Dunerbrew Reveiw - 2013 Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout

Note:  With the 2015 release of the Woot Stout, there is chatter lately revolving around this beer.  If you happened to find it I hope you purchased a bottle or two, as indications are they are/were moving fast off the shelves.  The following review was written in July 2013 when the Woot Stout was initially released.  My friend Anti-Hero V and I decided to each write a review and publish each other's on their sites.  This is the review I wrote two years ago.

What is so special about Wil Wheaton?  And who is he anyway?  And why do any of us care?  And while we are at it, how did he get this gig, doing a collaboration beer with Stone Brewing?  And Farking?

Wheaton played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek, The Next Generation.  Oh, cool.  Yeah I remember now, we used to make fun of him, the whiny kid.  What was his purpose on the show again?  Wow, so a supporting role in a successful sci-fi TV show must make you worthy of brewing a beer.  Turns out he is more than this.  A big internet and social media nerd, he happens to be a homebrewer too.  Ah, the beer connection.  OK.  And I can identify somewhat with the whole social media nerd thing.  I prefer the term geek.

Farking?  The other leg of this tripod collaboration is Drew Curtis, the creator of fark.com.  OK.  I've heard of that site and visited it a few times, I think.  I've never heard of him and still don't know what is so special about Fark or Drew Curtis (that is his name, right?).  Oh, I could do some additional research, but I'm diving into this 13% ABV beer, and research now just seems like to much hard work.

Of course, without Stone Brewing, this beer wouldn't exist.  I wish I could grow my hair and a big beard like Greg Koch, but in all honesty I kinda liked his clean cut look better.  When did the hippy revolution rear it's ugly head in the 21st Century?  I love Stone's stuff, and their story is a great one.  (I love when hard work pays off in the form of success.)  I became excited about this beer only through more social media interaction.

I promise to get into the review...  If the difficulty in obtaining a beer is in direct proportion to the quality and taste of the beer, then this will be one of the best beers in the world (Westvleteren notwithstanding).  Last weekend, the local ABC Fine Wine and Spirits store said they had 4 cases that would go on sale Monday.  Great!  I showed up Monday...no they can't sell them until Thursday. OK.  I stopped by over lunch on Thursday, only to find out that the rumor was true.  It turns out, their cases went to some Mom-n-Pop store in a nearby rural county.  "No sir, this beer is a bit different than Bud Light."

So I called Total Wine.  They had them and would hold two for me.  Great!  I show up to the store on Friday, to find they didn't have them for me and were all sold out.  It turns out I inadvertently called the other store in town, another several miles away. (I blame Siri.)  Ugh.  Off I go to the other location, and like magic they had two bottles with my name on it.  This better be the best beer in the world.

And the beer?

It poured black with a tan leather looking head. (It was so special, I put the video of it on Instagram.)

A little banana on the nose.  Fairly nutty type aroma...perhaps the pecans.  It is quite inviting.

The beer is thick, malty, complex.  I sense raisins, and those other items associated with a dark heavy high alcohol Imperial Stouts.  There is a lot going on.  It is rather clean for a stout.  Alcohol taste is kept in check, and overall it is balanced for the style.  I don't taste the pecans much, or maybe some.  I think that tangy finish is due to the rye.  And the wheat gives some body.  Wheaton...wheat.  I guess it has to be that way.

As it warms, the finish becomes more interesting, with a lifting sensation of sorts.  It's good!  Typical of some of the better Imperial Stouts I've had.  The finish is a little odd, typical for the style.

I ask myself, if Wesley Crusher can make a good beer, how much better would the beer be that Jean-Luc Picard had a hand in?

Collaborations can become gimmicky, and this is a perfect example.  But dang it if they didn't put it out there and everyone was quick to jump on and buy it all up.  And I'm one of the suckers.

If nothing else in brewing, I've learned patience, and in 2-3 years when I pull out my second bottle of W00tstout for a bottle sharing, they will all look at me in amazement and we will all enjoy this beer with age.

STOP THE PRESSES!  My wife just brought me some peanut butter M&Ms.  "Try these then drink the beer."  She discovered an amazement.  WOW!!!  It's the crispiness of the candy coating.  Quite the pairing.  This is a great beer!  This is terrific beer!

We've now discovered the previously unknown secret of Wil Wheaton's success.  It can be found in a little candy which "melts in the mouth, not in the hands."

Darren U
07-27-2013
@galileosbane (Twitter and Instagram)
dunerbrew.com

Does anyone drink Altbier? I think I'll have a Tree Hugger.

I was pleased to see Terrapin Beer Co. win a Gold in the Great American Beer Festival, 2013 (GABF). Just one state away in Georgia, I consider them local.  Both myself and my wife enjoy their beers.  At this time, my wife would call Terrapin her favorite brewery.

Their Tree Hugger Ale won in the German-Style Altbier category.  Congrats to Terrapin!  Now what exactly is an Altbier again?  Like an alternative type ale?  Something between straight up Rock and Roll and Indie music?  Not the main stream, but Alternative.  Right?  (Ever notice the Alternative section on the music isle is one of the largest?  Hmm?)

I'm not sure I've had an Altbier.  Perhaps once (or twice) at the German restaurant, but most of those brews are lagers or wheat ales.  The style guidelines call it malty with little to no hop flavor or aroma.  A clean beer because of the highly attenuative yeast.  Sounds good, I guess. 

Big surprise here.... I was at the ABC store looking for beer.  And sure enough, with the other Terrapin beers, was a 6 pack of the Tree Hugger.  (Well actually a 5 pack, with a 6 pack behind it.  I guess someone wanted to try one without committing to the full pack.  I like to commit to the full pack.  Just sayin.)  So I arrange 6 to the pack and along with the Ten Fidy in the Growlers (nice huh?) went for the purchase.

So what?  It was good.  It was very nice.  Full of flavor.  A nice bitterness at the end.  A clean bitterness.  At 5.1% ABV, you could enjoy several of these during the game, or while mowing the lawn...or just about while doing anything.

Malt through and through, with perhaps a little caramel coming out.  Not sweet.  Well balanced.  Pours a nice deep amber color, with a nice slightly off white head.  This is a style I could get to know.

As beer geeks (Wouldn't it be fun to call ourselves "aficionados"?  Pinky finger out.) we tend to go to the extremes.  Double IPAs, Imperial Stouts, Pumpkin-guava-rosebud-chocolate-wheat-imperial-black-______ (Fill in the blank underlying style).  In all our excitement, we often miss out on the classic styles that are quite enjoyable.  Let me introduce again the Altbier.

Alt, in this sense, means old.  Not to be mistaken as aged, rather old as in brewed in the old style, with top fermenting ale yeasts.  Before lager yeasts took off in the area, ale yeast was used (and of course still widely used in many types of beer).  The alt style beer was in a sense the precursor to some of the more common German style lagers of today.  And even today, the name isn't truly reflective of the process.  As you will see, lager yeasts are used in two of the three sub-styles.

The BJCP Style Guideline (2008), Category 7: Amber Hybrid Beer has the following styles listed.  Northern German Altbier, California Common Beer, and Dusseldorf Altbier.  There are some slight differences in the three styles, and history is part of the differentiation (along with geography).  In short, I sum up the differences like this.  

• Northern German Altbier - Lager yeast used.  Traditional.  German malts and noble hops.
• California Common - Lager yeast used but brewed at higher ale temperatures.  American Northern Brewer hops are said to be used here.
• Dusseldolf Altbier - Ale yeast used.  Basically this style is geographically specific to Dusseldorf, like the ales brewed historically there.  Noble hops, primarily Spalt.

ABV in the 4-5 range.  IBUs surroung the 30 range.  My belief, after having just one of the Tree Hugger, is that it is most inline with the Dusseldorf Altbier.  It is, after all called an ale.  The others would really be considered lagers (or steam, but you can't call it that.  Thank Maytag.)  And the taste seemed to line up with the descriptions, although I can't tell you if it were Spalt hops of not.

My next brew will most likely be something I can call an Altbier.  Maybe I'll call it the Dumbledore Altbier.

The original review and the birth of a website - Palo Santo Marron

Today marks the 1st anniversary of this site, at least in a way.  It wasn't called Dunerbrew yet at the time, but the post on Sept 25th was the beginning of ongoing daily posts, all within the themes of craft beer and brewing.  I had poked around with blogs in the past, posting something here or there, but never with any real focus or consistency.  Then one day I awoke.  "I could blog about beer."  After all, I was obsessed with my new hobby still, and it was just around the 1 year anniversary of my first home brewed beer too.  After a year of homebrewing, I hadn't given up or lost enthusiasm for the hobby like with most of my other prior hobbies.  In fact, I maintained a growing fascination with it.  You could say I was "hopsessed."

Several hundred posts later, this site is still active, along with the Facebook Page, Instagram and Twitter accounts.  And now this site is entering into it's second year.  Sing the song and blow out the candles!

What will happen this year?  Where will this take us?

The unofficial kickoff to this site wasn't really even a blog posted here.  Rather, it was a review I wrote that was posted on a friend's blog, dailybeerreview.com.  There was something about that process which kick-started the creative juices, allowing for an ongoing dedicated effort to this blog, resulting in post after post.

And now, for the first time on this site (drum-roll please), here is that original review in it's entirety.

Palo Santo Marron

This afternoon, I decided to open up a Palo Santo Marron, by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, based in  Milton, DE.  I'll be honest, I'm halfway through and ready for a nap, but not because it's boring.  It is anything but boring.  The 12% ABV and the rich full flavor of this “brown ale” has slowed me down.  Hey, can you toss me a pillow please?

This is an intense beer.  Labeled as a brown ale, the Palo Santo Marron is much much more.   Deep brown to black in color with a creamy espresso-like head, this beer packs in the flavor, malty with a liqueur (maybe brandy) bite, and the woody flavor from aging.  This beer has a mellow mouth feel and the flavors linger on the tongue and lips.  The alcohol is concealed well in all the flavor.  You feel the alcohol quicker than you taste it. 

The label on the side brags about the 10,000 gallon wooden vessel created just for this beer, and tends to sum up this beer better than I could anyway.

The Palo Santo tree is found in South America (Paraguay), and Palo Santo is Spanish for holy tree.  A Google search will reveal photos of the not-so-impressive looking tree, but the flavor is good, and oak aging would be too mainstream for Dogfish.  Like other wood aged beers, the flavor is a definite part of the beer, dominant really only at the finish. 

This is a beer to drink slowly and enjoy.  On some weekend evenings, when I sit around the house tweeting while the TV or music are on in the background, I enjoy the Palo Santo Marron as the last beer.  And when it's complete I'm ready for a nice night of rest.

Darren U. (Galileo's Bane), Sept 23, 2012

Trooper - A Beer Review

If you were to mix a Bass with a Newcastle, you would have this beer.  What?

OK, if you were to mix Bass with Newcastle and dry hop it with Cascade, you would have this beer.

Blasphamy!!!  This is Iron Maiden's beer.  It's gotta rock!  It's gotta be special.  You can't say that about this beer!

Truth be told, it doesn't scream of "666 The Number of the Beast" like one would think an Iron Maiden beer would...or should. Give me a Double IPA, man!  Or an Imperial stout, with some sort of evil ingredient added.  You could call it Fear of the Dark.  A Metal beer should be something as intense as the music.

This beer is more akin to what those 50-something rockers would drink as they chill aboard their own Bowing 757, Ed Force One, cruising from country to country with rig in tow.  A group who has rocked the world for 35 some years and continue rock, and to develop as a band.  A band with tradition, complexity, a strong following, a legacy...  No better beer than a nice traditional British Ale, a real ale, would be suitable for this band at this stage.  Right?

Or is there a right answer?  It's not my beer.  It's their's.  And I'm the one who jumped at the chance to purchase a handful of the 1 pint .9oz bottles, at just $6.50 per.

At 4.8% ABV it seems like it would be a wimpy beer...more like a Justin Bieber Beer.  Wrong!  A lot of flavor.  Great aroma, from the late addition Cascade hops.  Nice traditional bitterness, in the British style.  The lower carbonation level gives is a true cask conditioned feel.  Smooth, tasty, fresh, with a dry finish.

It's not much darker in color than Bass, but with a rich maltiness that I believe surpasses Bass.  A sweet maltiness often found in Newcastle when on draft, yet with a similar dry English hop finish.  Perhaps it is limiting to this beer to compare with such mainstream beers.  Face it, those are traditional.  This beer was designed to celebrate that tradition.

I think it is awesome!  Love a good British ale.  Any band that flies their own airplane from concert to concert is pretty f&$%ing awesome!  I'm not going to say a bad thing about this beer!  I'm rather going to enjoy it much.  It is very nice after all.

Some New Wave of British Heavy Metal anyone?  One of my favorie Maiden songs.  This beer and this song seem go together well.

Guest Review - Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout

We have a guest reviewer today.  Meet Vinny, aka @AntiHeroV of antiherobrewing.wordpress.com.  A Twitter friend, he and I spoke about doing a joint review and posting on each other's blogs.  You may call it a collaborative effort.  The only thing we needed was the beer to review.  How about a collaborative beer?  And the Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout was selected.  Here is Vinny's review.

I'm pale, Irish and sweaty. I burn easily and become irritable when hot. Needless to say, I'm not the world's biggest fan of summer. And the month of July in the Northeast has been OPPRESSIVE (CAPS Lock necessary). Then out of nowhere we got hit it with a two-day cold snap. And it has been glorious. I wore a hoodie today; not because I needed to but because I wanted to.

In juxtaposition to my pigmentation, I like my beers like I like my women: thick, dark and aged in bourbon barrels. However, the sticky sweetness and high alcohol booziness of your average Imperial Stout does not lend itself to the summer months and temperatures. So I viewed it as serendipitous when this cold snap aligned with the debut of Stone's latest collaboration beer: Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout.

If you're not plugged into the Stone Hype Machine, this beer is a collaboration between Stone's founder Greg Koch, Fark.com founder Drew Curtis, and homebrewer/prolific geek Wil Wheaton. You might know Wil from possibly the only funny episode of the Big Bang Theory or as Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Or from Family Guy:

Anywho... as a guy who watches pro wrestling, plays MMORPGs, reads fantasy and sci-fi, and makes beer in his kitchen, I have appreciation for Wheaton's passion for all things geeky. And his staunch defense of the term "geek." But can this Triforce of geeks make a great beer?

From Stone:

From the most unlikely yet intensely imaginative trio that is actor and uber-geek champion Wil Wheaton, alternative news website Fark.com creator Drew Curtis and Stone CEO/Co-founder Greg Koch, comes an imperial stout unlike any ever made. Brewed with rye, wheat malt and pecans and partially aged in Bourbon whiskey barrels, this viscous yet silken brew erupts with an oaky, nutty bouquet and rich flavors of vanilla, toast and bitter chocolate. Enjoy now or cellar this celebration of nth degree passion and geekery applied most gracefully to the craft of brewing and collaboration-Drew Curtis/Wil Wheaton/Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout!
ABV: 13% IBUs: 65

Beer Advocate: 90, N/A
RateBeer: 99, 82
Untappd: 4.20

Appearance: Black as the midnight. Opaque as the... I don't know... lead paint I ate as a child. Look, it's black and you can't see through it, okay? A thin dark brown head of tiny bubbles. I had to pour pretty aggressively to get that much of it to stick around. Minimal to no lacing, which is to be expected with a huge beer like this.

Smell: Boozy solvency is definitely in there mixing with chocolate and coffee. A little bit of licorice-like smell that's not unpleasant (remember: I hate licorice). Brewmaster, Mitch Steele, says there's some "fruity fermentation esters" but I'm not catching much of those. I am getting a little hint of bourbon though.

Taste: Similar to the smell with the chocolate and coffee leading the way. I am getting more of the fruitiness in the taste; almost a cherry flavor? Definitely some boozy warmth to the taste and the bourbon-aged flavor of oaky vanilla. I'm thinking that fruity/cherry-type flavor I'm picking up might be the pecans. But I haven't had a pecan or a cherry in a long time. There is some sweetness on the backend that I would call "nutty," in the way that almond milk is sweet. I'm getting a bit hoppy bitterness at the end as this dries on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Thick and full-bodied with a lot of alcohol heat (13% ABV, remember?). Almost chewy, but not in a bad way. Silky and creamy, but substantial. This beer finishes dry. Definitely warming.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 5. Buy it.

The w00tstout carries a not-insubstantial price tag of $10, but this is a very solid beer. I'm reminded a lot of Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout as I drink it. I think I might buy another bottle and let that one age a bit and see if some of the flavors mellow and the complexity increases. This isn't a straight 5 out of 5 for me because of hefty booziness factor, that while not bad, is very forward. If you like hefty Imperial Stouts (as I do) you'll enjoy this beer. You might want to wait for a colder time of year, though, and let some aging take place.

Boatswain Double IPA

In the unfortunate case you missed it the other day, be sure to check out my review on the Daily Beer Review site.  Even if you didn't miss it, it is worth a second read.

All you have to do is click here -->  Boatswain Double IPA Twin Screw Steamer

And then read and enjoy.

RuinTen - another Dunerbrew Review

There is a predisposition in my mind telling me I'm going to like this beer.  I've anticipated the release and put a few bottles on hold at the local ABC Fine Wine and Spirits.  It's a 10.8% West Coast IPA.  And from a great brewery.  Of course, it must be the Stone RuinTen.  Available in the 22oz bomber bottles.

This was their special brew in 2012 for the 10th Anniversary of their Ruination IPA.  So well received, it has become a rerun, of sorts and they have brewed it again in 2013.

It pours a fairly clear golden color, like most of the Imperial IPAs.  A 1.5" head formed as I poured it into the IPA Glass.  (I love my IPA Glass, thanks to friend Vinny with distributor S.R. Perrott.  He'll say I earned it.  I'll say, "if you don't ask you will never receive.")

Aroma is strong.  Almost an odor of wet dishcloth...yeah, do you sense it too?  Bet they didn't anticipate that one!  I had to smell the side of the glass to make sure I dried it with a good towel...not a smelly one.  I think it is just the hops...of course it's the hops.  There are a ton of them in this beer.  When it hits your lips, it is instant love.  Lip licking hoppy goodness is here.  Bright.  Brilliant.  Hop flavor is off the chart.  A smooth mouthfeel, with a warming finish.  Excellent!  Oh, give me another sip!

The aroma remains tough, almost chewy, and then after awhile it does mellow out some.  But once you sip it's like liquid gold.  Intense, delicious, piney.  The finish is just right.  A slight lift on the palette and then you want to lick your lips.  (Yes, this paragraph almost a paraphrase of the previous.  That's OK though, there are plenty of literary examples of such style.  Right?)
 
Let's see, how does this compare to other Imperial IPAs of similar stature?  Hopslam from Bell's Brewing is sweeter.  This carries a bit more pungency to it.  The Hoptimum by Sierra Nevada is another favorite, but more tame than this one.  Hoptimum is maybe more balanced.

Nice clarity after it warms up a little.  Good lacing on the glass, and during the time of this initial writing I've aquired 9 Instagram Hearts already...oops, 10 now.  Yeah, they love my photo.

And what I love most about the beers in the bombers, is that at the end of the first glass there is still another waiting for me.

Of course I'm drinking this bottle, and I still have one to age.  It would be interesting to see how it ages.  Or, perhaps I aught to just drink it fresh.  After all, it's very good.

And perhaps I'm not such a bad reviewer after all, eh?  Go find this beer while you can!

2XIPA from Southern Tier Brewing - a review

Maybe the problem I have with beer reviews is that I tell myself I'm not good at beer reviews.  I can't pick out the difference from grapefruit to that other normal citrus.  Bubble gum and banana and cloves, or it is nutmeg?  While I try to pretend I know my hops (or at least learning), I can't with any certainty declare this or that hop just by tasting a beer.  How do the others do it?  Or do they just state things with authority and hope that others will go along with the plan?  Hmm.  Perhaps a little of both.

So, now that it's clear I'm no good at this, or at best just spouting off a bunch of impressive sounding bunk... here is my take on the 2XIPA, from Southern Tier Brewing.  Southern Tier... must be from the south, right?  ...or is it New York State.

Heavy Aroma.  Not flowery or overly pleasant.  It has a light golden color, with great clarity.  A soft white head coats the top the whole way through.  Mouthfeel is OK...a little thin.

I get bitterness, but it's not overwhelming.  Decent flavor overall.  I am looking for more of that hop sweet balance though, which can be found in some of my favorite Imperial IPAs.  I would like more of a lingering finish too.  More dry hops, more late addition quantities please.

It's not a bitter bomb, but that sweetness that I like so much in an Imperial IPA is lacking somewhat.  I like the thought of stating 4 hops and 3 types of malt on the side of the bottle.  But which hops?  Which malts?  Inquiring geek minds want to know.

There are a lot of Double or Imperial IPAs out there, and while some are terrific, others just don't have that magical special something about them.  This is a good beer, but it is missing some of that magic.

I do really like the Southern Tier logo!  Check out more from this brewery.

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA - A rambling review by Dunerbew

I recently wrote about the importance of storing IPAs and drinking them fresh.  Changes in temperature and age can have unintended consequences to these highly hopped beers.  Check it out here for more information.

I can't remember if this Double Simcoe went to the tasting with me or came simply from the closet to the refrigerator. I can say it was still very drinkable... but not perfect.

This Double Simcoe IPA by Weyerbacher was probably better fresh.  A little oxidation combined with the Simcoe hops aroma is probably the reason why this hop has earned the "cat piss" moniker.

Let's back up!  The name of this beer... Quite profound, isn't it.?

We'll start in the middle... Simcoe. Simcoe is a hop variety, of American birth, Washington State, to be more precise.  It is important to establish that it is only Simcoe in this beer. Single hop. Most beers will utilize two,or more hops, to get the bitterness and flavor profiles from then as desired.  Each hop is unique and will have its own set of strengths and weaknesses. A single hop is nothing to be scared of.  Two Hearted Ale by Bell's Brewing has only Centennial hops. And I'm sure there are more. In fact Mikkeller puts our a whole series of single hop beers. It's a great way to learn the hops.

IPA... India Pale Ale. This is a classic style, derived from Great Britian.  It has more hops than a traditional Pale Ale or Bitter, and a higher IBU factor.  Typically IPAs have higher alcohol content as well, to help give balance. In all, they are balances toward the bitter... Some may say unbalanced.

Double... A term meaning bigger or "Imperial". More hops, more alcohol, bigger hoppier beer!  Yeah!

Crisp and bold in flavor. There is the strong hops presence through and through in this beer.  Nice aroma and is say pretty balanced from bitter to flavor and aroma. I tend to like the IPAs balanced, East Coast style.

The Simcoe hop has both high alpha acid content and high myrcene acids, lending to bittering and flavor/aroma respectively.  The aroma is described as "bothy fruity and an herbal piney earthy fragrance," as found on the Beer Legends site.  It's somewhat of a controversial hop.  Some beer geeks simply don't like it, calling it cat piss.  It is most likely a result of the high myrcene levels in this hop.  The aroma qualities are great, for better or for worse.

This one poured a burnt orange color and quite cloudy.  The off white head is reminiscent of the overly oxidized IPA I once brewed. Is the browning a sign if oxidation, like an apple turns brown after a few minutes?

I love the Imperial IPAs... I keep coming back to storage care.  With the IPAs, The answer is to cool them promptly, keep them cold and drink fresh.  I typically prefer to keep beer around for awhile to build and maintain a healthy variety of options. With the IPAs it important to simply enjoy the moment!  After all, who says you have a guarantee on life tomorrow?

The big takeaway:  I like the idea of an Imperial with a single hop.  It's a great way to discover the flavor and aromas of that particular hop. Commercially there is a fear alienating some customers, especially with Simcoe, of which many drinkers either have a love or hate relationship.

Hoptimum Review

Beer Drinker Rob has been gracious to post my nonsense every now and again on his website. Actually, there hasn't been a review I've submitted which he hasn't posted.  (He may have reservations about the next one however.)

I'll admit, I had reservations myself about submitting this one.  Instead of a thorough edit, I decided to let it remain close to its initial state.  Anyone can write something and make it sound intelligent.  And sometimes it's evident that people try to hard to sound intelligent.  What I like is when people are real.

Rob's style is conversational and down to earth, not overly verbose or technical. Real reviews for real people...which I like. I frequent his site dailybeerreview.com.

And now you should too, especially to read my latest review of the Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Comments are welcome.

Let's see what he has to say about the Sculpin

I've reviewed this beer as well, but there is something fun about wathching Chris with Beer Geek Nation review beers via video

It's almost like if you keep talking and saying impressive sounding things, you can effectively review a beer. (not to take anything away for Chris, whom I truly look up to.)

Check out my review here too. 

What are your thoughst on this beer?

Hopzilla - a review

It's like cough syrupy hop goodness. Hopzilla is a monster, thick malt flavor and tons of hops, bitter, flavor, and aroma. Well rounded hop extremities abound.

A fairly pungent hoppy aroma is followed by smooth bitterness, then finishes with nice lingering hop hop hop. You know you are drinking an Imperial IPA.

What you may not pick up on is that it is solely Maris Otter malt, which gives great character and a solid malt backing to the happiness (hoppiness).  (Unless of course you read the label.)

It's not overbearingly bitter and not too sweet. Has enough pop to slow you down as you drink, and it has enough going on to keep your interest.

Golden, light in carbonation, nice clarity.

Terrapin's Hopzilla fits well with the east coast Imperial IPA mold...well rounded hopping and not just a bitter hop bomb.  Living up to the namesake, and forgive me for yet another analogy, It's a rugby player to the football star of the 90 Minute IPA for sure.

And all the while I find myself singing, "Oh, no, they say he's got to go go go Hopzilla!"  After a few, I'd be singing very loud.  So I'll keep it to one for now.

Cheers!

Jose Marti America Porter - Beer Review

Surprisingly balanced. The Jose Marti American Porter from Cigar City Brewing boasts high hopping levels to give an IBU of 65... Much higher than one would expect from a porter. Yet this is called an American Porter. (In general the American title addition lends to an increased amount of hopping.  It's not the rule but seems to be the way things work.)

This beer pours deep brown in color with an ivory head.  Hops and  malt are in the aroma with hints of toffee and vanilla.  Dark malty goodness is present as to be expected...without too much sweetness. Hop bitterness helps cancel the sweet while maintaining balance. A lingering bitterness persists.  Mouthfeel is silky with a nice little bite at the finish.  There are some hints of chocolate in the flavor, dark chocolate.   It has a nice full dark malty flavor (not too roasty), like a porter should have.  It's pretty good.

And who is this Jose Marti guy?  Well, it seems a little Cuban history will give us the answer. In short, he
was an influential Cuban political activist, writer and poet around the time  Cuba gained independence from Spain in the late 19th century.  Fighting for independence and freedom, his life was eternalized by his words and deeds.  An additional remembrance for Jose Marti is to be found in this beer.

It comes in 4 packs.  If you see it, it's worth the purchase.

Hopzilla video review

I should really start to do my own videos, but until them...





BTW, this Double IPA will be featured in the upcoming Dunerbrew IPA Tasting.  (I haven't had it yet...waiting for the Tasting.)

Sculpin IPA Review

Did you miss it earlier? Yours truly was a Guest Reviewer this week on Dailybeerreview.com, which is a great site and resource for anyone looking to get information in a particular beer.  My friend Beer Drinker Rob has reviewed hundreds of beers over the years, and I'm pleased that he lets me give my two cents on occasion.

Check out my Ballast Point Sculpin IPA review here.

If nothing else, I'll call him interesting. Video Review

I found a review of one of the Mikkeller Single Hop Series beers on You Tube.  Which did I choose to post?  The Centennial, of course.



It continues to amaze me, the variety of personalities on You Tube.  I really need to set up the camera and do something.

Video Review (not mine), Two Hearted Ale

As strange as this guy may seem (in a good way), his passion, animation and enthusiasm for the beers make him effective.  In many ways I look up to him.  And this review is an old one of his... current beer review videos are up in the 500 count, I think. 

I did laugh when he called  7% ABV a Session Beer.  And I'm surprised he didn't mention the single Centennial hops in the Two Hearted Ale.

Check it out.



Don't ditch this blog for his, but you can find more at beergeeknation.com

This will be in included in the Imperial Stout Tasting

We're making arrangements to do our first ever official Dunerbrew Tasting Event.  This event will feature Imperial Stouts as the theme, as well as a few homebrews, hops to smell, and grains to taste (but more about that later).

For now, we have a video review of one of the stouts that is on the list.  Of Imperial Stouts, this is a fine specimen, and the fact that it comes in a can makes for interesting conversation too.



And for a teaser, another Imperial Stout on the schedule is Green Flash Double Stout Black Ale.

Dunerbrew Review: Hopslam

It's hyped, hard to get, and photographed & uploaded to Instagram by all who are either skilled enough or lucky to get their hands on one.  This is Hopslam, the seasonal Double (Imperial) Style IPA by Bell's Beers.

With all the hype, one question remains.  Is it good?  The perceived answer is "yes", of course, because it won't stay on the shelves.  And perhaps that is correct.

But I wasn't so sure initially.  I first had it at last year's Deland Craft Beer Festival, and I truly wasn't impressed.  It seemed almost too sweet...which seems strange for a high IBU style beer.  Beer festivals are great, with a lot of opportunities to try many beers.  At the same time, all the flavors can become confusing and often can counter balance one another.  Of course, it was here and gone last year, leaving me without the change to truly check this beer out.

This year too, I had the opportunity to try a Hopslam at the Deland Craft Beer Festival, and this time I rather enjoyed it.  Smooth to drink, clear, flavorful...all around nice.  I took my time drinking it as I casually walked around the festival area.  Of course, this was just with a 3 oz pour.  The opportunity subsequently presented itself to enjoy an entire bottle of this beer.  I truly enjoyed it. 

A nice white head, which lingers and laces the glass nicely.  A ton of hop aroma and flavor were present (as to be expected).  Sip slowly and savor every flavor.  It's a nice blend of bitterness, flavor and aroma.  And yet with 10% ABV, there remains malt enough to keep it rather balanced.  There is nothing boring about this beer.

Is it worth the hype?  Sure.  Why not?  One cool thing about beer (especially seasonal beers) is the anticipation of the release, followed by the thrill of the hunt, and then finally enjoying the spoils of a successful find.  Make the most of it after all.

Cheers!

I'll let others talk about this one... I'll just drink the Ruthless Rye

The 2013 Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye doesn't disappoint.  I could write about it, but would prefer to just drink it for now.   I can take a photo of it...  I did already.  It's a nice photo... which may make you thirsty.

A review?  Beer Drinker Rob reviewed this one last year.  Check it out.  If you ever want to try something new (and who doesn't) and want to do some preliminary homework, so you don't waste your money on a bad beer, be sure to check out Dailybeerreview.com, who has most likely reviewed it.  A good resource (and a free plug for the site).

And another?  Let's see what Chris with Beer Geek Nation has to say with his video review.



Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye.  Another seasonal beer to look forward to each year.