Brooklyn Monster Ale

Yesterday, I did my first local purchase of this beer, and sat down to glass of it. Today, I look back on my first taste of it, from eight years ago, October, 2003, where I blathered on and on. Observe:

I loves me a nice barleywine, and Brooklyn calls theirs a "monster", do they? Well, let's have at it, already! 

Appearance: coppery color, with a short-lived head...so far, "eh"... 

Aroma: now, we're cookin'! Sweetness incarnate, redolent of a full orchard of fruits, burnished and converted to a proper cognac-y character. Alcohol is huge here, with cherries, brandy, leather, fire, tobacco, smoke, all pitching suggestions into this bonfire...this is the type of beer that makes me pity wine drinkers...is there an aroma as rich and full and fine as this to be found in a bottle of vino? A very bewitching aroma! 

Thick texture, syrupy mouthfeel, lip-smackin', delicious, and packin' heat! Lush, full malt, low hops, but thoroughly intoxicating...screw your Manhattans, your Hennessys, your Flavor-of-the-Month-Martinis, put your lips to a barleywine such as this for a full, boozy sensation! 

A benign Monster, this, powerful, but not vicious, stinging, but without malice, prodigious, but never punishing, with a long, near-lethal finsh.... 
A damned fine barleywine. 

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA

Ruthless Rye, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. 2012. Not sure why they are dating it by year. Perhaps they expect us to cellar it? Just a habit they've gotten into?

A cloaked, hooded woman holds a scythe in the middle of some farm land. Seems like odd garb for threshing. Or, are they just establishing a new, hotter version of Death. Newer and hotter than Neil Gaiman's, of course.

Anyway, on to the beer: Clear, dark crimson coloring, off-white foam above.

Aroma is soft, sweetish, and brimming with rye malt character. Pass the pumpernickel!

Taste: Hops hit first, bitter, yet sweet, then the spicy rye malt character floods the mouth. Starts mellow, gets intense. Rises and rises and overtakes the senses. Without going too far, of course. These guys are all about balance. You don't become this popular and this big without making palatable brews. 

Let's look at the label crap: Ruthless Rye IPA is brewed with this rustic grain for refined flavors--combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrusy flavors of whole cone hops to create a complex ale for the tumultuous transition to spring."

It hasn't been exactly a tumult this year. We've had several early starts to spring, in the dead of winter. But this is nice and well appreciated. I was almost ready to say that the rye malt overtakes the citrusy hop presence, but they re-emerged before I could type a word. It's a tasty, tidy tango, here's some peppery bready malt, here's your hops, cha, cha, cha…

Odell Saboteur Brett Barrel Brown Ale

Odell Saboteur. Brett Barrel Brown Ale. Alc. by Vol. 10%. Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins, CO. Let's skip the gobbledygook, and open 'er up. 

Beautiful brown coloration, with crimson highlights, peeking at the bottom. Lush head of tan foam, lacy and lasting. Looks great.

Smellin' it: warm, funky, …and oddly bourbon-y. Does "brett barrel" mean a particular kind of barrel? It's very whiskey-ish. Let's peek at the geek speak. "American oak barrels." Could mean bourbon, doesn't explicitly state it. Has the vanilla and oak, some cherry. And alcohol.That covers it.

Tastin' it: Sour cherry and oak take the palate first. Starts strong, and mellows down. Begins sharp and strong, whiskey feeling still hangs in there, driving the character of the ale more than the brett affects it. Sour factor is light and unobtrusive, just enough a kick in there to keep it interesting. Alcohol kick continues, as well, but doesn't grow too noisy. Halfway into this bottle, I'm not too afraid of what'll happen to me when it's empty. Close, but not quite. 

One thing's for certain, and that's that this is a long, luxuriant sipper of an ale. Mmmm, mellow, yet powerful. Sumptuous. Satisfying. (Though I'm sure many of sour head has complained about the "lack" of Brett.)

"Our brewers created an unpretentious, yet sophisticated brown ale. Then they plotted and dosed this full-bodied ale with brettanomyces, the ultimate adversary of wineries.  Embracing this vintner's nemesis resulted in a complex and wonderfully drinkable beer. Intense earthy notes of vanilla and pineapple come together with a sour silhouette. Aged in American oak barrels, and then bottle conditioned, Saboteur offers a luxurious texture and depth of flavor to discerning palates."

wait a minute…Pineapple???

21st Amendment Allies Win The War (Collab. with Ninkasi)

21st. Amendment Allies Win the War. Ale Brewed with Dates.

Dusky, burgundy hue. soft brownish head, starts strong and drifts to a tight ring. Leaves lace. 

Big, fruity/malty nose. Lively, exotic stuff. A little sweet, a little sour, a bit of funk.

Lot happening in this aroma, and I love it.

Taste: Bam! Luscious, rich and malty with an intriguing blend of hops playing on the palate. Starts smooth, then gets wicked, and complex. Mmm, datey…

What's the brewery say about this? "An ale brewed with California dates, an aggressive arsenal of all-Northwest hops and an unmistakable aroma of victory." How does that sentence work? That it's brewed with the aroma of victory? Do you brew with aromas? Unmistakably? 

52 IBUs, 8.5% ABV.

It is original, that's for sure. And it's tasty. Doesn't fit any style I can think of, not that any of that matters. Hoppy/fruity/malty strong ale, how about that?

Harriet Elevator Doppelbock

Harriet's Elevator Doppelbock. I'm surprised no-one else has taken this name. How can it be that there are still some legitimate -ators out there. (Just so you know, the tradition of ending a doppelbock with "ator" started with Paulaner's Salvator, which means "savior." These malty lagers were brewed by German monks for consumption during Lenten fasts, liquid bread to sustain them.)

(Hey, do you remember an episode of the Simpsons, where the B-story was Lisa's addiction to a "Cory hotline", back when Corys were all rage for the little ones?  I forgot what the A story was, probably something to do with Bart and Homer. Anyway, one of the messages was Corey reading "some words that rhyme with Corey. Allegory...Montessori"...etcetera. So, read this in that voice: Celebrator...Curator...Consecrator...Liberator...Optimator...Detonator...Instigator...Illuminator...Navigator...Animator...Captivator...Procrastinator...

Wait! Stop the presses! There is an Elevator doppelbock, and it's by the Elevator brewery in Columbus, Ohio, but their doppelbock is the Procrastinator.

This one is a lovely reddish brown, shimmering crimson highlights at the edges. With a creamy tan head, beginning full and creamy, turning slight, but long-lasting.

Aroma: grassy/herbal/bitter hops up front, then cocoa takes center stage. Sweetness, however, does not dominate at all, and a dry toastiness rounds out the caramel and banana tones.

Taste: richness, smoothness, balance. Everything all in place. Delicious. All those same flavors in aroma return on the palate, except for hops, that's not an important factor in the flavor. Full bodied, earthy, chocolatey, good texture, good heft, good play on the palate. All around tasty. Some dark fruit flavors as well, a bit of raisin and fig. Black berry, maybe. Just a bit, though.

Overall, a very likable, quite substantial, really spot-on interpretation of the doppelbock.  Full flavored, good and malty, without any overt sweetness, nice and dry, with just enough hops.
Good job, I say, to the German-trained brewer and the German lager-loving owner. Nice work.

A maibock comes up next, you say? Mmmm, can't wait. I guess once this keg kicks, I'll enjoy the espresso infusion until that one comes along.


By the way, here are some details. 20 IBU, give or take 8 % ABV, and the description: "traditionally brewed using the decoction method and lagered for two monts...rich and malt driven, with characteristics of dark fruit, and caramel supported by a light toastiness and just enough bitterness from the hops to keep it balanced. ...hearty, yet clean and complex. It's tempting to make this a daily ration of liquid bread...you know, to honor the monks."

Leffe Brune

Leffe Brune/Brown, Anno 1240, Puissante et savoureuse/Powerful and full of taste.

Opaque caramel brown coloring, light and clear at the bottom, with a cream-toned head, starts big and billowy, drifts down in time. Looks lovely.

Aroma: soft, slightly sweet, caramel and nuts, dark fruits, raisins, dates, subtle spice notes, clove, etc. Very nice. 

Taste: small bitterness hits the palate first, then replaced with sweet malt. Lush, tasty, with excellent balance. Never too anything, and just enough of what you need. Rich and full in the mouth. Bitter and sweet keep perfect pace. Little this, little that. Bitter now, sweet next, and just plain delicious. 

This is one of my favorite styles of Belgian beers, and Leffe or whoever's in charge of this, has finally decided to let this version into the U.S. At last. And it is good. Great to know. I look forward to tapping it at a Belgian-leaning bar near me.

Rush River Winter Warmer Ale

Rounding out the sampler pack, here's the bottled version of Rush River's Winter Warmer ale. I must have been eager to capture my impressions for this on, as the notes are dated November, 2004, from the bar at the Bulldog. Lyndale, that is. The other two didn't exist yet. I know I tapped it eventually, myself, and enjoyed it, and gol-durn it, still do. Notes, ahoy!

Appearance: dusky, tawny body, with a good spot of light caramel tones at the bottom, under a slim, but stalwart slab of pleasantly pudding-y cocoa-tan head. 

Aroma: nice, light and creamy, slightly nutty, overall sweet. 

Warm entry on the tongue, light hops, but big, malty sweetness, getting fuller and richer with more time in the mouth.
 Possesses a distinct, supple mouthfeel, giving off rich, toffee-ish flavors, thoroughly tasty. 

The alcohol peeks in just a bid, just enough to warm the blood, and though the body thins a touch towards the end, the flavor never flags. 

Rush River The Unforgiven Amber Ale

So, I've figured it out, looking back on my notes. I wrote about the porter after tapping it at the Nile, and did notes on the Unforgiven Amber, after having a pint at the Bulldog. Not too hard to figure out, it's spelled out in my original notes, from July, 2004, which start now.

My third sample of this very new brew from a very new brewery. First was a thimble-ful at the Bulldog in Uptown, Minneapolis, next a sample bottle provided by the brewers, and this review is based on a pint had with lunch today, again, at the Bulldog. 

Pours out a murky, rustic, deep amber hue, that somehow unclouds over time, to be more traditionally amber in appearance. Nose is mild, with a discreet whiff of hops, pleasant enough. 

Smoothness reigns on the palate, nothing troubles one, nothing leaps out and grabs, and that is fully the intent of the brew, and help this enterprise to be successful. They told me personally that they weren't out to do anything too agressive right away, and that is an imprtant niche to be filled. 

Light to medium-bodied, (I almost thought "thin", but I don't choose ambers that often, and that's pretty much what you want for the style), with a soft, lingering finish. A nice malty tang rides through the flavor. This was dry-hopped, but ever-so delicately. 

As I don't often follow one beer with the same, (just one of those quirks), I decided to have a pint of Bell's Amber Ale, which I enjoy, to compare. Big difference is, of course, Bell's unique yeast, but also their citric hoppiness, which may put some off...definitely stood out in comparison to The Unforgiven. But they set out to create a smooth, easily accepted amber, and they did it. A beer I'd return to again, if I wasn't feeling the need to feed a hop fix! 

Rush River The Lost Arrow Porter

Every now and then, I try to play catch up and fill in some of the holes on this blog of beers I've reviewed, but haven't appeared here yet. Bought a Winter sample case from Rush River the other day, getting me 4 each of what were actually the first three offerings from this Wisconsin brewery. So, going way back in time again.
I first heard about them in the summer of 2004, when a big banner was outside the Bulldog on Lyndale, announcing this new brewery from Maiden Rock, WI. It was a different world then than it is now. We were desperate for anything new at all, eagerly awaited any new beer from Summit, and expected regular innovations from Town Hall, or Barley John's. A new brewery from Wisconsin? Available here? Better than what's happening in Minnesota!
It didn't take for me to find out who was distributing, and an uncommonly short while later, the brewers/owners paid me a visit. Not long after, the beers appeared on tap at the Blue Nile. Probably the porter first, because that's where my preference lies.

By the way, I asked why "the lost arrow", and the answer is, they like archery.

Anyway, here are my first notes, from July, 2004:

First pour from a freshly-tapped keg. 

Beautiful brown in color, murky, and with a bit of rolling, cascading action, though this is no nitr-tap. Head is a tight tan ring. 

Aroma is very nice, great gobs of cocoa filling the nose, just a dab of bittersweet espresso, warm and inviting. 

Aromatic experiences are revisited in the taste. Chocolate sensations flood the mouth, rich and well-rounded. Full-bodied,with a nice, softly lingering finish. No bitterness, although I like that in my porters sometimes, this is smoothness itself. 
Very easy-drinking and approachable, but not shy on taste, either. 

Good job, here, I think I'll be getting very well-acquainted with this one.

Lucky Bucket Snowsuit

Lucky Bucket Snowsuit. Tapped last  Thursday afternoon, finally getting around to sitting down and examining it. Called a Belgian single, or pale ale. Additionally, spiced with cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. 5.5 % ABV.

Clear, reddish-brown, negligible head. Starts as something, gets to nowhere quickly.

Aroma: sweetness and spice. Like a pumpkin pie. Nutmeg dominates and drowns out anything else.

Taste: sweetness and spice again, and, well, almost too much. Body is lean, malt holds no particular presence, suggests no true character, nothing comes through from hops, and yeast is not present either. Thin, and watery, with the spice standing over everything.

Here's the thing. I took a chance, decided it had every possibility of being good. Tapped without ever drinking it (doesn't happen that often), sampled it, and thought, "hmmm, maybe I made a mistake." Later, had a full glass and changed my mind. "No, no, this is good, people will like it." No one who had it seriously complained.

Right now, I'm wondering what was in my glass four days ago. This is so much thinner in body than I remember, there's nothing to suggest it should be classified Belgian anything, no character at all. The only stand-out flavor is the spices, and they can cover up any flaw you choose to mention, if you pile them up hight enough.

I bought another LB beer untasted/untested (my way of saying "sight unseen"), and that's their barleywine. Maybe I should hook that up before I start promoting it as anything it isn't.

Hopefully, this keg will be gone without much delay, and we can forget about it.

But, to frame it succinctly, there's nothing horribly wrong with this, except that there's nothing really good about it, either.  Taste starts turning sour further into the glass. Does that count for Belgian character?

Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss

I haven't had this one in a while. The wheat wine from Two Brothers that rings in at high alcohol volumes. Used to be in big bombers, but this year I noticed in 12 ouncers for the first time. And there it sat in the beer fridge, when I had no "drinking beers" left, and I was spent on reviewing. Doing five in one day will do that, sometimes.
But, wait, didn't I write about this one earlier? So, here you go, notes from a bottle, way back in 2001!

And then, a later assessment, from 2004:

2001...been saving this for 3 months, hope it's worth it... 

Hazy, orange color, slight white head. 

Fresh nose, citric, orangey, but a bit flat and metallic. Doesn't jump up much. 

Mmmm, tangy, slightly tart taste, very fruit-forward, orange all over, with a banana touch coming through, a bit of pepper, a whisper of apricot, and, yes, a hush of vanilla, too. An interesting approach, but I still am unconvinced of how they can call this a barleywine..there seems to be nothing in common with any bw I've ever had before. Maybe because none of them were wheat beers? 
Wonderful texture, though, practically floods the palate, with the bright, full fruit, thick, and tasty texture. Yum, and yum, and yum. Good, goody, McGumdrops! 
I'm going to enjoy this big ol' bottle all the way to the end! 

2002 "vintage", enjoyed 10-31-04....golden hued, huge bollowy head, a lovely thing, sublime aroma, atmospherically uplifting, magnificent taste, utterly gorgeous, ...I do believe I shall edit my assessment of the previous year's effort, ...doing a bare-bones review, though, and am not attempting on this tasting to dissect every aspect of the brew, but just let it slide down, and it's good for that...wow, I likety-like it.

De Struise / Stillwater Outblack

Outblack. 10% ALC./VOL. 11.2 FL. OZ., Belgian ale brewed with water, barley , oats, wheat, rye, hops, sugar & yeast. Brewed and bottled by De Struise Brouwers & Stillwater Artisanal Ales at SA Deca NV Woesten Vleteren, Belgium. 

And little else. At least it's not gobbldeygook.

Dark as the darkest darkness, fully black, with a rich tanned head atop, small, but long lasting. Very promising appearance. 

Aroma: chocolate and bubblegum. Taffy and toffee and banana. Cream and cocoa and bottlecaps. Not the caps on bottles, but the old candy. you don't remember bottlecaps, the candy? Ah, you're too young. Ah, well, maybe not, anyway, I was just on a roll, and, heck, maybe I was reaching a bit…anyway, forget that, but let's stick with the other stuff.

Taste: an intriguing mix, once again, just as in the nose. Sweetness, some funk, dark malt, hops, a ton of stuff going on. Unusual is a word I want to use. Bright and citrusy at first, fruity, grassy, hoppy, vibrant, then quickly smothered by dark malts and chocolate flavors. 

I am fairly certain I am picking out the rye malt flavors, oh, most definitely, they are sticking out like a spicy sore thumb. Hops are adding an extra kick, with the toffee and caramel and the cocoa of the malt lurking just below.

I like this. It is tasty. And so incredibly unique. Don't ask me to categorize it or pin it down, for that would be fruitless and silly. 

Wait, I've got it. It's a Belgian Black IPA. Oh, I'm sorry, Cascadian Dark Belgian Ale.

Or, something. 

But, I still like it. It's got the goods.

Bud Light Platinum

Bud Light Platinum. Wow. Platinum. 6% ABV. Triple Fermented, I hear. Anheuser Busch, St. Louis, MO. Lager 12 fl. oz. Born on date: 12007vx78. whatever that means.

"Platinum ( /ˈplætɨnəm/ or /ˈplætənəm/) is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78."

Yellow, no head. Active carbonation. Not appealing to look at. Could have just the same being peering at my toilet bowl. But no one is really looking at this, it's being chugged from a bottle.

Even though it has six naturally occurring isotopes, platinum is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust and has an average abundance of approximately 5 μg/kg. It is the least reactive metal. It occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits, mostly in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the world production.

Aroma: cereal grains. Probably a lot of rice. Nothing else. Wet water and weak everything else. Moist air. 

As a member of the platinum group of elements, as well as of the group 10 of the periodic table of elements, platinum is generally non-reactive. It exhibits a remarkable resistance to corrosion, even at high temperatures, and as such is considered a noble metal. As a result, platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum. Because it occurs naturally in the alluvial sands of various rivers, it was first used by pre-Columbian South American natives to produce artifacts. It was referenced in European writings as early as 16th century, but it was not until Antonio de Ulloa published a report on a new metal of Colombian origin in 1748 that it became investigated by scientists.

Taste: must I? I must. Tons of carbonation. Bristling bubblation on the palate, then gone, then nothing. Nothing from nothing means nothing. Gotta have something. And we got nothing. The tongue sticks in the liquid and pulls out…nothing. The mind races for something and comes back with nothing. Is it a beer? Is it a plane? It's …nothing. It's watered down alcopops. It's a bottle of Smirnoff Ice added to a gallon of ice water. 

Platinum is used in catalytic converters, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, platinum resistance thermometers, dentistry equipment, and jewelry. Because only a few hundred tonnes are produced annually, it is a scarce material, and is highly valuable and is a major precious metal commodity. Being a heavy metal, it leads to health issues upon exposure to its salts, but due to its corrosion resistance, it is not as toxic as some metals. Its compounds, most notablycisplatin, are applied in chemotherapy against certain types of cancer.^[2]

Enough carbonation to make you think you're drinking beer. But, that would be a lie and that would be wrong. What could I say to sell this more than "less watery than water"? "Less pungent than pee?"

As a pure metal, platinum is silvery-white, lustrous, ductile, and malleable.^[3] Platinum is more ductile than gold, silver and copper, thus being the most ductile of pure metals, but gold is still more malleable than platinum ^[4][5] It does not oxidize at any temperature, although it is corroded by halogens, cyanides, sulfur, and caustic alkalis. Platinum is insoluble inhydrochloric and nitric acid, but dissolves in hot aqua regia to form chloroplatinic acid, H₂PtCl₆.^[6]

Blah, blah, blah. Wait, I meant, "fullest expression yet known of Bud Light. Bud Light to the Nth Degree. Ne Plus ultra Bud Light. Etcetera."

Higher alcohol, no extra flavor or body, Bud Light Blah. I don't know how else to explain it.

Platinum is an extremely rare metal,^[11] occurring at a concentration of only 0.005ppm in the Earth's crust.^[12][13] It is sometimes mistaken for silver (Ag). Platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum and alloyed with iridium as platiniridium. Most often the native platinum is found in secondary deposits; platinum is combined with the other platinum group metals in alluvial deposits. The alluvial deposits used by pre-Columbian people in the Chocó Department, Colombiaare still a source for platinum group metals. Another large alluvial deposit is in the Ural Mountains, Russia, and it is still mined.^[6]

Who is this meant for, I wonder? Bud Light drinkers who want to step up, but not all the way to Budweiser, or Select, or what-have-you? Drinkers who want watery, but not that watery?

Platinum's rarity as a metal has caused advertisers to associate it with exclusivity and wealth. "Platinum" debit cards have greater privileges than do "gold" ones.^[52] "Platinum awards" are the second highest possible, ranking above "gold", "silver" and "bronze", but below diamond. For example, in the United States, a musical album that has sold more than 1 million copies, will be credited as "platinum", whereas an album that sold more than 10 million copies will be certified as "diamond".^[53] Some products, such as blenders and vehicles, with a silvery-white color are identified as "platinum". Platinum is considered a precious metal, although its use is not as common as the use of gold or silver. The frame of the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, manufactured for her coronation as Consort of King George VI, is made of platinum. It was the first British crown to be made of this particular metal.

Ah, ha! I knew there had to be a reason this is called "Platinum." I knew it wasn't found in alluvial deposits, and it's most certain to oxidize in certain temperatures. How precious and rare is this beer? That is yet to be seen. I haven't found anything in it to convince me it will last.

But, I hope you enjoyed learning about Platinum! Thanks, Wikipedia!

[edit]

Kentucky Ale

Kentucky Ale. A marriage of traditional English Pale Ale and Irish Red Ale styles. Brewed and bottled by Alltech's Lexington Brewing Company, Lexington, KY, ALC/VoVOL 5.34%. "Visit www.kentuckyale.com for the story behind our microbrewery."

Clear, light amber coloring, slim whitish head.

Aroma: sweet malt. Very wort-y, if I may coin such a term. Like I'm in the middle of a brew session. Big malt, minor hops. Pleasant enough, though. 

Taste: hmm. More of the same. Sweet malt, only slightly tempered by hops. Warm, malty, and uniquely refreshing. I don't think I'd imagine a cross between English pale ale and Irish red as being exactly like this, but perhaps that indemnifies my own imagination. Or is testament to a unique creation by this brewery?

Mild in flavor, easy-drinking, malty as all-get out, low-ish alcohol-wise. But not consisting of flavors that grab me, please me, squeeze me, etcetera. This may be good for some, and I hope they're happy with it, but, yeah, this don't do it for me. 

Actually, it's losing what little appeal it ever had. I'm getting close to calling "yuk" on this one. I know what I like, and I know what's good, and this ain't good, buddy.

P.S. I just discovered that I'd already reviewed this, six years ago, and completely forgotten about it. My notes were essentially the same sentiment, but worded differently, of course. 

Capital Manoomator Wild Rice Doppelbock

Here's a brand new one from Middleburg, Wisconin's Capital Brewery, a German lager centered concern that's keen on doppelbocks. The only other beer of theirs I've covered here was their Eisphyre. And here we have a wild rice doppelbock, bottle provided as a sample from my helpful and handy rep, Brandon. Notes, do your stuff!

Manoomator, Capital Square Series. "In Ojibwe, wild rice is known as Manoomin. In Bavaria, Doppelbock names end in -ator. Manoomator is a bilingualized term describing a Doppelbock with wild rice included in the grist. The result…" …whoa, nope, not this time. Later, maybe.

Clear and coppery-colored. No head at all. Despite that, bubble continue to rise to the surface. 

Rich, sweet, malty aromatics, with apparent alcohol notes. Grain/cereal notes, mineral. 

Taste: hits the mouth with richness and sweetness at the start, bold, flavorful, tasty. One problem I have is that while I like eating wild rice, I very rarely like drinking it.

In fact, I don't really think it helps a lot in the malt bill of a beer. Doesn't add any flavors that I can detect. 

Brisk carbonation blasts the palate. Bright. Full and fierce. Almost stinging. Body isn't as full and flush as I'd like, though. Maybe it's the rice not talking.

Calms down a bit after a while. But I'm not getting more flavor here. 

Wild rice doppelbock. Not a fan.

O'So Hopdinger Double IPA

O'so Hopdinger, O'So Brewing Company, Plover, WI. 

"Pungent. Hoppy. Crisp. Floral. Bitter. Piney. Resinous. Engaging."

Well, great, now I don't need to write anything, do I?

I will, anyway. 

Murky, dank deep amber hue, considerable carbonation and head. Billowing and lacy. Gigantic. Impressive….whoa, if I don't watch out, they'll have me expressing myself in one word statements.

Aroma: Yup, bitter, floral, piney, resinous, citric, pungent, hoppy, ….let's not repeat ourselves. It hits the notes you want in a double IPA. A little hint of honey in there, too, unless I'm imagining it. And I'm not.

Taste: bitter and pungent, and all that all over again. Malt flavor keep up with the huge hops, and there's an astringency added in that I can't help feeling was unintended. Don't think I tasted this when I bought it back in November. Yeah, why did this sit in the fridge for 3 months? And is the brew older than that, actually? No bottled on date, no way to know. 

This bottle is definitely funkier than when it was (I think) fresh. A little sour happening here. Lesson learned. Drink those hoppy beers up, don't sit on them, like the Pliny the Elder label implores us. We're not hens, and they're not eggs.

It does not mean, in any way shape or form, that a week or two or three will make them undrinkable, but …hey, maybe I'm wrong. 

I do like this like this. It has a Belgian quality that I find utterly diggable. Not crisply clean like a HopSlam or any kind of palate buster like a Maharaja and nowhere as smooth as an Abrasive Ale. But, quite flavorful, and unique. Lively carbonation, non-stop hops. I do like it.

Squatters Hell's Keep Belgian-style Golden Ale

When I get home from work, I need a beer. I just need to drink one. And I don't always have what I want in the fridge. Ideally, it would be a bottle of Bell's Two Hearted Ale, or a can of Surly Furious. Something  familiar, where the pleasure comes without any probing and free from surprise. On hitting the homestead, I need that flash of refreshment to start off my compression, and there are times when that doesn't happen. If I'm not stocked with those cans and bottles, there may be growlers from Harriet and Town Hall.
Last night (this morning), I forgot that I had a TH growler in the fridge, but, on the other hand, it was opened Wednesday night, and though I haven't posted a review of their Dubbel yet on this blog, it was in no state to represent it in a review. Maybe I'll go back for more?
So, the first blast of beeriness came from my final bottle of New Glarus Moon Man, Then, on to a bottle bought on that last Wisconsin trip, from the Utah concern, Squatters. I wasn't in the proper frame of mind for serious ale examination, and these were the notes:

Squatters Hell's Keep Belgian Style Golden Ale, Reserve Series, The Devil's Private Stash. 7.75 % ALC by VOL. 1 pint, 9 fluid ounces. Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Looking good. golden hued, clear, voluminous head, large, proud, and snowy white. Beautiful.

Aroma: a blend of spice, citrus, and sugar. Soft, subtle, and scintillating. 

Taste: Sweet, then dry, spicy, sparkling, sweet again, fruity, and yum. Yeasty goodness aplenty, afloat in this malty body. Very zesty, uber carbonated. Bright, springy, summery….mmmm. 

I feel like taking this apart, and being super-persnickety, but on the other hand, not. I like it. It's got a lot going on. Sweet, spicy, dry. And on, and on. Effervescent, fruity, yummy. Light bodied, but long in flavor. 

Ain't nothing wrong with these words, I just didn't find myself picking them apart and taking them to task. It's an adequate ale, hits the right notes, doesn't disappoint, while not rocking everyone's world, either.

Bell's Sparkling Ale

Drinking this fresh off tap, my first time tapping a keg of this, in February 2012, looking back on notes from February 2003, which reference notes from another tasting in summer of 2002, which I found unsatisfactory, apparently. I will post them uncensored, with only the slight correction that today I would reel back the gushing considerably. It's a good one, a very fine one, but not quite the end-all and be-all I made it out to be. Notes, away!

A huge, thick effervescent white head crowns a hazy orange color. Some yeast still floats around, then settles at the bottom of the glass.

 Aroma is sharp, fresh, and lively , full of citrus, (lemon, orange)and spices. The name gives no indication of style, but it's clear , before tasting ,even, that they're going for something in a Belgian style, something close to Duvel, maybe. 

Taste is divine, with great hop spark alive on the tongue. Yeast comes in big on the palate, and a large amount of sweetness, too. When I first tried this beer last June, I noted :"Did the sugar truck back up into the vat, and dump it's load?" I don't know if it's me, or if it's this batch, but I'm not turned off by the sweet factor, which isn't as strong. 

In the middle, more fruitiness comes through, peach, apricot, but sugar is still strong . Light in body and texture, but full of flavor, and bursting with playful hops. "Sparkling" is the appropriate name for this ale, and Bell's has crafted the best Duvel imitation I've ever tasted, from Belgium, the U.S., or anywhere else in the Universe.

RJ Rockers Bell Ringer

RJ Rockers Brewing Company, Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Bell Ringer, Handcrafted. Every Beer, Every Drop, Every Time. 

What style is this? I don't know, I'm plunging on in.

Amber hued and utterly opaque, 1/4 " head, lasting, off-white, good-looking.

Aroma: sweet and malty, fruity and funky. Definitely some Belgian yeast action happening here. Lovely.

Tasting it: ah, nice. Not too anything, this ale, warm, smooth, and tasty. High in alcohol, I bet. 8.5 %. Just enough hops, and plenty of malt goodness, mixed with Belgian yeast funky freshness. A little bit of bitter gives some great texture and play on the palate. Excellent complexity, many layers of fun in here.

Let's go ahead and look at the label copy: "Our high gravity offering weighs in at 8.5% abv and is delightfully loaded with malt and hops. This is an ale worthy of you sturdies goblet or most treasured stein. Ring it!"

Still no word on the style, or what actual ingredients or processes are involved. Ah, well, we can only let our tastebuds be our guide. And this is delicious stuff. 

I've never heard of this RJ Rocker gentleman. What else has he done, I wonder?

Lift Bridge Biscotti Belgian-style Ale

Lift Bridge Biscotti, Belgian-style Ale, Edizione Limitata, ALC. 7% by VOL. 750 ml bottle. Ale brewed with honey, grains of paradise, Madagascar vanilla beans, and whole star anise.

Clear, amber hue, slim head, soon gone. 

Sweet aromatics, bready, spicy. Some depth of flavor peeks through, but not a tremendous amount. I have to search for it, or, more likely, wait for it to unfold. 

Nice, though, that's a fact.

Taste: ah! This is the stuff. The Belgian malt, the toasty/bready flavor, mixed up the touch of anise, vanilla and more.

 Warm, and uniquely flavorful. What I missed in the nose is revealing itself in the mouth. Ripe, dark fruit sensations, as well. Texture grows on the palate, malt proving more palpable and luscious. 

I like this one quite a bit, although it doesn't go as far as I'd like with flavor, for the price. Nonetheless, one of the best efforts from Lift Bridge.