Beer Review: Cocoa Nibs Eugene

Reviewing the Cocoa Nibs Coffee Eugene from Revolution Brewing Company out of Chicago, Illinois. This unannounced cask beer is their Eugene porter brewed with cocoa nibs.
Score: 90

Tap pour served in a 16 oz pint glass at the brewpub. Shared and enjoyed with Robbie Moy on 02/06/13.

Appearance: Deep brown, almost black, in color (made less apparent in my photography by the flash on my iPhone). Served with three fingers of frothy khaki color head that slowly recedes to a thick layer atop the glass. Below average lacing, average retention. 4/5

Smell: Smells a lot like Eugene with extra dark chocolate upfront. Fainter roastiness than the base too, at least based on memory. Caramel, faint vanilla and chocolate malt. 4/5

Taste: Lots of dark chocolate, some flavor barely bitter coffee flavor and hints of vanilla and caramel. Finishes with a dark chocolate finish. 4/5

Mouthfeel: A little fuller than thin bodied with low carbonation. Slightly dry. Silky mouthfeel. 3.5/5

Overall: Delicious, but lacks the body or full creaminess of Coffee Eugene. This was a nice find on cask, however. If you ever visit the brewpub, always make sure to ask about the cask!

Recommendation: Order a pint! It is superior to the original.

Cost: $7 for a 16 oz pint.

Beer Review: Clare's Thirsty Ale

Reviewing Clare's Thirsty Ale from Haymarket Pub & Brewery out of Chicago, Illinois. This beer is an imperial stout aged for 13 months in Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels on Raspberries. I previously had this beer at FOBAB, but finally got the chance to sit down at try it "at my leisure."
Score: 94

4 oz sample served in a taster glass and enjoyed at Haymarket's 2nd Anniversary Party on 01/12/12. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Pours a very traditional barrel aged stout look. Dark brown, maybe black in color with a foggy, film-thin layer of tan head when brought to the table. Decent lacing/retention. 4/5

Smell: Raspberries, fudge and very faint vanilla. Not detecting any bourbon/barrel at all in the nose. The nose is predominantly chocolate and raspberry. 4.5/5

Taste: Tastes like an (aged) Bramble Bourbon County Brand Stout clone! Fudge-infused raspberry jam/chocolate covered raspberries. Some vanilla/oak and a light roast. Hint of bourbon too. Very tasty! 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Like all of Haymarket's barrel aged stouts, this beer is not full-bodied (I'd say it is closer to medium bodied) with minimal carbonation. However, the beer is super creamy and a little jammy, and its bold enough in flavor to soak the palate in flavor despite possessing a thinner mouthfeel than its Bourbon County Brand Stout variant sister. For whatever reason, the mouthfeel here works and does not leave me wanting more viscosity (unlike their Angel's Envy Port Barrel Aged Acrimonious Imperial Stout). This stout is sweet, but not Lindley Park sweet. 4.25/5

Overall: Considering that Bramble has been retired, this periodically brewed beer is an excellent replacement for those who want to try an example of fruit in a stout done right.

Recommendation: Seek this beer out; it's one of Haymarket's best!

Pairings: Chocolate cake.

Cost: $2 for a 4 oz pour or $6 for a 12 oz pour.

Beer Review: Winter Woman Brown

Reviewing the Winter Woman Brown from Revolution Brewing Company out of Chicago, Illinois. This brew is the "imperial," extra hopped version of their Working Woman Brown.
Score: 91

Tap pour served in a 5 oz taster glass at the brewpub and enjoyed on 02/06/13.

Appearance: Pours a translucent, brownish crimson color with ruby transparencies. Served with only a ring around the glass of off-white head. 4/5

Smell: Chocolate, tropical citrus hops, and nuts. Faint caramel too. There is also something dessert like in the nose that I cannot put my finger on. 4.25/5

Taste: Cocoa, tropical citrus, brown sugar and nuts. Has an earthy hops and caramel/malt back bone. The hop bitterness shines in the finish and makes for an interesting lingering flavor with the cocoa. A light amount of alcohol warmth sits on the tongue (this one is 9.5% ABV). 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied, medium-light carbonation. Well balanced, slightly bitter mouthfeel. Has a very mild "mouthwatering" effect on the palate. 4/5

Overall: Although I found that this drank more like an IPA with a brown ale twist than a traditional brown ale, I thoroughly enjoyed this brew. I frankly, for whatever reason, had low expectations going into this one and was pleasantly surprised by what Winter Woman Brown delivered. Revolution continues to pump out quality new beer regularly, and their lineup is surprisingly deep after three years of business. Keep up the great work guys!

Recommendation: Grab a pint of this next time you are at the pub!

Cost: $7 for a snifter, $3 for a 5 oz taster glass.

Beer Review: Hel & Verdoemenis 666

Reviewing the Hel & Verdoemenis 666 from Brouwerij De Molen out of Belgium. Batch 666 is Hel & Verdoemenis with added wood chips soaked in a 40 year old cognac.
Score: 93

Bottle is dated 11/14/2011. Served in a snifter glass and enjoyed on 02/05/13.

Appearance: Coffee colored body. Pours a thin layer of mocha head that settles to ring around the glass. Good lacing, average retention. 4/5

Smell: Milk chocolate, lots of roastiness, bakers chocolate, wood and a touch of menthol-y peppermint-like aroma. There is also something else in the aroma that is really intriguing that I cannot put my finger on -- maybe it's the cognac. Faint coffee and a hint of hops too. Perfect incorporation; deliciously inviting. 5/5

Taste: Tastes a lot like it smells plus some cherry, a little plum, and less chocolate than was present in the nose. Woody backbone with a mild amount of coffee in the finish. Faint hoppiness. What I suspect is the Cognac from the nose is more prominent too, but still not very bold. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, minimal carbonation. Slightly sweet. Creamy mouthfeel. 4.25/5

Overall: One of the better Belgium-originating stouts I have had to date.

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this stuff out. It is delicious! It has a mass appealing flavor profile too.

Cost: $11.99 for a 12 oz bottle.

Beer Review: Black Damnation III (Black Mes)

Reviewing the Black Damnation III (Black Mes) from De Struise Brouwers out of Belgium. This is Black Albert aged for two years in single malt Islay Scotch Whiskey barrels (1995 "The Distillers Edition" barrels) from the Caol Ila distillery out of Scotland.
Score: 92

Unknown vintage bottle from "Lot 4533300911." This beer is presently retired. Served in a snifter glass and enjoyed on 02/04/13. Major thanks to Adam (crosamich) for hooking me up with this major want!

Appearance: Pours a coffee color with a half finger layer of mocha colored head that settles to a thin covering that coats maybe half of the top of the beer. Below average lacing, average retention. Some spotty lacing remains behind after the beer runs back down into the glass. 4/5

Smell: At first, right out of the fridge, the aroma is heavy on burnt chocolate/licorice. As it warms up, however, the "burnt" characters mellow out. Bakers chocolate, burnt brown sugar, faint smoke, and a mild amount of cherry and dark fruit. Some wood towards the back of the aroma too. Some of the elements of the nose are appealing, but the components overall do not meld together smoothly. The nose is a bit rough around the edges. 3.75/5

Taste: The aroma initially put me off, but the taste is much better incorporated. There is more cherry flavor and chocolate and substantially less "burnt" qualities on the palate. The peatiness is still pretty faint, but still more pronounced. The smokiness does not add much flavor, so much as it adds a little prickling sensation on the throat after the swallow akin to peppers in a beer. The licorice is also pretty faint, and a mere accent in the finish. Some molasses too, primarily towards the finish. Hint of oak. More chocolate flavor prevails as the beer warms up. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Slightly sweet, but miles away from cloying. Has a very dry, almost chalky, finish that accenuates the viscosity of the brew. 4.5/5

Overall: I've been told by several people that this beer was a "Black Mess," but found that I enjoyed everything about this beer except maybe the nose (at least until it warmed up). The smokiness present in this beer is about as subtle as smoke can possibly be in a beer. Although I found this variation of Black Albert inferior to the original (as I did with all of the other variants of Black Albert that I have tried), I think that this was one of my favorite barrel treatments. The mouthfeel is very viscous thanks to a dry finish, and that is how I prefer my stouts. This may be the best beer I have ever had aged in Scotch barrels.

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this out if you want to try a good example of a well-aged beer in Scotch barrels.

Cost: $12 for an 11.2 oz bottle.

Beer Review: Moat Water

Reviewing the Moat Water from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Florida. Major thanks to Adam for hooking me up with this brew that I missed out on when it was released.
Score: 95

Fall 2012 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/22/13.

Appearance: Inky black body with two-plus fingers of frothy khaki head that slowly settles to a thin layer. Unreal lacing and retention. 5/5

Smell: Vanilla coffee creamer, maple, coffee and waves of luscious milk chocolate. Some fudgey brownie and wood too. A little pound cake-like appears in the aroma as it warms up. The way these aromas interact is absolutely sublime. Each is bold and complementary, weaving a complex and appealing breakfast-like nose. The maple really shines as the underlying aroma backbone as this beer warms up. 4.75/5

Taste: Tastes a little more coffee forward and less maple heavy than it smells at room temperature, but otherwise this one smells just like it tastes but a little sweeter. There's a little "brown sugar oatmeal"-like flavor in the mix too. Just delicious! 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied, light carbonation. Super creamy mouthfeel. Slightly sweet and mildly dry on the finish. 4.5/5

Overall: Home run stout.

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this out!

Pairings: Brown sugar oatmeal.

Cost: $20 for a 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Florida Cracker White Ale

Reviewing the Florida Cracker White Ale from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Florida.
Score: 88

Canned on 11/20/12. Served in a stemmed tulip wine glass and enjoyed on 01/17/13. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Pours an unfiltered.cloudy dull golden wheat color with a couple fingers of white head that settles to a fluffy layer atop the glass. Excellent lacing and retention 4/5

Smell: Bready malt, cereal grain, coriander, oldish hops and a light amount of tropical citrus . A touch of clove and a little distinct lemon as well. 3.5/5

Taste: Spritzy, very lightly tart, lemon-lime and bready malt flavors dominate the taste with some fruity/floral character mixed in. Coriander is also present, but substantially more subtle on the palate than it was in the aroma. There is a juicy, non-descript tropical citrus flavor backbone. Finishes with grain and slightly "fruity" lemon. There is a subdued hoppiness upfront that quickly washes away. Very light, juicy and refreshing. The tropical citrus is much more pronounced on the palate, all for the better. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, medium carbonation. Super juicy mouthfeel with a slightly dry finish. 4/5

Overall: This is a really tasty witbier that I would drink again. This is one of the better beers in the style that I have had the pleasure to enjoy.

Recommendation: Seek a can of this out.

Pairings: A spinach and avocado omelet with mozzarella cheese.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack of 12 oz cans.