Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake - Oatmeal Stout Brewed With Coffee & Vanilla

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake - Oatmeal Stout Brewed With Coffee & Vanilla.

Commercial description: “In the beer geek breakfast series – the beer that really put Mikkeller on the map, we decided to shake things up by adding a truck load of vanilla to the french press coffee trick, creating a whole new dimension to the beer that are loved by freaks and geeks worldwide. It’s dark, dangerous, sweet and incredibly tasty as you would expect, but most of all; it’s ready to conquer your breakfast table routines.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown, nearly black with a thin mocha colored head leaving little lacing.

Aroma: Vanilla, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and oats.

Taste: Vanilla, espresso, dark chocolate, slight char and boozy.

Overall: Thick and creamy, Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake - Oatmeal Stout Brewed With Coffee & Vanilla is solid.  This 13% ABV offering is a delicious stout.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Pyramid Ales Brewer's Reserve H7 Unfiltered Imperial IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Pyramid Ales Brewer's Reserve H7 Unfiltered Imperial IPA.

From the Pyramid Ales website: “We hopped this limited edition Unfiltered Imperial IPA every which way we could think of. From citrus to pine to tropical fruit and back again,we used 7 different varieties. We hopped it thrice in the boil, once in the whirlpool and twice in fermentation. It’s a hop journey meant to showcase the dynamic range of flavors and aromas the mighty hop has bestowed upon us.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark orange color with a frothy beige head leaving good lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, pine and tropical hop scents and caramel malt.

Taste: Huge tropical and citrus hop flavors, pine is more muted and balanced with huge caramel malt sweetness.

Overall: Loaded with amazing hop flavor – fresh and fruity, Pyramid Ales Brewer's Reserve H7 Unfiltered Imperial IPA is excellent.  This 9.5% ABV offering is a must try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Off Color Brewing Dino S'mores Russian Imperial Stout - brewed with Natural flavors with cocoa nibs added

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Off Color Brewing Dino S'mores Russian Imperial Stout - brewed with Natural flavors with cocoa nibs added. I purchased this bottle at Caps & Taps in Dublin. As I’ve said many times before, please visit local shops and support them.  The guys at Caps & Taps (here) are really cool and if you go in there tell ‘em you heard about them here.

From the Off Color Brewing website: “When we launched BorrachaBaker made us some s'mores shaped like dinosaurs for our launch event. Then, we made an imperial stout with graham flour, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and cocoa nibs with Amager and West Lakeview Liquors. Then, we brought this beer to the Brewpub Shootout and paired the beer named after the food with a food the beer wasn't named after. People were confused and named it best beer (or was it food?) at the Shootout.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours pitch black with an ultra-thin tan head leaving a little lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, vanilla, marshmallows, roasted malts, graham crackers, slight coffee and dark fruits.

Taste: Vanilla, sweet chocolate, marshmallow, roasted malts, graham cracker, some dark fruit sweetness and a touch of coffee. The alcohol is very well hidden.

Overall: Delicious and balanced, Off Color Brewing Dino S'mores Russian Imperial Stout is terrific.  This 10.5% ABV offering is something I’d drink again and again. I’m a big fan of the style and if you are too this one is worth trying.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Bayern Brewing Dragon's Breath Dark Heff Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Bayern Brewing Dragon's Breath Dark Heff Ale.

From the Bayern Brewing website: “Hefeweizen is an unfiltered classic in Bavaria (“Hefe” means yeast, a small amount of which remains in the beer). In 2004, Bayern Brewing introducing a dark Hefeweizen, otherwise known as a Dunkelweizen (dark wheat), to the line-up: Dragon’s Breath Dark Heff.

Dragon’s Breath Dark Heff is mild in taste, unfiltered, and 6.0 % ABV (Alcohol by Volume). It is moderately hopped with Bavaria’s preeminent Hallertauer Perle hops and is cold-fermented, eliminating any harsh aftertaste.

Jürgen Knöller, Bayern Brewing’s proprietor and Brew Master, brewed this beer style at four different breweries in Bavaria in the early eighties. His Dark Hefeweizen won Gold at the prestigious German DLG (German society of Food and Drink Producers Association) annual competition consecutively from 1980 through 1985. Jürgen’s same brew, introduced at a major U.S. beer competition for the first time under the label “Dragon Breath Dark Heff”, received the Silver Medal at the North American Brewers’ Association 2008 Beer Awards. Most recently, Dragon's Breath won Gold at the 2011 US Open Beer Tasting Championship.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper color with an off-white head leaving lots of lacing.

Aroma: Toasted wheat bread, toffee, grassy hops and slight banana, clove and coriander scents.

Taste: Caramel, wheat bread, roasted malts, grassy hops, toffee, light coriander and banana flavors.

Overall: Flavorful and rich, Bayern Brewing Dragon's Breath Dark Heff Ale is easy drinking.  This 6% ABV offering is certainly worth a try for fans of the style. I would drink one again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Almanac Beer Company Honey Saison

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Almanac Beer Company Honey Saison.

From the Almanac Beer Company website: “Our Honey Saison is a beer for all seasons. Brewed with Bay Area honey from Marshall Farms, wheat, California two-row barley, French oak and fresh, local ginger root for a hint of spice. Balanced with earthy Mount Hood and Saaz hops, this is a refreshing brew enjoyed best with your favorite seasonal fare.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy gold with a huge white head leaving loads of lacing.

Aroma: Grainy, biscuity, honey, some yeasty funk, spice and wheat.

Taste: Honey, bready grains, citrus, a bit of ginger, wheat, a bit of yeast funk and earthy.

Overall: Light and refreshing, Almanac Beer Company Honey Saison drinks more like a Belgian Blonde or a honey and ginger infused Pale Ale. I did enjoy this 4.8% ABV offering and would gladly drink one again if the opportunity presented itself.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Maui Brewing Company Lorenzini Double IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Maui Brewing Company Lorenzini Double IPA.

From the Maui Brewing Company website: “A special beer for a special cause. The name comes from the sharks “Ampullae of Lorenzini”, the shark’s electro sensory organ used to detect changes in electric fields. This American Double IPA was brewed with blood orange, local citrus, and Maui cane sugar. The unique hop profile of Azacca, El Dorado, and Sorachi Ace lend big grapefruit, ripe mango and tropical aromas, followed by a clean, mildly sweet bitterness. This is a deceptively drinkable Double IPA.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy bronze color with a frothy cream colored head leaving some lacing.

Aroma: Lots of citrus, oranges, some tangerine and grapefruit, pine, caramel and pale malts.

Taste: Blood orange, tangerine and other citrus flavors, caramel and pale malts, mango and slight sweetness that must be coming from the Maui cane sugar.

Overall: Easy drinking, Maui Brewing Company Lorenzini Double IPA is tasty.  I’m glad I got to try this 7.6% ABV offering. Worth a try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Olde Hickory Brewery The Event Horizon Imperial Stout - Ale Brewed With Honey & Aged In Bourbon Barrels

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Olde Hickory Brewery The Event Horizon Imperial Stout - Ale Brewed With Honey & Aged In Bourbon Barrels. I picked this bottle up at Stella Brew (here) in Winston-Salem, NC. They have an excellent selection and we’re very helpful helping me pick out some local “must have” beers to bring home.  If you find yourself in the area stop in, buy some beverages and tell them that Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

From the Olde Hickory Brewery website: “The Event Horizon- an annual release. We barrel age an imperial stout in oak bourbon barrels, from several bourbon varieties, and blend the results. Dark and rich with bourbon flavors- once this beer grabs you you'll never escape. Winner of a World Beer Cup (R) 2012 bronze award in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category! Released each year in the late fall-early winter.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a thin mocha colored head leaving nice lacing.

Aroma: Dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, toasted coconut, honey, toffee, molasses, caramel and roasted malts.

Taste: Dark chocolate, roasted malts, toasted coconut, molasses, bourbon, toasted oak, caramel, vanilla, honey and subtle bitter coffee.

Overall: Smooth and sweet, Olde Hickory Brewery The Event Horizon Imperial Stout - Ale Brewed With Honey & Aged In Bourbon Barrels is outstanding.  This 8.5% ABV offering is highly drinkable and a very good barrel aged Stout. Highly recommended!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Intuition Ale Works I-10 West Coast IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Intuition Ale Works I-10 West Coast IPA.

From the Intuition Ale Works website: “The West Coast comes to Jax with this extremely hoppy, true India Pale Ale. Our two-row malted barley and caramel malt come to life with a ?@!#-ton of Northwest hops. We use 4 different hops during the brewing process and during dry hopping. It’s music to your nose.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with a large white head leaving lots of lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, pine and floral hop notes with bready and caramel malts balancing out the nose.

Taste: Citrus, grassy and pine hop bitterness, caramel and bready malts linger in the finish.

Overall: Crisp and smooth, Intuition Ale Works I-10 West Coast IPA is tasty.  This 6.75% ABV offering is worth a try.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Wasatch Brewery Polygamy Nitro Porter

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Wasatch Brewery Polygamy Nitro Porter. My sister brought me this beer (and others) when she drove through Utah.

From the Wasatch Brewery website: “She's on Nitro!Meet the sister-wife of our classic brew. This nitrogenated version is as chocolately and easy drinkin' as the original but even softer and creamier. It's OK to love them both.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown with some garnet highlights, with a nearly non-existent tan head and left slight lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coffee, roasted malts and a bit nutty.

Taste: Chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, caramel, roasted coffee and like the aroma, a touch of nutty flavor.

Overall: Not as creamy as other nitros, Wasatch Brewery Polygamy Nitro Porter is tasty and at 6% ABV it is fuller and a bit creamier than the 4% ABV non-nitro version.  I’d certainly drink this again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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