Beer Review: Rue D'Floyd (The Bruery version)

Reviewing Rue D'Floyd, an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels with cherries, coffee and vanilla beans added brewed by The Bruery out of Placentia, California in collaboration with Three Floyd's Brewing Company out of Munster, Indiana. This beer was unintentionally infected with lactobacillus, meaning that it is apt to develop off/unintended flavors over time. The Bruery, in their mea culpa email about the infection, asserted that it would be best by June 30, 2014 (i.e., no infection flaws apparent if drank by then).

Score: 93

March 2014 vintage bottle served in a 2011 Surly Darkness chalice and enjoyed on 07/19/14.

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate color with a thin layer of khaki head that settles to a thick ring around the glass. Okay lacing, average retention. 4/5

Smell: Vanilla bean ice cream, coffee, brown sugar, light roast, bourbon, cherry and a hint of chocolate. The cherry (and bourbon) is much more pronounced in the nose of The Bruery brewed version of this beer than the Three Floyd's brewed version, but it is still pretty subdued overall. The aromatic mix is nice, and the vanilla is quite lovely, but it is not quite as marvelously integrated as the Three Floyd's version was. 4.5/5

Taste: Bourbon-forward flavor followed by ample chocolate (much more so than the nose). Oaky vanilla on the finish. Not getting much cherry right out of the fridge, but as it warms up, a little bit of restrained cherry flavor comes through on the back half. Long-lasting finish of bourbon and oak. A bit of alcohol heat and more sweetness comes across than I recall in the Three Floyd's version. No off flavors present in this bottle as of late July 2014. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Similar mouthfeel to the Three Floyd's version, but with more alcohol heat. Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Viscous, chewy and a little creamy mouthfeel. Sweeter than I recall the Three Floyd's version being. 4.75/5

Overall: Very good, but it's not quite the robust beast that the Three Floyd's brewed version was -- whether that be because of slight differences in the brewing process or the coffee element or otherwise.

Cost: $20 for a 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Rye D'Floyd (Three Floyd's version)

Reviewing Rue D'Floyd, an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels with cherries and vanilla beans added brewed by Three Floyd's Brewing Company out of Munster, Indiana out of their facility in collaboration with The Bruery. The Bruery version, which also has coffee in it, was reportedly infected with unintended lactobacillus (it still tasted good fresh, but the infection likely means it will develop off/unintended flavors over time). However, this version was brewed and aged separately by Three Floyds and thus does not share the same concerns as (or the coffee in) the Bruery released version.

Score: 98

May 2014 vintage bottle served in a stemmed 2013 Midwest Belgian Beer Fest tulip and enjoyed on 06/01/14.

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate color with minimal head that totally settles. No lacing or retention, but nice browning effect from the swirl. 4/5

Smell: Rich, desserty vanilla and chocolate cake, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses and light cherry. Wow. Smells incredible. The cherry character is not very prominent on the nose, but it is there. This is one of the best stout/porter noses I have encountered in a while. 5/5

Taste: Much more cherry in the flavor. Upfront is a nice mix of cherry, chocolate and a vanilla flavor that tastes like a donuts glaze. Bourbon and cherry flavor on the back half, with a big, lasting chocolate-vanilla flavored finish. The bourbon character comes out more and more as it warms up, and the longer you let the beer sit on the tongue. Lovely integration here. No real booziness. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Viscous, chewy and a little creamy mouthfeel. Sweet, but not cloying and very balanced. 5/5

Overall: Incredible. Viscous, decadent and robust, without being cloying. This is one of Three Floyd's and The Bruery's best barrel aged stout/porter releases. Heck, this is better than over half of the Barrel Aged Dark Lord releases to date.

Cost: $30 for a 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Convenient Distraction

Reviewing the Convenient Distraction from O'so Brewing Company out of Plover, Wisconsin.

Score: 85

2014 vintage bottle served in a Great Taste of the Midwest taster glass and enjoyed on 05/04/14 while camping out for Great Taste tickets. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Syrup/cola brown color. One finger of tan head off the pour, which settles to a thin layer. Lovely lacing and retention. 4/5

Smell: Smells like lightly roasted coffee with a little bit of vanilla creamer. 3.75/5

Taste: Coffee flavor with a light chocolatey finish. Has a milky creamer flavor to it too. A faint kiss of vanilla bean ice cream comes out as it warms up. The flavors are nice, but the chocolate/vanilla is way too muted. 3.75/5

Mouthfeel: Thin bodied, appropriate carbonation. Modestly bitter. 3/5

Overall: A solid porter that needs its adjuncts enhanced.

Cost: $15.99 for a 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Devil Over A Barrel

Reviewing the Devil Over A Barrel from Tyranena Brewing Company out of Lake Mills, Wisconsin. This beer is an imperial oatmeal porter brewed with coffee, 60% of which is barrel aged and then blended.

Score: 93

2014 vintage screw cap bottle served in a Schramm's Mead snifter and enjoyed on 05/07/14. Thank you Eric for the hookup!

Appearance: Pours a black coffee color with a thin layer of tan head that quickly settles to a ring around the glass. Good lacing and retention. 4/5

Smell: Big roastiness, plus coffee and chocolate and a light amount of vanilla. The nose is more defined by a roastiness than a coffee character. 4.5/5

Taste: Roasted coffee, followed by a bourbon flavored finish that is flavorful, but not intense. No booziness here. Has a lovely residual chocolate flavor with a kiss of brown sugar. Good balance between the coffee bitterness and bourbon flavored sweetness. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: I get that this is a porter, but the body is still pretty thin relative to the robust flavor profile present here. This bottle was a touch overcarbonated, but that was easily solved by some swirling and patience. Watery mouthfeel, with a bitter leaning balance. Again, I get that this is a porter, but a more viscous body would have done this beer wonders. 3/5

Overall: Although not 100% barrel aged, this beer tastes a lot like how KBS used to taste several years back -- albeit with a touch less bourbon character and a substantially thinner body. The coffee and bourbon characters are nicely present on the taste -- the barrel does not outshine the chocolate, the coffee does not overpower the bourbon, and everything mixes together in a nice harmony that has a lovely kiss of vanilla underlying it. The mouthfeel is sadly watery, though, and this somewhat undermines an otherwise delicious brew. Seek this one out fresh, while the coffee character is still robustly present!

Cost: $10 for a four pack of 12 oz bottles.

Beer Review: Bourbon Barrel Aged Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter

BEER REVIEW #500!

Reviewing the Bourbon Barrel Aged Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter, a collaboration between San Diego area homebrewer Ken Schmidt, Stone Brewing Company and Maui Brewing Company. The name of the beer is pretty evocative of what it is.

Score: 91

Summer 2011 vintage caged and corked bottle, one of 672 produced. Served in a stemmed taster glass and enjoyed on 11/07/13 at the Chicago Craft Beer Lover's event hosted at The Beer Temple. Huge shout out and thanks to beeradvocate user Chi81 for bringing this surprise treat, one that I have long wanted to try and since given up on ever ticking. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Pours a soda color with minimal head off the pour that totally settles. Oily legs, but poor lacing/retention. 3.5/5

Smell: Roast, coconut, cocoa, light oak and light molasses. A dash of fruity oxidation, which melds nicely with the other complexities of the nose. No single character, not even the coconut, takes the center stage here; all are well balanced in proportion to each other. 4.25/5

Taste: The toasted coconut flavor is not nearly as prominent as I expected it to be, but still there to a nice degree. Also present is a mix of chocolate, brown sugar and light oak. Really nice integration of the components, but the flavor is not very bold. Traditional bourbon flavor featured in bourbon barrel aged stouts/porters is virtually non-existent. Coconut flavor grows a little bit when I let the beer sit and warm in the glass. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Slick mouthfeel. Good balance, with a light sweetness. 4.25/5

Overall: A lot more subtle in flavor and delicate than anticipated. I enjoyed this, but imagine it has faded over the past two-plus years.

Cost: $25 for a 500 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Georgia Gene

Reviewing the Georgia Gene from Revolution Brewing Company out of Chicago, Illinois.

Score: 93

Tap pour on release day served in a taster glass and enjoyed on 10/09/13. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: This beer looks like all of Revolution's barrel aged stouts/porters. Shiny, inky black in color served with a ring around the glass of khaki head. Solid lacing/average retention. 4/5

Smell: Oak, brown sugar, bourbon and cacao/chocolate. No distinct peach but something not traditional in a stout is present here that I cannot put my finger on; it is probably muted peach. 4/5

Taste: Vanilla, oak and bourbon upfront followed by delicious peach, bitter chocolate and a light vanilla flavor in the finish. Nice bittersweet balance here, with the sweet barrel characters hitting upfront and then mellowing out quickly. A little alcohol sting on the sides of the tongue. The base beer characteristics are surprisingly bold and not overwhelmed by the barrel treatment, which is a nice departure from the sweet Woodford-forward barrel projects that Revolution has been churning out lately. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low carbonation. Creamy and slick mouthfeel. Good balance. 4.25/5

Overall: I wish I had time to stay for a full snifter pour. This is Revolution's best new barrel aged project in recent memory. I love that it has a nice bitterness in the finish for balance, and that it is not as bourbon-forward as their other recent releases. Prost!

Cost: $7 for a 9 oz snifter pour.

Beer Review: Birth of Tragedy (2012)

Reviewing Birth of Tragedy from Hill Farmstead Brewery out of Greensboro Bend, Vermont.

Score: 95

2012 vintage bottle served in a taster glass and enjoyed on 02/23/13. Review is from iPhone notes. I reviewed this beer blind (and then later assigned the name to the review).

Appearance: Jet black in color. Pours a thin layer of bubbly, dark khaki head that settles to a pencil thin ring around the glass. No lacing or retention to speak of. 4/5

Smell: Maple, vanilla, coffee and chocolate. Brown, sugar hint of raisin and cinnamon. Wow. 4.5/5

Taste: Bourbon and maple galaore. Less coffee than nose with a nice vanilla backbone. A touch of boozy hotness. Brown sugar and a nice "non-malty" sweetness too. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Not quite full bodied. Low carbonation. Nice sweetness, but not "sweet." Syrupy mouthfeel. 4.5/5

Overall: I had this beer at a blind tasting and it was one of my favorite of the night. Reminded me a lot of CBS, though it was apparent that this was not CBS from the bottle size. Barrel aged breakfast in a glass, this beer was very maple, coffee and vanilla forward. The 2012 vintage has a lot of bottle variation, as I have had some nearly undrinkable bottles that were nothing more than flat, sweet syrup. Thank you Fitz for bringing this one!

Cost: $15 for a 500 ml bottle.

Beer Review: Black Butte XX, XXII, XXIII and XXIV Vertical (2013)

Reviewing a vertical of Black Butte XX, Black Butte XXI, Black Butte XXIII and Black Butte XXIV from the Deschutes Brewery from Bend, Oregon to commemorate my 400th written review (per BeerAdvocate)! A major thanks and shout out to Edgar Chavez for making this vertical tasting possible. Each vintage of the Barrel Aged Black Butte release is a different formulation.

Black Butte XX is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with chocolate beans and coffee added with 20% aged in bourbon barrel.

Black Butte XXI is similar recipe and strength to Black Butte XX, "enhanced by adding some Theo's Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, dry-hopping it with 100 pounds of Bellatazza's locally roasted coffee, and then aging a portion of it in Stranahan's Colorado whiskey barrels."

Black Butte XXIII is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with cocoa nibs, orange and natural flavors added, with 25% aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Black Butte XXIV is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with dark chocolate nibs, Daglet dates and Mission figs, and partially aged in Bourbon Barrels.

You may notice that Black Butte XXII is missing from the vertical. The reason for this is that there were quality control issues with the batch. Only a very limited number of Black Butte XXII bottles are known to be floating around out there, and those who have had it from the bottle confirm that this is one of the few rare instances in beer where the container, unopened, is more valuable than its actual contents (which are "infected"). Additionally, the Black Butte XXIII is a re-brew of the same formula used for the Black Butte XXII.

Black Butte XIV Score: 90
Black Butte XXIII Score: 88
Black Butte XXI Score: 93
Black Butte XX Score: 90

2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 vintage bottles served side-by-side and enjoyed on 02/10/13 with a few friends.

Appearance
The appearance is strikingly similar on all vintages -- this brew is similar to a dark molasses in appearance/color. The XXIII pour is a little lighter, faintly orange-ish in color in comparison to the other three. Each vintage pours a thin layer of light mocha head that settles to a ring around the glass on all of them. Average lacing and retention using the worst glassware possible. 4/5

Smell

• XIV: Fig, hops, chocolate and a little soy. More dark fruit forward than the other vintages, which is unsurprising. There is a little bit of a "red wine"-ish scent to this vintage. The XIV's nose kind of reminds me of the 2011 Darkness a little bit. There was something also vaguely "herbal" about the XIV nose. There's definitely a little maple present too. 4/5
• XIII: Orange, cocoa, and, when cold, a faint pepper aroma. A little Darkness 2011-like soy sauce too. I get a little figgy dark fruit, but much less than the XIV. 3.75/5
• XXI: Chocolate, faded coffee and a little roast. There's a touch of faded hops and some fig/prune (about the same amount detected in the XXIII nose) too. There is also a bit of smokey malt or peatiness that initially grows as the beer starts warming up, and then fades as the beer approaches room temperature. 4.25/5
• XX: Fruity oxidation and chocolate. I get a faint smokey malt character in the nose that is similar to, but in lesser quantum than, the XXI vintage. 4/5

Taste

• XIV: Dark fruit, less chocolate than the nose and a touch of soy too. There is a touch of spice on the back of the tongue and a little heat from alcohol. Additionally, there is a bit of port-like sweetness that reminds me a little of the Haymarket Acrimonious. 3.75/5
• XIII: Chocolate and orange, faint hops and a little smooth dark fruit. Faint prickle of rye-like kick on the palate after the swallow. No alcohol heat. A touch of fruitiness towards the finish. 3.75/5
• XXI: Smooth, slightly roasty coffee backbone with an overlay of chocolate and just a touch of positive (fruity) oxidation. Delicious! A little more acidic than the other vintages, but I think it works. There's definitely some straight up oak flavor too (which I totally dig). 4.25/5
• XX: Fruity oxidation and chocolate. This vintage has the least amount of dark fruit presence. It is also the least complex vintage. Nonetheless, it drinks pleasantly. 4/5

Mouthfeel
Each of the vintages' mouthfeels are a little heavier than medium bodied, but far from full bodied (and not quite medium-full bodied either). Low carbonation as well. Each of the vintages has a real nice, drinkable balance (none is too sweet or acidic (well the XXI has a little acidity, but in a good way) or whatever). Oily slick feel on the tongue. Only the freshest vintage (XIV) has a little "alcohol heat" to it. 4/5

Overall: I feel like verticals are often "reserved" for rarer and bigger beers like Dark Lord and Bourbon County (Brand) Stout, or even barleywines dating back to the 90's (i.e., Bigfoot), but this was a really fun vertical to do. Nothing was really can't miss here, but nothing had "fallen off," and nothing here was undrinkable by any stretch of the imagination. My favorite vintage in the end was the XXI, but each vintage struck me in a unique way at different points in the vertical as it warmed up. Cold, the XX and XXIII were my favorite.

Cost: $12.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle that can cost as much as $19.99.

Beer Review: The Devil Made Me Do It! Coffe Imperial Oatmeal Porter

Reviewing The Devil Made Me Do It! Coffee Imperial Oatmeal Porter from Tyranena Brewing Company out of Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Tyranena makes some of the finest porters in the country. If you have not tried the other beers in their Brewers Gone Wild! imperial series, then you are missing out.
Score: 96

Bottled 10/26/12. Served in a Leinekugel's Big Eddy snifter and enjoyed on 12/08/12.

Appearance: Black as ink. Pours a finger of tan head that recedes to a thin ring around the glass and patchy fog that covers most of the top of the glass. Above average lacing, good retention. 4/5

Smell: Tons of roasted coffee, hot cocoa, dark chocolate, oatmeal and raw coffee beans. There is some "molasses" that reminds me more of the complexities of the Diablo roast coffee from Intelligensia than actual, straight up molasses. Absolutely wonderful nose; rivals Founders Breakfast Stout in my opinion. 4.5/5

Taste: Tastes almost exactly like it smells, with a strong lingering coffee finish. There's a smooth unsweetened chocolate backbone behind the coffee. There is only a hint of that "molasses" character that I detected in the nose. Some 20 or 30 seconds after the swallow, there is still some coffee breath flavor floating on the palate. This one does everything you could possibly want in an oatmeal porter, and it does it excellently. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Just shy of full bodied with a low amount of carbonation. Slightly chewy, modestly dry finish. Slightly acidic, modestly bitter. Not overly so of either. 5/5

Overall: This one gives Founders Breakfast Stout and Terrapin Wake-n-Bake a serious run for their money. Cheers to yet another outstanding porter, Tyranena!

Recommendation: Fans of oatmeal stouts and coffee beers need to seek this one out while it's still on the shelf.

Pairings: Cranberry walnut biscotti.

Cost: $10 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Who's Your Daddy? Imperial Porter

Reviewing the Who's Your Daddy? Imperial Porter from Tyranena Brewing Company out of Lake Mills, Wisconsin. This is the first time this beer has been brewed since 2006.
Score: 96

October 2012 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 11/28/12.

Appearance: Pours an ink black color with a finger-plus of beige foamy head that slowly recedes to a thin layer atop the glass. Awesome lacing sticks to the side of the glass like white on rice. 5/5

Smell: Chocolate, marshmallows, and a hint of coffee. Faint caramel and a light hoppiness too. There is not very much bourbon in the nose at all. There's a sweetness in the nose that reminds me of fresh 2011 Darkness in a good way. For whatever reason, the scent of a box of theater candy "malted milk balls" also comes to mind. As it warms, and maybe this is because I am crazy, I also get a faint note of cherry in the aroma as well. More chocolate comes out in the nose as the beer warms up. 4.5/5

Taste: The nose is substantially more nuanced and subtle than the taste. Milk chocolate and fig flavor followed by a wave of bold bourbon and a light vanilla flavor. There's some dark fruit and mild caramel flavor with residual bourbon. Most of the chocolate flavor is up front, but there is definitely some lingering cocoa-like residual in the aftertaste. There is a light alcohol warmth on the palate, but this is hardly boozy at all. Quite smooth, balanced and bold, with a light leaning towards sweet. There is a faint hint of coffee and hops flavor towards back half too. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Just shy of full bodied with an incredibly silky and creamy mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Balanced, but slightly sweet from the vanilla and bourbon characters. Very light alcohol warmth on the back of the palate. No booziness whatsoever. 4.5/5

Overall: What more could you ask for in an imperial porter? It's silky smooth, easy drinking and bold in flavor! Prost!

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this out while you can. Only 120 cases were bottled.

Pairings: Mocha meltaway chocolate truffles. 

Cost: $9.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter

Reviewing the Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter from Tyranena Brewing Company. This beer is billed as a "imperial rye aged porter aged in rye whiskey barrels."
Score: 91

Bottled April 08, 2011. Served in a small pour brandy snifter and enjoyed on 01/31/12.

Appearance: Pours a jet black color with a finger of creamy tan head that slowly settles into a ring around the glass. The beer is opaque with a microscopic thin layer of brown highlights atop the glass when held up to light. Average lacing as the beer is consumed, though the receding head from the pour left a solid coating of creamy lacing along the side of the glass. 4/5

Smell: Cocoa nibs, creamy chocolate, acidic used coffee grounds, and rye. Astringent "whiskey alcohol" esters round out the nose, but it's not a boozy nose. 4/5

Taste: Loads of chocolate flavors and roasted malt with a rye finish. A light amount of dark roast coffee comes out on the midpalate and towards the finish. The chocolate flavors seem like a blend of milk chocolate, dried cocoa mix and chocolate milk. A very mellow Jack Daniels-like whiskey flavor lingers in the background of the finish along with creamy raw chocolate. The whiskey flavors are very subtle and complementary. Absolutely no alcohol is present in the taste, which was surprising given the "warm" alcohol esters of the aroma. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus mouthfeel, very light carbonation. Mouthfeel is smooth, rich and creamy. The mouthfeel seems to get thicker and creamier as the beer layers. Finishes dry and a touch bitter. 4.5/5

Overall: Easily the best beer that I have ever had from Tyranena, ahead of Hop Whore and Bitter Woman IPA. I am going to have to go back to the store and buy the rest of this currently out of production brew.

Recommendation: Fans of porters and stouts should seek this one out. This is one of Wisconsin's better craft beers.

Pairings: Roasted marshmallows or vanilla cake.

Cost: $2.99 for 12 oz bottle.

Beer Review: Hugene

Reviewing Hugene from Revolution Brewing Company. Today is the first day of this beer's release, and I am apparently the first person to review it on Beer Advocate.
Score: 88

Tap pour served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours an ink black-as-night color that is 100% opaque with a thin tan ring of head around the glass. Swirling creates a thin creamy layer of head. Lacing is pretty sticky, above average. 4/5

Smell: Muted roasted chocolate, raisin/fig and light caramel. 4/5

Taste: Lots of prune/fig flavors throughout. Increasing chocolate maltiness as the beer layers. Hints of caramel up front. There is a "warming" alcohol sensation, but no real alcohol flavor until this beer approaches room temperature. Finish is smooth chocolate and dark fruit. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with minimal carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel with a slightly sweet, kind of sticky finish. 3.5/5

Overall: A very solid imperial porter. More nuanced than "flavor forward," unlike most imperial-style dark beers. This brew is definitely worth trying, but at either $8 for a 10-12 oz snifter pour, it is not worth the price to sip this all night. I wonder if this one with get the bottling/canning treatment as a seasonal/once-a-year beer as a part of Revolution's expansion.

Recommendation: A very balanced and muted, but flavorful porter that should be enjoyed by beer geeks and casual beer drinkers alike.

Pairings: A chocolate cupcake.

Cost: $8 for a 10-12 oz snifter pour or $4 for a sampler glass.