Tis the saision...

I just love Saison or Farmhouse Ales. They taste fresh and natural and well, they are just plain delicious. Victory Helios Ale weighs in at 7.5% abv. It pours gold with a thick white head. Cloves, banana, and mild citrus aromas. Nice spice flavors from the first sip. Generous hoping gives it a decent citrus bite. Black pepper and cloves dominate the flavor profile, but don't overwhelm you. Needs a touch more carbonation and is a little bit one dimensional. Get's drier and drier with each sip yet it remains very drinkable with a lemon tartness that is perfect for summer. This would pair well with grilled fish or shrimp and certainly cheese. This is a nice American version of one of my favorite Belgian beer styles. I pretty much like everything coming out of Victory.

Pretty Things East India Porter...

6.% abv. Recipe first made on December 6th 1855 and revived by Ron Patterson. Pours a black-brown color with a huge whitish-tan head. Excellent fresh roasted coffee and leafy, earthy hops on the nose. First sip is all roasted malt initially, but floral hop flavors follow quickly. Incredible sticky lace even on the second pour. Awesome mouthfeel combines a heavy malt silkiness with an oily hop slickness. I could drink this beer all night long. Made with tons of malt, you can taste the astringency halfway through the bottle. I love how complex and balanced this beer is. Floral hops to roasted coffee notes to chocolate to a bit of citrus. Other flavors include anise, molasses, and caramel. Another fantastic beer from the folks at Pretty Things. Please keep the beers and the historical perspective coming.

Hops and malt and malt and hops and malt...

Here is a review of Anderson Valley Brewing Company Imperial IPA. This is a big beer. Not just big in your face hops, but a big balanced beer. That is a BBB in the world of TLA (three letter acronyms). Simply put, this beer is delicious. I would pair it up with some zesty cheese or spicy pulled pork or ribs. Anyway, here is the review:

8.7% abv. First made for the 20th anniversary of the brewery. Pours a deep and rich dark copper color with a big fluffy white head. Fresh cascade and centennial hop aroma with a fruity sweet smell to boot. Brewed with tons of malt to balance the hops that are added 20 times during the brewing process. This is all Imperial IPA, but it is very well balanced by all the malt. Sweet caramel backbone with flecks of honey and maybe even pineapple. Complex blending of flavors fade in and out. Spicy hop flavors build with each sip and add touches of pepper, pine, and herbs. More alcohol presence than expected, but this is a smooth and drinkable big beer. Bottle conditioning helps add to the complexity of this beer. Too bad this is a limited edition offering, I could get used to having this one around.

A mixed review of a mixed 12 pack of Breckenridge

As you might imagine, I buy a lot of new beers. These are generally hit or miss. You find some real gems and some real crap. When I see a mixed 12 pack from a new brewery I generally jump on it simply because it is more cost effective to sample their wares that way. A few weeks ago I picked up a mixed 12 pack from Breckenridge Brewery in Denver, CO. Here's what I found:

Lucky U IPA -

This was by farthe best of the lot. The bottle s

ays it is an homage to the Tivoli Brewery. It pours a rich orange color with citrus and floral hops on the nose. The first sip is orange zest and grapefruit. It is somewhat dry and acidic, but it has a refreshing hop bite. Sweet caramel malt balances this of well. A solid IPA.

Avalanche Amber Ale

4.4% abv. Pours dark amber. Clean malt aroma.

Some citrusy hops. Fruity notes including apricot and pear. Has an English ale finish. Made with an English yeast. A decent BBQ beer that is certainly sessionable.

Vanilla Porter -

An homage to the Tivoli Brewery. Pours a rich orange color. Citrus and floral hops on the nose. First sip is orange zest and grapefruit. Somewhat dry and acidic, but it has a refreshing hop bite. Sweet caramel malt balances this off well. A solid IPA.

Oatmeal Stout -

Pours pitch black. Sweet malt, coffee, and molasses on the nose. Lots of malt gives it a slight astringency. Sweet mocha flavor with a solid hop backing. Milk ch

ocolate and citrusy hops toward finish.

It is not just for breakfast anymore...

My thanks to my good friend Jeff for giving me a couple of bottles of this hard to find brew. 8.3% abv 60 IBUs. Pours a dark black color with a thin tan head. Smells like fresh coffee grounds. More coffee aroma than just about any beer I have ever sniffed. First sip is black coffee, 85% plus cacao chocolate bar, and the slightest tinge of citrusy hops. No real alcohol esters to speak of. Hop profile increases with each sip. Somewhat acidic with hop and big malt profile astringency toward finish. Sweet and then bitter and sweet and bitter. Slight warming in the belly after a couple of sips. This is a really interesting beer. It jumps from hops to sweet malt to something in between. Very dry at finish. Touches of anise, oak, sweet oatmeal, and more chocolate and maybe subtle berry flavors. If this is what coffee tastes like, I might just start drinking it. This is a truly great beer.

I don't drink coffee, but beers with coffee flavors...

I am one of the few people on the planet who have never had a cup of coffee. I grew up in a tea drinking household and never really had an interest in coffee. I do know that if I did drink coffee, I would probably take it black and very strong. Now beers with coffee flavors on the other hand, I absolutely love. I picked up a Troegs Brewery 12 pack recently and tried the Java Head Stout.

Here is my review:

7.5% abv. Pours black with a half inch tan head. Coffee and roasted nuts on the nose. Great espresso and dark chocolate flavor. Silky smooth mouthfeel with good carbonation. Slighest bit of tootsie roll. Some citrusy dry hops at finish. Excellent lace. Dark cocoa flavors similar to European sipping chocolate. Excessively drinkable. Finishes extremely well with a pleasant lingering chocolate flavor. I really like this one, especially as a dessert beer.

Murray Macumber's Abbey Ale Homebrew

I have to thank my good friend Phil for hooking me up with this one. Pours dark brown with a thick creamy tan head. Sweet bready aroma with hints of cloves and fig. Nice natural carbonation creates a good mouthfeel. Dark fruit, lemony citrus, and mild black pepper flavors. Some warming in the belly, but alcohol presence is nicely masked. Decent lace throughout. More and more citrusy hops as I make my way through the glass. This is an excellent abbey dubbel for a home brew. I am going to guess that it weighs in at about 8% abv. Hop and yeasty spice tingle on the back of the tongue. This would pair well with cheese, chocolate, or a mildly spiced meat dish. Very nice, Murray please keep beers like this one coming!