Eel River Brewing Company Raven's Eye Imperial Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Eel River Brewing Company Raven's Eye Imperial Stout.

From the Eel River Brewing Company website: “A rich, roasty brew with a deep espresso character, this Russian Imperial Stout is strong, yet incredibly smooth. Brewed for the Imperial Court in Russia, this style stout is a warm festive drink made with the cold Russian winters in mind.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown nearly black with a thin light tan head and very nice lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, coffee, molasses and the slight scent of vanilla.

Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, molasses, anise and a slight dark fruit flavor.

Overall: Creamy and well crafted, Eel River Brewing Company Raven's Eye Imperial Stout is delicious.  This 9.5% ABV offering is well worth a try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Avery Brewing Company - Russian River Brewing Company Collaboration Not Litigation Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Avery Brewing Company - Russian River Brewing Company Collaboration Not Litigation Ale.

From the Avery Brewing Company website: “Salvation. The name of two intricate Belgian-style ales, created by us, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing.

After becoming friends a few years ago, we realized we both had a Salvation in our lineups. Was it going to be a problem? Should one of us relinquish the name rights? “Hell, no!” we said. In fact, it was quickly decided that we should blend the brews to catch the best qualities of each and create an even more complex and rich libation. In April 2004, in a top secret meeting at Russian River Brewing (well, actually it was packed in the pub and many were looking over our shoulders wondering what the hell was going on), we came up with the perfect blend of the two Salvations.

Natalie, Vinnie’s much more significant other, exclaimed, “We should call this Collaboration, not Litigation Ale!” “Perfect,” we shouted! We celebrated deep into the night (or is that morning?). Fast forward to November 14, 2006. After talking about it for over two years, we finally decided to pull the trigger and Vinnie made the journey to Avery Brewing to brew his Salvation exactly as he does in his brewery.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours amber with an off-white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Belgian yeast, dark fruits, spice, caramelized Belgian candi sugar, slight clove, banana, biscuit and doughy scents.

Taste: Caramel, toffee, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, spice and slight flavors of vanilla and oak.

Overall: Sweet and tasty, Avery Brewing Company - Russian River Brewing Company Collaboration Not Litigation Ale is enjoyable.  This 8.9% ABV offering is worth a try for fans of both beers.  A nice collaboration!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Boulevard Brewing Company Irish Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Boulevard Brewing Company Irish Ale. I picked this bottle up at the brewery.

From the Boulevard Brewing Company website: “Irish Ale, Boulevard’s early spring seasonal beer, is our Midwestern tribute to the legendary red ales of old Ireland. Our recipe combines six kinds of pale and roasted barley malts to provide a rich, toasty flavor and tawny reddish hue.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a reddish amber color with a large off-white head and excellent lacing.

Aroma: Sweet and malty, bready, caramel, dark fruits, roasted barley, spice and citrus.

Taste: Roasted malts, sweet caramel, bready, dark fruits and a slight citrus and hop bitterness.

Overall: Smooth and creamy, Boulevard Brewing Company Irish Ale is delicious. This 5.8% ABV offering is a must try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Babe's Brewhouse 12th Anniversary Barley Wine Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Babe's Brewhouse 12th Anniversary Barley Wine Ale - Brewer's Reserve Series.

Commercial description: “This is a big malty beer! It was carefully brewed with seven different malts, then generously hopped with falcon, centennial, horizon and chinook hops. Not stopping there, it was aged on american oak, fermented with Belgian yeast. At 10% it is amazing now, and will age well as a keeper!”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark amber color with a nice tan head and great lacing.

Aroma: Caramel, toffee, roasted malts, dark fruit, Belgian yeast and oak.

Taste: Flavor follows the nose – sweet caramel, toffee, dark fruits, roasted malts, light oak and Belgian yeast notes.

Overall: Sweet and complex, Babe's Brewhouse 12th Anniversary Barley Wine Ale is extremely delicious.  This 10% ABV offering is smooth, extremely drinkable and is making me I had purchased more!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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North Coast Brewing Company Anniversary XXV Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is North Coast Brewing Company Anniversary XXV Ale - Belgian Inspired Session Ale.

From the North Coast Brewing Company website: “In anticipation of long nights of celebration with the many friends we’ve made over the last 25 years, the brewers of North Coast have created a Belgian inspired session beer designed to promote a festive mood while minimizing the consequences of overindulgence.

Brewed with pale malts and fermented with the same yeast strain used to make Le Merle, our Twenty-fifth Anniversary Ale is sharp and spritzy with a delicious flowery, spicy dry-hop aroma.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a bright, but slightly hazy straw color with a frothy white head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Clean and crisp, slightly sour, Belgian yeast, apple, pear, lemon, pale malts and grainy.

Taste: Sweet, bready malts and grains, Belgian yeast, mild citrus, pear, pepper, slight mineral and caramel notes.

Overall: Refreshing and light, North Coast Brewing Company Anniversary XXV Ale is delicious.  I’m very happy I got to pick this 4% ABV bottle up at the brewery when I was in Fort Bragg.  I wish I had picked up another bottle.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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21st Amendment San Leandro Facility Tour

Greetings friends,

This past Saturday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day) I had the opportunity get a sneak peak of the 21st Amendment Brewery’s $21 million production brewery in San Leandro (2010 Williams Street) with my wife and my littlest child (one month old and his first brewery tour…not bad).

My wife and I weren’t sure what to expect, but when we arrived there was beer, food and music.  This was the only SF Beer Week event I was able to attend this year and I am SO glad that I did!

It was incredible to get an early look at parts of the 95,000 (soon to encompass 148,348) square foot facility with all the shiny bright tanks and the 500 barrel fermenters. The initial brewing capacity is set at 100,000 barrels, but will be capable through expansion to produce 300,000 barrels. 

The tasting room, restaurant and a beer garden are to follow the brewery opening sometime early next year (I hope).  I learned that visitors will be able to do self-guided tours throughout the whole facility giving folks insight into the entire brewing process, which is an exciting concept.

The KHS 40 head canning line will produce 500 cans a minute! An incredible piece of equipment and one I look forward to seeing in operation.

As many of you know I’m a huge 21st Amendment Brewery fan.  Below are reviews I have done for many of their stellar offerings.  I’m looking forward to a lot of great local beer to imbibe!

Cheers Shaun O'Sullivan - good success to you, Nico and the team!

21st Amendment Brewery Brew Free Or Die IPA (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American Extra Pale Ale (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Hell or High Water Watermelon Wheat (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Sneak Attack Saison (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale (here)

21st Amendment Brewing Company Hop Crisis Imperial IPA (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Lower De Boom Barleywine Style Ale (here)

21st Amendment Brewery Monk's Blood Belgian Dark Ale (here)

21st Amendment Brewery and Elysian Brewing He Said Belgian-Style Tripel (here)

21st Amendment Brewery and Elysian Brewing Company He Said Baltic-Style Porter (here)

21st Amendment Brewery /Ninkasi Brewing Company Allies Win the War! Ale (here)

Mark Harvey

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Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vintage Ale Release No. 02

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vintage Ale Release No. 02 - A Rare Blend Of Barrel-Aged Ales. I picked this up at Santa Clara Liquors (here). If you get a chance, head in there and tell ‘em that Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you.  You’ll be glad you did – they have an incredible selection!

From the Speakeasy Ales & Lagers website: “Syndicate No. 02 is a blend of five strong ales matured between 15-28 months in various bourbon barrels. The foundation of the blend is comprised of three distinct imperial stouts: Black Hand Volume 1 (38% of blend) imparts a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, Scarface Imperial Stout (25% of blend) provides hints of espresso and bitter roast, and Two Minutes to Midnight (14% of blend), a brew reserved exclusively for barrel-aging, is rich with baker’s cocoa. The muscle of the blend, Old Godfather Barley Wine (20% of blend), adds an earthy tobacco and nutty maltiness. The last 3% of the Syndicate is finished with a wildcard—a dark, oak-forward experimental ale pulled from our vault.

The final brew is full-bodied and complex with notes of bitter cocoa, candied fruits, vanilla-infused creme brûlée, earthy tobacco, and a muted bourbon finish.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown, nearly black with slight reddish highlights, a tan head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Bourbon, caramel, toffee, vanilla, coconut, roasted malts, molasses, chocolate and a slight scent of espresso.

Taste: Chocolate, bourbon, toffee, vanilla, oak, coconut, caramel and roasted malts.

Overall: Full, rich and creamy, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vintage Ale Release No. 02 is delicious.  This 10.5% ABV offering is excellent and worth trying. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Epic Brewing Company Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Epic Brewing Company Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout - Stout With Cocoa Nibs And Coffee Added And Aged In Whiskey Barrels. I picked this bottle up at The Wine Club in San Jose (here). They have a small craft beer section, but they have an incredible selection.  If you're anywhere near The Wine Club go visit them and tell 'em Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

From the Epic Brewing Company website: “One Big Bad Imperial Stout with Cocoa nibs and Coffee beans. Each season's release uses a different dark roasted coffee.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours very dark brown, nearly black with a dark tan head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and slight aromas of oak, vanilla, whiskey and molasses.

Taste: Coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, and very light vanilla and whiskey flavors.

Overall: Nicely sweet and roasty, Epic Brewing Company Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout is rich, thick and delicious. At 12.6% ABV this is an Imperial Stout I plan to drink more of. Right up my alley!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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