Stone Imperial Russian Ale Review: Hello Beer Shake

Imperial Russian Stout
Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, CA
http://www.stonebrew.com/

Stone Imperial Russian Stout at a Glance
Style: Imperial Russian Stout
Appearance: Black-hole dark
Aroma: Chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and licorice
Taste: Chocolate and alcohol
Verdict: My favorite stout ever, it's a huge imperial stout for stout lovers.

Stone claims that this beer pours "like Siberian Crude and tastes even heavier!" I am not sure that over-the-top statement even does this beer justice. Imperial Russian Stout poured so dark that you have to find it by smell at night. The head was also brown, though not nearly as dark of course. A pint glass could not contain the aromas of this mighty stout.  I did not have to put my nose in the head to smell this beer. Chocolate and coffee greeted my nose from about two feet away. A little closer sniffing revealed a more subtle presence of black licorice.

On to the taste! The flavor of this beer was all chocolate at the beginning but morphed into an alcohol burn at the end. Stone packs 90 IBUs worth of bitterness into its Imperial Russian Stout, but the bitterness was nearly overwhelmed by the chocolate early and the warming alcohol at the end. A gradual bitterness eventually developed after the swallow. The mouthfeel was amazingly creamy and one of the thickest I have ever experienced in a beer.

This 2011 version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout was released way back in May, but if you can find one, don't shy away. it still packs a delicious punch.

-Ryan

Style: Imperial Russian Stout
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: 90
Availability: Stone has national distribution, but its Imperial Russian Stout is a limited edition release.

Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark Review: Dark and Hoppy

Hop in the Dark
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/

Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark at a Glance
Style: Cascadian Dark Ale
Appearance: Darth Vader Black
Aroma: Pacific Northwest hops and lots of them
Taste: Big roasted malts
Verdict: A worthy example of a challenging new style

Everything about my initial experience confused me. Hop in the Dark looks like a porter. It is black-coffee dark in color with a lovely tan head. Hop in the Dark also smells like a port...wait, no it doesn't. It smells like a big American Double IPA. What the hell is going on?

Tasting the beer cleared nothing up. My tongue was as confused as my nose. The first sip presented big, complex flavors that went from hops to bitter roasted malts to hops again, the bitterness of the hops lasting longer than the bitterness of the roasted malts.The tongue twister that Hop in the Dark put my mouth through gave me the respite I needed to admire the look of the beer again: the head lingered nicely and left ample lacing on the sides of the glass.

Almost no one will like Hop in the Dark. It is definitely not a beginner's beer. You would have to be a fan of both porters and double IPAs to even have a shot with this dark alchemy. Furthermore, you would have to enjoy them mixed together. I opened this beer after drinking a Stone Arrogant Bastard and it still kicked my ass. For the adventurous though, I highly recommend a dance with Hop in the Dark. Your bravery will be rewarded with big, unexpected flavors.

-Ryan

Style: Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 70
Availability: Western US and Northern America (BC). I got my sample from Total Wine & Spirits

Snark Double Team, Part II: Karl Strauss Amber Lager Review

Amber Lager
Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
http://www.karlstrauss.com/

Karl Strauss Amber Lager at a Glance:
Style: Amber Lager
Appearance: Clear, deep copper
Aroma: Caramel malts
Taste: Toasted malts
Verdict: Boring but very drinkable

When we left off after part I of the Snark Double team, Brian was busy hating his Sam Adams Summer Ale and was eager to try something else. I offered him Old English and Mickey's, but he picked Karl Strauss Amber Lager instead. Yuppie.

I cracked open two bottles and poured one for Brian and one for myself. The color of the beer was exactly what you'd hope for from an amber lager. I'll leave it up to your imagination. The head was cream colored and the bubbles were tightly packed, which retreated to form a lasting ring around the glass.

The aroma was caramel malt and only the tiniest hint of hops.

"It tastes like toasty," Brian announced after enjoying his first sip. "It reminds me of Fat Tire."
The flavor was toasted malt up front with a lingering, mild  bitterness after the swallow. It reminded me of Fat Tire Ale too, a bit, but a worse Fat Tire. The mouth feel was thin and watery, but not inappropriate for a lager.

Karl Strauss Amber Lager

The final word? Karl Strauss Amber lager is a boring but completely drinkable beer. It is a good candidate for those seeking to expand their horizons beyond piss yellow macro lagers, but a beer aficionado will find little here to excite him or her. Brian announced, "I don't need a super exciting beer." When you are Brian a boring beer will do you just fine. My life isn't that exciting; I need my beer to be.

-Ryan

Style: Amber Lager
ABV: 4.2%
Availability: Southern California

Other beers that may interest you:
Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager
Harp Premium Lager

Snark Double Team, Part I: Sam Adams Summer Ale Review

Summer Ale
Samuel Adams (The Boston Beer Company), Boston, MA
http://www.samueladams.com/

Samuel Adams Summer Ale at a Glance:
Style: American Wheat Ale
Appearance: Cloudy, golden
Aroma: Wheat, citrus, pepper
Taste: Wheat, citrus, pepper
Verdict: Refreshing but the strong pepper flavor can be divisive

One of my goals this summer has been to try as many seasonal brews as possible. Writing about all of them as proven to be a challenge that I can't overcome. Most of them are mediocre--not bad, just not great. Mediocrity destroys creativity. Consequently, most of these summer seasonals haven't made it to the blog. Sorry.

To help me overcome the mediocrity induced laziness, I enlisted the help of a snarky outsider named Brian. Brian possesses an intrinsic snarkiness that is difficult not to notice. He and I also disagree about most beers, making him the perfect foil.

We began our two-beer snark-a-thon with Summer Ale from Sam Adams. Sam Adams is the heavyweight of the craft beer division. Even a lazy beer drinker can find the company's wares almost anywhere, and most of the beers are quite good. (You may remember that I enjoyed Sam Adams Rustic Saison just a few weeks ago.)

Sam Adams Summer Ale

The Summer Ale poured with a golden color that you'd imagine a summer ale to be and provided a nice, tight head of small bubbles that almost immediately dissipated. Brian declared that "it smells like an airport urinal." I never get my nose that close to public toilets, so I can't comment on the accuracy of his statement. I told him that he was likely smelling wheat, citrus, and a hint of peppery spice."No, it is definitely pee that I am smelling," he responded.

The peppery smell was a bit of a mystery until I read the label, which declared that the Summer Ale was brewed with Grains of Paradise. I have no idea what Grains of Paradise are, so I guess it is still a mystery. I assume that they are some sort of pepper that is endemic to Boston or Africa or someplace. I do know that I am not crazy about smelling them in my beer, but I'll get over it as long as they don't ruin the taste.

Summer Ale in the glass.

Once in my mouth, Sam Adams Summer Ale provided a proper mouth feel for the style and the right amount of carbonation. There is nothing to complain about in this area. Sorry for letting you down. To both Brian and me, the beer tasted exactly like it smelled. For me that meant wheat, citrus, and pepper. For Brian that meant pee. Strangely though, Brian responded after his first sip that the beer was quite refreshing. I tend to agree, even though I am not crazy about pepper in my beer.

The Summer Ale grew on both of us as we drank it, in opposite directions. Brian declared, "I like it less the more I drink it. It reminds me of Tequiza." I would never drink a Tequiza, so again Brian is on his own. I found it refreshing and adequate on all fronts, though nothing spectacular. Brian concluded by saying, "One of my least favorite beers of all time. Did they make this with Epsom salt?" as he poured it down the drain.

-Ryan

Style: Wheat Ale/Saison
ABV: 5.3%
Availability: Nationwide. Look for it in the Summer Styles Variety Pack or individually

Other beers that may interest you:
Sam Adams' Rustic Saison
De Proef Brewerij's Saison Imperiale
Odanata Beer Company's Saison Ale

Mammoth Brewing Company IPA 395 Review: A Beer Worth Nearly Dying Four Times For

IPA 395
Mammoth Brewing Company, Mammoth Lakes, CA
http://www.mammothbrewingco.com/

Mammoth Brewing Co IPA 395 at a Glance:
Style: American IPA
Appearance: Amber with tan head
Aroma: Spicy hops and sweet malt
Taste: Balanced hoppy bitterness and sweet, caramel malt
Verdict: One of the best IPAs we've had

Jesse recently survived an epic adventure through the high Sierras, exploring a snow-shrouded Yosemite in late June, stumbling upon a black bear and her cub while hiking, almost getting ambushed by a meth head intent on a felony or two, nearly succumbing to a rock slide in the dead of night, and spending the night in the eastern Sierras in his car, which is tiny and "not good for sleeping or sex. I've tried both."

All that sounds like fun, but the real highlight was the beer. Jesse returned from his odyssey, or Jessyssey in this case, with 2 gallons of beer enjoyment like I've seldom experienced. I was the lucky recipient of one 1/2-gallon growler. I chose the IPA 395.

Not the bear that nearly ate Jesse--a friendlier and more delicious one.

Mammoth describes the IPA 395 as a double IPA, but it lacks the bitterness of most doubles. Instead, this beer greets you with an incredible bouquet of spices, hops, and sweet malt. It poured with an amber color and a perfect tan head. The IPA 395 was not really all that bitter on the tongue, which allowed a lot of caramel malt to come through the hops. It was really well balanced and entirely enjoyable. I kept pouring until all 64 ounces were in my belly. I didn't share a drop with anyone.

Would I drive 332 miles and brave bears, meth addicts, rock slides, and bitter cold? No, but I'd gladly send Jesse again.

Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager Review: Surprisingly Drinkable

Trader Joe’s Bohemian Lager
Trader Joe’s Brewing Company, San Jose, CA
http://www.traderjoes.com

Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager at a Glance
Style: Lager
Appearance: Clear, pale gold
Aroma: Creamed corn
Taste: Hint of sweetness, hint of bitterness
Verdict: An average, drinkable lager at a reasonable price



Full disclosure: I love Trader Joe's. It is a great place to buy packed foods that don't taste like salt. I can also usually trust TJ's products to be of high quality and decent taste.

Enter TJ's Bohemian Lager. My expectations going in were that it would be drinkable but likely not great.

TJ's Bohemian Lager - drinkable, just barely

The Bohemian Lager provided a clear, golden pour as it flowed from the bottle. The decent initial head quickly faded to Bolivia, leaving sad looking clumps of foam in its wake. The lager smelled like creamed corn, which is not what I would have hoped. It didn't taste much better either; there was nothing much there except for a hint of bitterness and a hint of sweetness. However, it finished cleanly with no lingering nastiness.

Like much of San Jose, where this beer is brewed, Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager is mostly forgettable
Fans of Trader Joe’s will point out that the quirky grocery stocks thousands of delicious products in its stores. Fans of beer will point out that this is not one of those products. Still, it's drinkable, and you could do a hell of a lot worse.

Style: Czech Pils
ABV: 5.0%
Available: Trader Joe’s nationwide

Odanata Beer Company Saison Review: Odanata Brews a Damn Fine Saison

Saison
Odanata Beer Company, Sacramento, CA
http://www.odonatabeer.com/

Sour beer sounds disgusting, as if it were a home brew experiment gone awry. With its Saison, Odanata Brewery attempts to convince Americans that “sour” and “beer” go together. Sure, the Belgians have made sour beer for centuries, but they also put mayonnaise on their goddamn french fries. On the nose, this bottle-conditioned saison hints at the sour, citrusy experience inside. It pours with a creamy, enduring head and a golden color. The beer hits your tongue with wheat and refreshing citrus tones, providing a much more interesting experience than Blue Moon, Shock Top, or the like. The longer you let this saison linger, the sourer it gets, like marrying the wrong woman. But, count me among the converted. I could drink this beer all summer and all winter long.

Odanta Beer Company's Saison is one of my absolute favorites.

Style: Saison
ABV: 6.4%
Availability: Sacramento, CA and surrounds only

-Ryan

Other beers that may interest you:
Sam Adams' Rustic Saison
De Proef Brewerij's Saison Imperiale
Odanata Beer Company's Saison Ale

De Proef Brewerij Saison Imperiale Review: Someone go to Europe and tell the Belgians that they have lost their minds.

Saison Imperiale

De Proef Brewerij, Lochristi, Belgium

http://www.proefbrouwerij.com/

De Proef Brewerij's Saisson Imperiale

If you woke me from sleep and demanded to know what "farmhouse ale" meant (because you didn't bother to Google first) I'd say something like "an unfiltered, sour, bottle-conditioned wheat beer.  You know like a scrumpy cider or a country wine.  Now let me go back to sleep damn it!"  According to Saison Imperiale's label, I'm way off.  It actually means, according to De Proefu Brewerij, that the beer makers blend Sacchromyces and Brettanomyces yeasts to produce "mild earthiness" and "farmhouse."  From a marketing standpoint, "earthy" implies "pastoral" which means "smells like shit." Thankfully, this beer didn't.  The high alcohol and sour and sweet malt combine to form an altogether pleasant tasting saison.  I'd have it with meal next time just to keep from getting burned out on malty after taste, but I'd definitely have it again.  

 

                                                                            -Jesse 

When I first poured De Proef's Saison Imperiale I was ready to attack. A saison? Look at the color! 8.5% ABV? Any farmer who drank one of these for lunch who lose a leg to his scythe! Then, I tasted it. This does not taste like a saison! If you drink hoping for a traditional saison experience, you are going to have to swallow disappointment. Everything about this beer, except the aroma perhaps, screamed "I am not a saison!" The Imperiale looked like no saison I have ever seen. Instead, it featured a thick tan head with nice lacing and amber coloring. The aroma fit the saison mold -- slightly fruity with a hint of dirt. The beer managed to be both sweet and sour on the tongue like a bipolar candy with lots of caramel maltiness. There was no bitterness until the aftertaste. Despite all my vitriole, this was an interesting concoction. Overall I enjoyed this beer, and you will too.

-Ryan

Style: Saison/Imperial
ABV: 8.5%
Availability: Specialty stores nationwide

Other beers that may interest you:

Odanata Beer Company's Saison

Sam Adams' Rustic Saison

Sam Adams' Summer Ale

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Review: Chrsitmas in June

Yesterday Santa visited in the form of a single Celebration Ale left over from Christmas. I'll skip the long review since you won't be able to purchase the beer until the late fall, but I love this beer. I could drink it all year long. The closest beer Sierra Nevada offers year round is the Torpedo. Torpedo is just as freshly hopped but not quite as spicy. I love both!

Harp Premium Lager Review: The Irish Attempt a Half-Decent Lager. Get it Half Right.

"From the Makers of Guinness." The marketing message is clear: "Guinness is pretty good, and we made Guinness so Harp Premium Lager must also be good." I remain skeptical. I know saying that Guinness is not my favorite stout is a bit like saying Jesus isn't my favorite first-century Jewish spiritual leader, but I just don't love the dark ale from Dublin.

Harp's new green, more Irishy-looking bottle

Appearance wise, Harp Premium Lager is exactly what it should be. It poured with a classic lager gold, very clear. It left a fleeting head. There wasn't much to the aroma, however, no malt or hops. I could have been sniffing an empty glass mistakenly.

On to the taste. "Genuine Irish Recipe." What does that mean? It means that a bunch of people not known for making a lager got together and made up their own recipe. You know, because the German and Czech's muck it up so badly. This beer tasted crisp and clean; it was surprisingly good actually. I'd like a bit more flavor, but what was there wasn't bad. There was a hint of corn maybe, but not much else. Very crisp, very clean. The mouth feel was a bit thin but acceptable. The aftertaste was clean, a hint bitter, and refreshing.

The best, most accurate praise I can give Harp Premium Lager is that it tastes like an American lager should, if only American beer drinkers weren't so lazy and unadventurous. The Irish can make a decent lager. What other stereotypes about the Irish aren't true either?

-Ryan

Style: Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Availability: Nationwide