Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10

Brewed with grapes and chamomile and some other stuff.

I can definitely taste the chamomile. It makes it a little dry.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Non-barrel aged version.

Nice roast malt and chocolate taste. Slight hop bitterness present. Not to thin or thick. Pretty darn good.

Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter

Slight coffee and chocolate taste. Slight bitterness to it. A little dry. Not bad, not great. I still like the Great Lakes porter better.

Founders Devil Dancer

Labeled a "Triple IPA". What the does that mean? Is it like Gillete saying, "Fuck everything, we're going to five blades"?

A lot of piney hops taste, slight hint of caramel.

Stone Cali-Beligique IPA

Stone IPA brewed with belgian yeast.

Pretty enjoyable. I still like Raging Bitch better. Mandy liked this better because it wasn't as bitter.

I also brought a bottle of this to Connecticut over Thanksgiving. My Mom really liked it. Welcome to beer drinking Mom!

Founders Harvest Ale

Delicious.

Pale ale that's plenty bitter and hoppy. Not too heavy. Pretty enjoyable.

More Bottlecaps!

Taken on 12/29/10

Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale - 2009

Random Notes:
(1) This was part of a birthday four pack from last year that I stuck in the back of the fridge.
(2) I thought it was Old Curmudgeon Ale, not Curmudgeon Old Ale

I think time was kind to this beer. Its still pretty sweet, but I don't think the alcohol comes through as much as it did last year. Slight caramel and dark fruit taste. Good times.

I meant to buy a new four pack to compare to this one but instead picked up a bunch of other beers. Woops.

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

Hmm. This had an unexpected taste. The smell was really familiar but neither Mandy or I could place it (and not one of those "oh, it smells like raisins!" comments). The taste is um... a slightly fruity. Not too thick. I guess this was okay? For being 10.2% abv, it doesn't really show.

I also looked up the batch number (9385) on Bell's website. Turns out it was bottled on my birthday last year. Happy One Year Aging beer I am currently drinking! Sorry you will not survive to see two years.

Founders - Nemesis (2010)

Secured a ridiculously pricey 4 pack from my new secret beer store (where I also had obtained a six pack of Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale).

Well if they didn't just hop the shit out of this beer. Lots of bitter hops in the taste, the alcohol isn't hiding either. Not as fruity as I'd imagine.

If I hadn't bought a 4 pack, I wouldn't be seeking out three others to drink. I think I'll let them sit in the back of the closet and see what happens in 6 months.

[Note - Tried another one in December. I liked it a lot better, not sure how much was aging/my mood.]

Souther Tier Pumking

Bell's Expedition Stout

Good beer. A little bit expensive.

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine - 2010

Well this was a lot more bitter than I thought it would be. But then again, it is a Stone brew. It smells awesome, but the hopping on it just threw me. Not my favorite. Maybe it'd be good with some aging...

Mandy Thoughts:
Smells cider-y. What am I drinking? Is it a pumpkin beer? [No, its a barley wine.] Yeah, I wouldn't make a habit of drinking this. Its a little too sweet.

Troegs Hop Back Amber Ale

Good brew. Would buy again.

Dogfish Head - Sahtea

Actually pretty darn good. I like it the best out of any of the Dogfish weird beers. The chai tea and juniper comes together nicely (I was quite worried after the overwhelming juniper/gin smell). I'd actually recommend this one.

Heavy Seas - The Greater Pumpkin

Hmm. This was very boozy. I couldn't really tell it was a pumpkin beer. It was just sweet sweet sweet. Not very good.

Dogfish Head Pangea

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

Do not order this again. Slightly sour and funky but it just doesn't hang together.

Heavy Seas Prosit

Not very malty. Pretty boozy. The Avery was a lot better.

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Pretty sure I've had this before.

Truly bitter. Lots of grapefruit and piney hoppiness. Thanks to the Mikkeller & Weyerbacher brews single-hop brews, I can taste the Simcoe hops in it. Slight roasted malt /chocolate flavor underlying the hops.

I should have bought two bottles.

Russian River Supplication

Mmm. Tasty. Sour beer, aged in oak barrels with cherries added. Apparently it starts out as a brown ale.

Not too tart or over the top. The cherry taste helps balance the sourness. I like it a lot better than the Lindemans Gueze and the Rodenbach.

Russian River Pliney The Elder

Not sure what I was expecting. Definitely lots of hops. Slightly grassy. I wish I could place the hops used in this just from taste. It's not over-powering. Nicely balanced. Good times. Alcohol comes through a little more as it warms up.

Bottled on 9/21/10 and enjoyed on 9/25/10.

Thanks to Alan for the recommendation.