Drake's Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Drakonic Imperial Stout - 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 Drake's Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Drakonic Imperial Stout - Aged In Bourbon Barrels.

Drake’s in one of my favorite breweries – their 1500 is a staple in my house.  I’m a big fan of Bourbon barrel aged beers so when this became available I picked up a few.

From the bottle’s label: “Our Drakonic Imperial Stout aged for six months in fresh Bourbon barrels. This luscious beer features flavors of vanilla, spice, and oak from the barrels, specialty malts flavors of coffee, dark chocolate and hints of caramel, and a whiff of fresh Drakonic.  Sip slowly, and savor every moment.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours jet black with a mocha colored head leaving ample lacing.

Aroma: Dark chocolate, vanilla, Bourbon, caramel, oak, coffee and some light char.

Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate fudge, caramel, vanilla, coconut, espresso, Bourbon and oak.

Overall: Smooth and decadent, is Drake's Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Drakonic Imperial Stout - Aged In Bourbon Barrels is very good.  This 11.4% ABV offering is absolutely worth picking up for fans of the style.  I understand the Barrel House (here) has more for sale.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Almanac Beer Company Cerise Sour Blond - Ale Brewed With Cherries And Aged In Wine Barrels

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Almanac Beer Company Cerise Sour Blond - Ale Brewed With Cherries And Aged In Wine Barrels.

From the Almanac Beer Company website: “This beer is inspired by the long and hot summer days in the San Joaquin Valley—the fertile basin that yields much of California’s bountiful produce. This tart blond ale was brewed with Rainier and Bing cherries from Bella Viva Orchards and fermented with our house sour culture and aged for many months in used wine barrels to create a tart, cherry-kissed wild ale.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear orange/golden amber color with a n off-white head and leaves dots of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Musty, funky, lemon, cherries and some oak barrel with some white wine notes.

Taste: Tart and sour upfront with lemon and cherries, funky oak barrel, straw, light vinegar and wet grainy malts.

Overall: Light and crisp, Almanac Beer Company Cerise Sour Blond - Ale Brewed With Cherries And Aged In Wine Barrels is enjoyable.  This 7% ABV offering is worth a try for sour fans.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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SF Beer Week Opening Gala - this Friday!!!

Greetings!

From 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm this Friday night you'll find me at the SF Beer Week Opening Gala taking place at Pier 35.  As always there's a great line up of breweries and I'll be sampling my way around the various parts of the Bay. The Opening Gala is "the largest, most anticipated, and prestigious annual gathering of the Northern California craft beer community." What I enjoy most is the new and creative beers that brewers make for this event.  Having the opportunity to sample such a wide range of beers from up and coming new breweries to the top notch regional breweries is what makes this event one not to miss.  Glad I got my tickets early...this event always sells out.

Here's a list of breweries that will be participating:

SAN FRANCISCO
21st Amendment Brewery
Almanac Beer
Anchor Brewing
Barrel Head Brewhouse
Bartlett Hall
Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant
Black Hammer Brewing
Black Sands Brewery
Bon Machre Brasserie & Bar
Brasserie Saint James
Cellarmaker Brewing
Fort Point Beer
Harmonic Brewing
Headlands Brewing
Holy Craft Brewery
Laughing Monk
Local Brewing
Magnolia Brewing
Old Bus Tavern
Pine Street Brewery
Pizza Orgasmica & Brewing
San Francsico Brewing
Shmaltz Brewing
Social Kitchen & Brewery
Southern Pacific Brewing
Southpaw BBQ
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Sunset Reservoir Brewing
ThirstyBear Organic Brewery
Triple Voodoo Brewery & Tap Room
Woods Beer / Cerveceria de MateVeza

EAST BAY
Alameda Island Brewing
Ale Industries
Altamont Beer Works
Auburn Alehouse
Benoit-Casper Brewing
Berryessa Brewing
Bison Brewing
Black Diamond Brewery
Buffalo Bills Brewery
Calicraft Brewing
Cleophus Quealy Beer
DasBrew
Diving Dog Brewhouse
Drake's Brewing
Dust Bowl Brewing
Eight Bridges Brewing
Elevation 66 Brewing
Epidemic Ales
Federation Brewing
Ghost Town Brewing
Heretic Brewing
High Water Brewing
Hoppy Brewing
Knee Deep Brewing
New Helvetia Brewing
Ol' Republic Brewing
Pacific Coast Brewing
Rubicon Brewing
Ruhstaller Brewery & Taproom
Schubros Brewery
Tahoe Mountain Brewing
The Rare Barrel
Track 7 Brewing
Triple Rock Brewing
Trumer Brauerei
Working Man Brewing

NORTH BAY
101 North Brewing
Anderson Valley Brewing
Baeltane Brewing
Bear Republic Brewing
Cooperage Brewing
Eel River Brewing
Fogbelt Brewing
HenHouse Brewing
Iron Springs Pub & Brewery
Laguanitas Brewing
Lost Coast Brewery
Mad River Brewing
Marin Brewing
Mendocino Brewing
Moonlight Brewing
Moylan's Brewing
Napa Smith Brewery
North Coast Brewing
Petaluma Hills Brewing
Russian River Brewing
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Sonoma Springs Brewing
St. Florian's Brewery
Third Street Aleworks
Woodfour Brewing

SOUTH BAY
Alpha Acid Brewing
Armstrong Brewing
Devil's Canyon Brewing
Discretion Brewing
El Toro Brewing
Faultline Brewing
Firestone Walker Brewing
Freewheel Brewing
Gordon Biersch Brewing
Half Moon Bay Brewing
Hermitage Brewing
Highway 1 Brewing
Hop Dogma Brewing
New Bohemia Brewing
Palo Alto Brewing
Santa Clara Valley Brewing
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Strike Brewing
Tied House Brewery & Cafe
Uncommon Brewers

If you see me, stop me and sell "hello".  

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Happy New Year!!!

Here's a toast to the future,

A toast to the past, 

And a toast to our friends, far and near. 

May the future be pleasant; 

The past a bright dream; 

May our friends remain faithful and dear.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey