971-980. The Extreme Beer Fest Part II
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM.
This is the second set of beers that I tried at the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest 2009.
971. OatGoop
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)
Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.
972. Dwarven Hammer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.
973. Phunky Duck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).
974. Brute
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.
975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.
976. Special Holiday Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide
This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.
977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.
978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide
This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.
979. Apex
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.
980. Founders Double Trouble
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.
971. OatGoop
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)
Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.
972. Dwarven Hammer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.
973. Phunky Duck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).
974. Brute
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.
975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.
976. Special Holiday Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide
This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.
977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.
978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide
This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.
979. Apex
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.
980. Founders Double Trouble
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.
Labels: Altbier, American Double IPA, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Berliner Weissbier, English Bitter, Unblended Lambic, Wheat Wine, Winter Warmer
631-640. The Extreme Beer Fest Part III
Published by Unknown on Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 9:24 PM.
This is the last of my posts on the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Feast 2007. The tasting notes are from the last 10 new beers of 30 new that I sampled. The notes get very general and short towards the end, and the handwriting gets pretty terrible, a good indicator of how drunk I was by the time the fest was over.
631. Kuhnhenn Wheat Wine
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: Wheat Wine
Pours a hazy amber with an off-white head. The aroma is predominantly resiny hops with a bit of fruitiness. The flavor is fruity and malty.
632. Magic Hat Belgian Sour Red Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
According to the program: "1 BBL batch, brewed exclusively for EBF. Malty, fruity, sharp and acidic, with slight oak characters." Pours a hazy copper. The aroma is yeasty and fruity with a light acidic hint. The flavor is mildly sour, though not too sweet. The finish is lightly medicinal. It's good, but it could have been more sour.
633. Stone Coast 840 Imperial India Pale Ale Bourbon Aged 2005
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Coast Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber. There's a light bourbon aroma with notes of vanilla. The beer is sweet and malty upfront with vanilla evident, the aftertaste is strong and hoppy.
634. Hairy Eyeball Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.80%
Style: American Strong Ale
Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is light, but dark fruit is evident. The flavors are predominantly malty and sweet, with little bitterness.
635. Redbridge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Style: American Amber/Red Lager
This is A-B's gluten free, sorghum beer. I was curious to try it. Pours a clear, golden-amber. The aroma is light, and predominantly fruity. The flavor is much the same.
636. Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
There was a sign up at Weyerbacher saying to come by at 9 for a new "Extreme Dark Wild Ale". Being a sucker for Wild Ales I showed up around 8:55, and got the first pour at 9:00. Pours a lightly hazy amber. The aroma is sour and acidic with hints of Brett. The flavor is mostly sour and acidic with some malts and sweet fruitiness as well.
637. Founders Blushing Monk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Fruit/Vegatable Beer, BJCP Style Guide
This has to be the most minimal set of notes I have from the fest. Appearance, smell and taste are all sweet raspberry, with a light tartness.
638. Founders Backwoods Bastard
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.20%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is very much like a Scotch Ale, heavy malts. The flavors are the same with a nice peatiness.
639. Kuhnhenn Braggot
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 13.00%
Style: Braggot
Pours a hazy amber. The taste and aroma are both sweet and fruity.
640. Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 14.50%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, red color. The aromas are fruity and malty. The taste is the same with some bourbon notes, as well as some light spiciness and bitterness.
Like I mentioned in my first post, I really like the unlimited tastings format. It's easier to sample more beers, but it also increases the chances that you'll drink too much, which I certainly did. Perhaps the best strategy is to sample new beers early in the session, and save the last hour or so for getting sloshed. The food was pretty good, I had a sausage and pepper sandwich from Sunset, which was tasty, and later in the evening I had a Waffle Haus waffle, that was, as always, excellent.
I only have four beers marked as favorites, and three of those are from early in the evening: Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Weyerbacher Simcoe, Iron Hill Framboise and Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale. I neglected to keep track later in the evening, so I'm probably giving short shrift to some of the other beers.
631. Kuhnhenn Wheat Wine
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: Wheat Wine
Pours a hazy amber with an off-white head. The aroma is predominantly resiny hops with a bit of fruitiness. The flavor is fruity and malty.
632. Magic Hat Belgian Sour Red Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
According to the program: "1 BBL batch, brewed exclusively for EBF. Malty, fruity, sharp and acidic, with slight oak characters." Pours a hazy copper. The aroma is yeasty and fruity with a light acidic hint. The flavor is mildly sour, though not too sweet. The finish is lightly medicinal. It's good, but it could have been more sour.
633. Stone Coast 840 Imperial India Pale Ale Bourbon Aged 2005
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Coast Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber. There's a light bourbon aroma with notes of vanilla. The beer is sweet and malty upfront with vanilla evident, the aftertaste is strong and hoppy.
634. Hairy Eyeball Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.80%
Style: American Strong Ale
Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is light, but dark fruit is evident. The flavors are predominantly malty and sweet, with little bitterness.
635. Redbridge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Style: American Amber/Red Lager
This is A-B's gluten free, sorghum beer. I was curious to try it. Pours a clear, golden-amber. The aroma is light, and predominantly fruity. The flavor is much the same.
636. Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
There was a sign up at Weyerbacher saying to come by at 9 for a new "Extreme Dark Wild Ale". Being a sucker for Wild Ales I showed up around 8:55, and got the first pour at 9:00. Pours a lightly hazy amber. The aroma is sour and acidic with hints of Brett. The flavor is mostly sour and acidic with some malts and sweet fruitiness as well.
637. Founders Blushing Monk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Fruit/Vegatable Beer, BJCP Style Guide
This has to be the most minimal set of notes I have from the fest. Appearance, smell and taste are all sweet raspberry, with a light tartness.
638. Founders Backwoods Bastard
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.20%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark amber. The aroma is very much like a Scotch Ale, heavy malts. The flavors are the same with a nice peatiness.
639. Kuhnhenn Braggot
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 13.00%
Style: Braggot
Pours a hazy amber. The taste and aroma are both sweet and fruity.
640. Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 14.50%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, red color. The aromas are fruity and malty. The taste is the same with some bourbon notes, as well as some light spiciness and bitterness.
Like I mentioned in my first post, I really like the unlimited tastings format. It's easier to sample more beers, but it also increases the chances that you'll drink too much, which I certainly did. Perhaps the best strategy is to sample new beers early in the session, and save the last hour or so for getting sloshed. The food was pretty good, I had a sausage and pepper sandwich from Sunset, which was tasty, and later in the evening I had a Waffle Haus waffle, that was, as always, excellent.
I only have four beers marked as favorites, and three of those are from early in the evening: Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Weyerbacher Simcoe, Iron Hill Framboise and Weyerbacher Extreme Dark American Wild Ale. I neglected to keep track later in the evening, so I'm probably giving short shrift to some of the other beers.
Labels: American Amber/Red Lager, American Double IPA, American Strong Ale, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Flanders Red Ale, Wheat Wine
489. Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale
I noticed another Smuttynose Big Beer release at Downtown Wine & Spirits last week. This one is a Wheat Wine, which is a style I've never had before. I let it warm to around 45º F and served it in my New Belgium glass.
The bottle says:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 10.70%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Wheat Wine
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy amber. It's topped by a one-finger, off-white head that quickly thins to a sudsy film that slowly fades to a ring. Lace is low and sporadic.
Smell (4.5): Very aromatic. Tart fruitiness, floral hops, and spicy and peppery alcohol in the background.
Taste (3.5): Lightly fruity with sweet malts upfront. The malts run throughout and provide a nice backbone. There is substantial hop bitterness in the finish that mingles with spicy alcohol. The aftertaste is a light citric tartness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, with a lightly oily texture.
Drinkability (4.0): High alcohol, but it's very warming, which is nice on a cool night like tonight.
Overall (3.85): This is my first Wheat Wine, so I'm not sure how it compares to other examples of the style. I enjoyed it.
I noticed another Smuttynose Big Beer release at Downtown Wine & Spirits last week. This one is a Wheat Wine, which is a style I've never had before. I let it warm to around 45º F and served it in my New Belgium glass.
The bottle says:
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale is a unique hybridization of two well-known beer styles, combining the rich voluptuous taste of a traditional barleywine with the subtle, tart flavors of an American wheat ale , topped off with a healthy dose of crisp, herbaceous hops.Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 10.70%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Wheat Wine
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy amber. It's topped by a one-finger, off-white head that quickly thins to a sudsy film that slowly fades to a ring. Lace is low and sporadic.
Smell (4.5): Very aromatic. Tart fruitiness, floral hops, and spicy and peppery alcohol in the background.
Taste (3.5): Lightly fruity with sweet malts upfront. The malts run throughout and provide a nice backbone. There is substantial hop bitterness in the finish that mingles with spicy alcohol. The aftertaste is a light citric tartness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, with a lightly oily texture.
Drinkability (4.0): High alcohol, but it's very warming, which is nice on a cool night like tonight.
Overall (3.85): This is my first Wheat Wine, so I'm not sure how it compares to other examples of the style. I enjoyed it.
Labels: Reviews, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Wheat Wine
