Victory Brewing Company Storm King Imperial Stout

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Victory Brewing Company Storm King Imperial Stout. 

From the Victory Brewing Company website: “With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King Stout® subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours as black as oil with a mocha-colored head and sticky lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, coffee, toffee, dark fruits and faint hop scent.

Taste: Sweet caramel, roasted and chocolate malts, coffee, vanilla, dark cherries and balanced nicely with citrus hop bitterness.

Overall: Perfectly balanced and very well crafted, Victory Brewing Company’s Storm King Imperial Stout is quite a beer.  This fantastic offering from Victory Brewing Company weighs in at a BIG 9.1% ABV so drink responsibly.  It is so good, you’ll want a few and you’ll feel ‘em for sure.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Drake's Brewing Company Exxpedition Imperial Red Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Drake's Brewing Company Exxpedition Imperial Red Ale. 

From the Drake's Brewing Company website:” Drake’s Exxpedition Imperial Red Ale- 8% ABV, 70 IBUs– Since the beginning Drake’s brewers have sought to create beers that transcend the brews that have come before. Our original brewer Roger Lind created our long standing seasonal Expedition, a hoppy American Red Ale, back when the punch of American hops were less that normal in your typical red ale. Now, our brewers are taking that beer to the next level for its “Double X” rendition, Exxpedition Imperial American Red Ale. Ruby red from crystal malts and roasted barley, this beer delivers rich caramel notes and just a hint of roast. Additions of citrusy, resinous West-Coast hops and an abundant dry-hop then punctuate the malt with intense flavors and aromas of grapefruit with a clean bitter finish. **Annual Seasonal**”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a very nice red color with a solid and large beige head and clingy lacing.

Aroma: Sweet and roasted malts, citrus and pine hops and toffee.

Taste: Caramel, roasted malts, toffee, citrus, tropical and pine hops.  Not overly sweet, bitter and super tasty.

Overall:  Drake's Brewing Company Exxpedition Imperial Red Ale is fantastic.  Well balanced and very, very drinkable, at 8% ABV (and 70 IBUs) it hits all the right places for a beer that is to be enjoyed during this time of year (or any time for that matter).

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vendetta IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vendetta IPA. 

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION: “Standing face to face, an enduring rivalry reaches the breaking point. Vendetta IPA is the taste of sweet revenge. Aggressively bitter with a cutthroat convergence of citrus and aromatic hops, Vendetta won’t soon be forgotten. As the next in our Bootlegger Limited Series, we’re releasing an IPA with a vengeance. Legit since 1997, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers operates in the San Francisco district once known as Butchertown.” 

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark orange with a thick, frothy off-white head and sticky lacing.

Aroma: Grapefruit, pine, and citrus hops complimented by biscuit and sweet caramel malts.

Taste: Citrus, grapefruit and tropical hops at the start balanced nicely with sweet caramel malts.  Pine and floral hops and biscuit malts in the finish. A bit more malt than what I typically drink, but I like it a lot.

Overall: Well-crafted and easy to drink, is Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Vendetta IPA is probably my favorite offering so far from this brewery.  I had a chance to drink it on tap at Hop Yard San Ramon and I completely enjoyed it.  At 7.6% ABV it is very nicely crafted.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Wild Heaven Craft Beers Eschaton Belgian Quadrupel

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Wild Heaven Craft Beers Eschaton Belgian Quadrupel. This was a special acquisition from a friend and I feel REALLY fortunate to have gotten a chance to try this beer.

From the Wild Heaven Craft website:” How about a big, malty beer that evokes a good red wine and with a drier finish than you’d expect at 10.5% ABV?

Eschaton is a one-of-a-kind oaked all-malt Quadrupel (or “Belgian Strong Dark” if you prefer) that abounds with dark fruit and pit fruit flavors as well as earthy spiciness. Vanilla oak and warm viniferous notes assert themselves as the beer warms to reveal additional layers of delicious complexity.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark reddish brown with a thin cream colored head and slight lacing.

Aroma: Dark Belgian candy sugar, oak, vanilla, dark fruits, red wine, Belgian yeast and cinnamon.

Taste: Dark fruits, vanilla, toffee, cinnamon, oak and Pinot Noir. The sweet malts, oak and red wine blend perfectly for one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted.

Overall: This is by far the best quad I’ve ever had. Complex, balanced and incredible Wild Heaven Craft Beers’ Eschaton Belgian Quadrupel hits a grand slam with this beer and I only wish it was available locally to stock my beer fridge with.  This doesn’t drink like a 10.5% ABV beer in my opinion. Dangerous, delicious and now very, very coveted. If you find yourself in Georgia do yourself a favor and find this beer.  You’ll be glad you did!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Drake's Brewing Company Jolly Rodger American Barleywine-Style Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Drake's Brewing Company Jolly Rodger American Barleywine-Style Ale. I had to get over to Drake's Barrel House to pick this up along with some other goodies for review.  Special shout out to Tony who was working that day...he's a good man.

From the Drake’s Brewing Company website: “After years of scallywagging about from port to port and dallying with any style that caught its fancy the 2012 edition Drake’s Jolly Rodger is returning to its original style, an American Barleywine. Our 2012 Jolly Rodger is full-bodied with rich caramel malt undertones and mild biscuit malt character. Sufficient additions of West Coast hops balance the malt with pine needle aromatics and satisfying bitterness. Welcome home old friend. Yo Ho. — 2011-Imperial Dark India Pale Ale; 2010-Imperial Red Ale; 2009-Imperial Brown Ale — Available in November on draft and in 22 oz. bottles.” 

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a red garnet color with a fluffy off-white head and excellent lacing.

Aroma: Caramel and biscuit malts, toffee, citrus and pine hops.  Smells delicious.

Taste: And just like the nose, it is delicious.  Sweet caramel malts, toffee, bready, citrus and pine hops.  Bitter, sweet, balanced, fantastic!

Overall: Everyone knows I’m a huge Drake’s Brewing Company fan. Drake's Brewing Company Jolly Rodger American Barleywine-Style Ale is a top notch offering from a top notch brewery.  At 9.6% ABV this one’ll get you if you’re not careful. 

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Happy Thanksgiving!

May the good things of life
be yours in abundance
not only at Thanksgiving
but throughout the coming year.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Deschutes Brewing Company Chasin' Freshies Fresh Hop IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Deschutes Brewing Company Chasin' Freshies Fresh Hop IPA. 

From the Deschutes Brewing Company website: “Like fresh powder, it’s a seize-the-moment thing. At harvest, we rush Goschie Farms' Cascade hops fresh from vine to kettle. Not any Cascades, mind you, but an heirloom strain, from a single field, restored from the original rhizome. Hope you’re as hopped up as we are.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear light straw color with a frothy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Fresh floral, citrus and grassy hop notes up front with sweet malts in the background.

Taste: Bright citrus, floral and grassy hops, sweet and pilsner malts and then citrus hops again.  Not nearly as hoppy as I was expecting, but nice.

Overall: Fresh, bright and refreshing, Deschutes Brewing Company Chasin' Freshies Fresh Hop IPA is delicious.  At 7.4% ABV the alcohol is hidden well.  It drank more like a hopped up pilsner, but I enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Stone Brewing Company Lukcy Basartd Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Stone Brewing Company Lukcy Basartd Ale. 

From the Stone Brewing Company website:” Oepn yuor mnid. Use a craobwr if you msut. Snice 1997, Arorgnat Basartd Ale has denemdad taht tyrnianacl micredioty rleax its girp of opprobrium on our ciollectve couniescosnss. Few pessoss the ruiereqd isinght or detph of piversceptve to crdiet the Liuqid Arorgnace for initatgsing the rlveoituon in tsate taht it has. Hevweor, taht’s pfecertly fnie, as our hlurecaen erffots in thirstung the larlegy unlliwing wolrd farorwd rquereis no exrtneal vaditilaon. We ralieze it’s hmaun nautre to bleeive taht pregorss trowads getreanss is one’s own ieda.

The mree fcat taht yuo’re hdoinlg tihs bttloe in yuor hnad ianidctes taht yuo’re pyiang antteiton, wihch ideitammley stes you arpat form the msseas. It aslo mkaes you one Lukcy Basartd. Hewover, lcuk faovrs the blod... and the arorgnat. The trmiraivute of Arorgnat Basartd Ale, OEKAD Arorgnat Basartd Ale and Dbolue Basartd Ale are all in paly in this cvueé de Basartd you now hlod, and wihle it is idneed a Lukcy Basartd, lcuk had ntohing to do wtih it.

Taody, wihle nueomrus iendicrlby dinistcitve chcoies are now alavaible, msot popele sitll fucos tiehr attntieon uopn msas mdiea’s isscenatnly banal ehco cheambr, keenpig thier hdeas frimly buerid in the maross of mecridioty. To beark thurogh tihs cophocany, to gsarp enitghnelnemt anmog the mnid-nmubnig culettr, rerequis itnent. Coinscous itnent. For mnay, this aictve piticipataron in the wolrd is unomfacbtorle. Prerrifeng inasted for oethrs to mkae teihr chcoies for tehm — be it a shioutng pindut or a toelievisn ciommecral — sheeple apccet the cmmoitozdied nrom wioutht thoghut. And to thsoe we say: “Setp asdie, and get the hlel out of our way.””

Did you get all that?

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a deep amber color with a thick tan head and very nice lacing.

Aroma: Pine and citrus hops, sweet caramel, toffee and bready malts and oak.

Taste: Hop bitterness hits hard followed by caramel malt sweetness, toffee, vanilla and oak.  Really, really…really good.

Overall: I’ve come to expect greatness each time I open a Stone Brewing company beer and Stone Brewing Company’s Lukcy Basartd Ale does not disappoint.  Highly drinkable at 8.5% ABV this rivals the other Stone Bastards.  I don’t know if I dare say it is my favorite, but I will say I’m getting a few more before they’re gone. This beer is incredible!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Southern Tier Brewing Company Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Southern Tier Brewing Company Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout.

Years ago while visiting Washington, DC on business it was suggested that I visit Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown as I was told they had an epic selection of beers on tap at their downstairs bar.  Once downstairs I was not disappointed although surprised as the sheer volume of NorCal beers they had on tap.  I decided to have a few beers, one of which was the subject of my review.  After years of searching for this beer I managed to get a case of it and tonight I review this long sought after beer.

From the Southern Tier Brewing Company website:” We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition.
By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Crème Brûlée, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew!”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a very deep, dark brown with a tiny tan foam head and slight lacing.

Aroma: Crème Brûlée in a bottle! Vanilla, brown sugar, coffee, caramelized sugar and custard. Literally HEAVEN in a bottle!

Taste: Crème Brûlée in liquid form.  Vanilla, caramel, caramelized sugar and custard. Sweet, rich, milky and over the top good.

Overall: As good as I remembered it to be, Southern Tier Brewing Company Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout is a beer to be sought, found and consumed.  Not everyone is into dessert beers or Stouts so avoid this if you’re not into this sort of thing.  At 9.5% ABV this is THE BEST Crème Brûlée I have EVER had.  I want to hoard this beer in mass quantities. I think I may need a storage unit.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Snowshoe Brewing Company Grizzly Brown Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Snowshoe Brewing Company Grizzly Brown Ale. 

From the Snowshoe Brewing Company website:” Snowshoe Grizzly Brown Ale is the darkest beer available at the brewery, with a distinct, roasted malt character, dark color and medium hop finish. It pours out a deep brown color with ruby highlights, the head Bunyanesque in size, semi-creamy in texture. The aroma is of lightly toasted grain, caramel, and black walnut sweetness. Grizzly Brown Ale is brewed with five different malts giving it a rich roasted flavor and a smooth finish.” 

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a deep brown color with an off-white head and light lacing.

Aroma: Roasted dark malts, chocolate, coffee and caramel.

Taste: Chocolate, toasted and caramel malts, coffee and a slight hop bitterness. Not too sweet…just right.

Overall: Balanced and extremely drinkable, Snowshoe Brewing Company Grizzly Brown Ale is high on my list of very good brown ales.  I bought a six pack of it while up in Lake Tahoe and wish I could get this here in the Bay Area.  My wife REALLY likes this one and the remaining bottles are more than likely going to be consumed by her.  At 5.6% ABV this is something I can have a few of and not worry about slurring, stumbling or bumbling.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey