiked a few barrels of the Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine with our Belgian yeast strain last year, we absolutely loved it. So much, in fact, that we knew we needed an excuse to make more. So, in our unending quest to constantly challenge the status quo (even our own), we came up with Odd Beers for Odd Years, a program to release odd beers – e.g. Stone Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine – in odd years (2011, 2013, 2015…). It was met with a bit of resistance (to say the least) since we weren’t originally offering the traditional Old Guardian alongside it, but we’ve mended our ways and decided to make both. You’re welcome."

Thoughts: Old Guardian BELGO poured a very beautiful, deep and rich orange-red with a two-finger cream colored head that was full of small bubbles and topped with a layer of froth. The brew is pretty hazy with a lot of carbonation bubbles rising up, and about a galaxy worth of tiny particle flakes floating about.

It's been a while since I smelled something like this. I'm really looking forward to drinking it! It's got that classic strong barleywine scent... it smells dangerously sweet, a little bit spiced, there's essence of dark fruits, and of course that gnarly barley. The Belgian yeast doesn't present itself at first, but instead lingers towards the back and hides out. I wonder how it will present itself in the taste. Let's see.

The taste hits hard and strong with a jab of intense and cloudy booze sting, slowly calms into a peppery tone from the hops and then, out of nowhere, after the swallow there's this really nice fruity burst that erupts. I didn't expect that but it kind of made me feel giggly. Aftertaste after the first few gulps is a very, very light dust of grass. As I keep on drinking that immediate sweetness is still there and the taste is pretty damn good. One third of the way through and as I stop to take short pauses, the taste of that Belgian yeast starts to slowly creep in and intensify with each gulp. Interesting. I couldn't smell it or taste it at first, but I guess its characteristics are so embedded in this strange way that it grows and expands.

Mouth feel is pretty thick. It's really syrupy and coating. This is an interesting barleywine. I believe that it's the first that I've ever had with Belgian yeast. It's a solid brew, but it is however, a strange one. That being said, the yeast is pretty mellow and luckily doesn't overpower the rest of the taste. It's background for the most part and later after warming, even though it becomes more apparent, it still lays low and that sweetness always shines the brightest. That, and the booze! I forgot that this was 12% until half way through when I looked at the bottle again. I'll be searching out everything Barleywine to find the best out there, I think I owe it to myself. Can Southern Tier Backburner ever be topped? Will I ever stop thinking about Berkshire's Holidale? Guess I'll find out, someday. There's really nothing I didn't like about this one though. It suits me well. Guess I'm becoming more accustomed to that Belgian yeast.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA - The Imperial India Pale Ale (2012)

Occasional Rarity (Limited)

12 fl. oz. / $9.99 USD / 15-20% ABV

About: "Too extreme to be called beer? 120 Minute IPA is brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops! Clocking in at 15-20% ABV and 120 IBUs, 120 Minute is by far the biggest IPA ever brewed! It's easy to see why we call this beer THE HOLY GRAIL for hopheads! We brew 120 Minute IPA a few times a year, but it goes fast. If you find some grab a few bottles -- some to enjoy and some to age."

Thoughts: 120 Minute poured very hazy orange color with an off-white sliver of a head that faded rather quickly. As I hold the beer up to the light, I notice that this beer is grainy as The Gates of Hell. 

I don't think I've ever smelt anything this good... well, besides my fingers on the way home from my first date. The scent is complete and total sweetness, with an apparent and strong warning of alcohol fumes coming up from behind. It smells dangerous. Dangerously good that is!

Hot damn, this is some strong shit. Not only does it immediately warm, and leave a sting of agonizingly blissful poison, but it's just beautiful and sweet. I don't think I've ever had anything this strong that tasted this good. I think I'm in lust again. It tastes of incredibly beyond-sweet caramel at first, and just as those hops start to come through the looming shadow of booze darkens the palate before all the flavors at once mingle together. It gets very peppery.

The mouth feel is like........... Rock Candy!

To me, 120 Minute tastes like a barleywine (I see what you did there!), and I like that. I like that a fucking lot, actually. It's not uber hoppy as I had expected. Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot is a hell of a lot hoppier than this. In fact, the strong alcohol holds precedence over the other flavors while cold with its buzzing, cloudy haze. As it warms and you've been into it a bit, the alcohol blast dies down a it makes it even more of a wondrous experience. This beer is blended superbly, and those hops get a real time to shine and come through at the end of it all. They're still not over the top hop strong, but it doesn't matter as nothing fucks this beer up. Would I buy another bottle of this? Hell yeah I would.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale (2012)

Limited Selection (Winter)

12 fl. oz. (x6) / $13.99 USD / 9.6% ABV

About: "Our award-winning barleywine boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color. Its big maltiness is superbly balanced by a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness. Yeast: Ale Yeast. Bittering Hops: Chinook. Finishing Hops: Cascade and Centennial. Dry Hopping: Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. Malts: Two-row Pale and English Caramel."

Thoughts: Bigfoot and Jason hangin' in the woods together? Seems plausible. Bigfoot poured a deep amber orange out of the bottle, a beautiful color, with a huge puffy one-and-a-half finger bone-white head that wasn't so eager to retreat back into the woods. Once the head died down it left little clumps that I lapped up just for fun.

Smells of beautiful hops at first whiff. It smells like candy to me. It's very reminiscent of their classic Sierra Nevada scent, only seemingly candy coated. There's a hint of caramel in there, but it's laying low.

The taste is quite simply put, Incredible. The sweetness hit me first with a zing and afterwards a warm yeasty bread taste slowly expanded. During the swallow I got a little bit of citrus, and afterwards, a mildly intense hop bitterness stuck on the back of my tongue.

Mouth feel is thick and coating.

Compared to some of the other (and my favorite) barleywine(s), this one is a really hop heavy. Not that that's a bad thing of course! I love it, and it's always great to have options when it comes to my favorite style. This isn't my absolute favorite barleywine, but man is it good. When I started doing these beer reviews it was great fun, but it's beers like this which make me wish I could have reviewed a few of them years ago since the tastes are ever changing. It's great going back and trying these beers again from Sierra Nevada. I used to buy them on a semi-regular basis many years ago and don't know why I've been depriving myself lately. No more.