Brooklyn Black Ops 09, 10, 11

Finally opened my oldest beer.  It turns out that this beer ages very well indeed.  We opened the ‘09 and ‘11, forgoing the ‘10 because we had been to Tap & Mallet just before coming back home to try this.

I’ve pretty much stopped with barrel-aged beers, but this is one I have absolutely no problem with.  It’s definitely a bit stronger, and you get a bit of the alcohol heat, but it’s really nicely balanced and not at all in-your-face.  This is a great example of how to use barrel-aging to enhance a beer as opposed to creating a completely new beverage.

The ‘09 just tasted more rounded.  Kind of like how salsa gets better overnight when all of the flavors meld.  ‘11 was amazing too, of course, it’s just the the ‘09 was even yet more better still.

Ithaca Excelsior 13

Lone Peak IPA

Another Montana-only brewery, I believe.  This is a clearly-defined, light, crisp, easy-drinking IPA.  I could drink this all day.  If I lived in Montana.

Sometimes a beer says IPA and you can hardly taste the hops and there’s malty sugar all over the place.  This beer does it right.  Just hops, llots of them, and no noticeable sugary nonsense.

-Matt

Pretty Things: Baby Tree

What is it about gypsy brewers?  The Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project is killing it.  Solid, interesting beers with great design and back-stories.  This is a great quad with nice, balanced, not overpowering fruity notes and dark caramel.  Goes nicely with some homemade chocolate bark.

-Matt

Hoppin Frog Double IPA

I had to jump on this after the last few posts on Hoppin Frog.  What can I say, but that this is a lean, mean DIPA.  The hop choices, whatever they are, were right up my alley.  I really thoroughly enjoyed this and will pick up more of this brewer when I can.  

-Matt

Saranac Vanilla Stout

I can’t hate on Saranac.  I’ve been drinking it since college and it’s a solid brewery. They are constantly bringing new beers to market so there’s always something new to try.  This Vanilla Stout, while a bit on the sweet side, was very enjoyable.  The picture does not do the coq au vin justice, but this was a nice pairing.

-Matt

The Bashah collaboration from Stone and Brew Dog is a black belgian style double IPA with an interesting complexity up front and a smooth finish.

The Abita Vanilla Doubledog isn’t the kind of beer that stops you in your tracks, but it’s an enjoyable and drinkable beer. And unlike other beers that might be described like that, Doubledog has some flavor to it.

It’s a bit like a turbo dog with a bit of extra something. To my knowledge that’s just the vanilla, but there might be something else in there, a bit more of a roasted chocolate and toffee flavor.

Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Wife and I both thought this beer was a bit confused.  It has strong hops and strong malt, which sounds good, but overloads your tastebuds.  We tend towards the super-hoppy, with occasional forays into stouts and porters, so this attempt at a Belgian-style IPA sounded intriguing, but we were ultimately dissapointed.  I am not sure what was Belgian about it, maybe it was candi-sugar or maybe a Belgian yeast, but I don’t think either of those flavors complement a strong hops presence.

Ah well, it was a gift.  What’s that phrase about gift horses?

-Matt