Beer Review: Juliet

Reviewing an aged Juliet (2010) from Goose Island Brewing Company.
Score: 86

Shared a 22 oz bomber from the Goose Island brew pub in a goblet-wine flute hybrid on Black Friday.

Appearance: Pours a red velvet cake color. Fizzy-apparent, no head on pour. 3.5/5

Smell: Sweet cherry/raspberry sour candy. Fruity. A little sugary and sour. 3.5/5

Taste: Very sweet-and-tart cherry/raspberry candy. Almost like a warhead candy (if you remember those). Dry white wine and some berries too. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Very fizzy and sweet. Light bodied, high carbonation. Sweet, crisp finish. 3.5/5

Overall: A decent brew, but my not style of beer. Too sweet for my liking. Reminds me a lot of the Ephemere by Unibroue and Raspberry Tart by New Glarus. Was certainly worth trying, but I will not seek this one out again (especially at its price tag).

Recommendation: I would absolutely recommend this one to casual beer drinkers and people who "do not like to drink beer," but this beer is a bit too sweet-and-sugary for my liking. It certainly has a fizzy-candy appeal to it.

Pairings: A salad served with balsamic and/or sharp cheddar. Earthy cheeses would work well with this one, as would pretzels.

Cost: $25 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle at the bar (which, in my opinion, is way overpriced).

Beer Review: Nosferatu

Reviewing the Nosferatu from Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Score: 89

Tap pour in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours two fingers of frothy foam head out of the tap. Deep amber color. Body falls between opaque and translucent. Average lacing. 4/5

Smell: Grains and spices. Toasted bread -- Ilana (my girlfriend) claims it smells like Irish soda bread. A little cologne alcohol as well. Sweet maltiness, slightly floral and earthy too. 4/5

Taste: Floral, earthy bitterness. Some grain, caramel-malt sweetness. Finishes very dry and hoppy. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, medium carbonation. Finishes surprisingly dry given the malty-sweetness of the beer on the mid-palate. 3.5/5

Overall: A little aggressive on the hoppy flavors (something I always personally enjoy), but an overall delicious brew. 8.0% ABV entirely hidden. This is not one a beer you can drink a whole lot of in one sitting. A great sipper, however!

Recommendation: Hop-lovers will certainly enjoy this one, but casual beer drinkers may want to explore other options first.

Pairings: Bread and earthy cheeses.

Cost: $7 for a tulip glass, $10.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Alpha King (Cask Conditioned)

Reviewing a cask-conditioned Alpha King from Three Floyds Brewing Company.
Score: 95

Drinking a fresh, cask-conditioned pint of one of my absolute favorite brews of all time.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, dark reddish-brown amber with three fingers of foamy cream-colored head that sticks around quite some time. Falls somewhere between opaque and translucent, but closer to opaque. Excellent lacing. 5/5

Smell: Roses. Floral, grapefruit and citrus hops. A little honey. Lots of malty, hoppy sweetness in the aroma. 4.5/5

Taste: Huge grapefruit citrus bitterness. Malty-sweet backbone. Hints of berry flavors too. Absolutely refreshing. Finishes with sweet oranges and hops bitterness. Yum! 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, medium-plus carbonation. Finish is surprisingly dry for such a malty mid-palate beverage. 4.5/5

Overall: Alpha King is one of my favorite beers of all time. The cask-conditioned version of this brew is much maltier and less hops-aggressive than the bottled version that I have had a thousand times over. How do I know? I had a side-by-side taste test at the bar. This is one to seek out!

Recommendation: If you have not had a six pack of this stuff, go buy one already. For those who have had Alpha King before, I absolutely recommend seeking out the cask-conditioned version. I am about as big of a hop-head as they come -- I have a well-known soft spot for IIPA's -- but cask-conditioned Alpha King's creamy malt-for-hops tradeoff is absolutely divine. Alpha King is the best year-round American Pale Ale (sorry Sierra Nevada!).

Pairings: Medium-cooked hamburgers. Particularly the ones they serve at Kuma's Corner in Chicago. Also probably pairs well with an earthy salad with feta and walnuts. Could really add some kick to spicy foods.

Cost: $9.99 for a six pack, or $7 for a cask-conditioned 16 oz pour.

Beer Review: King Henry

Reviewing the King Henry from Goose Island Brewing Company. Pleasant surprise: I got to drink this one with the current head brewer of Goose Island (who I made certain to complement) on the day of the release. I have had it every two months since.
Score: 99

Sampled a generous glass from a 22 oz bottle at Goose Island's Black Friday bonanza. Later shared a 22 oz bomber in an oversized snifter glass (image to the right). Most recent review notes are from June 06, 2012.

Appearance: Pours a thin cream colored head that quickly disappears, leaving a pencil-thin ring around the glass. Deep walnut brown molasses color. Largely opaque with ruby-brown highlights around the perimeter. 4.5/5

Smell: Red grapes, oak and vanilla. Sweet molasses and brown sugar. Caramel, some bourbon sweetness. Some major booziness if you take a big, direct whiff. Editor's Note: I had this beer again in June 2012, and the booziness to the nose (and palate) is almost completely gone. What's left is a sublime medley of rich, barrel aged flavors. 5/5

Taste: Very complex and sweet. Vanilla and oaky bourbon. Syrupy brown sugar and molasses. Some caramel. Touch of honey. Red grapes and plenty of dark fruit flavor. Surprisingly balanced. Finishes with a little warming alcohol kick and sweet vanilla-bourbon. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Creamy and sweet. Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Syrupy and smooth. Alcohol warmth in the finish. 5/5

Overall: An absolutely delicious, complex and balanced brew. I am not the biggest fan of barleywines, but this one blew me away. I can't wait to nab a bottle of this stuff and age it. Editor's Note: I had this beer again in June 2012, and the booziness has almost completely smoothed out and the beer is drinking near perfect.

Recommendation: Of the many barleywines I have had to date, this one was the smoothest and most balanced. I can confidently recommend this one all around.

Pairings: An earthy, organic hamburger with a generous heap of goat cheese on it? At least that's what I had this one with. A pumpkin pie would go great with this too.

Cost: $25 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Old Stock Ale (fresh)

Reviewing the Old Stock Ale from North Coast Brewing Co.
Score: 90

2011 vintage bottle served in a brandy glass. I bought a four pack with the intent of aging this beer for a few years, but I need a baseline to judge the aged results. Provided this blog last a few years from now, I plan to revisit this review with an aged update.

Appearance: Pours a deep caramel/rose brandy color. Pours a very thin head that totally disappears when it settles. Falls somewhere between translucent and transparent, though much much closer to translucent. No lacing, but not surprising given 11.7% ABV. 3.5/5

Smell: Sweet caramel/toffee and slight vanilla nose. Some fruit and rum aromas. Molasses-sugary sweetness too. An odor of rubbing alcohol is definitely apparent in the nose. 4.5/5

Taste: Very complex and sweet. Molasses, caramel and brown sugar sweetness. Some vanilla/peaty flavors. Reminds me of butterscotch candy on the mid-palate. A little bitter. Definitely detecting some dark fruits. Finishes with a warming alcohol sweetness that does not linger very long. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, minimum carbonation. Very warming alcohol sensation on the palate. Finishes sweet. 4/5

Overall: A very complex beer with bold, aggressive flavors. Alcohol is not very balanced, but not overly singeing either. Can't wait to revisit this one if a few years.

Recommendation: Casual beer drinkers should avoid this one. Like a fresh barleywine, the flavors are very in-your-face and not particularly balanced. More experience beer drinkers will likely appreciate the beer's complexity. This is a beer that has a lot of potential to be great with some aging that mellows out the alcohol.

Pairings: Sharp and stinky cheeses.

Cost: $15.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Torpedo Extra IPA

Reviewing the Torpedo Extra IPA by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Score: 84

2011 bottle served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours two fingers of foamy head that pretty much dissipates upon settle. Color is a translucent honey-amber. Excellent lacing. 4.5/5

Smell: Strong floral, earthy hop aromas. Lots of grapefruit citrus. Some piney herb aromas too. The perfect IPA aroma. 5/5

Taste: Flavors are quite watered down. Some grapefruit and pine citrus. Crisp hop bitterness. A little sweetness on the mid-palate. Hop bitterness is pretty balanced, not aggressive at all. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, surprisingly watery. Pretty carbonated. Finish is very dry. 3/5

Overall: I was extremely disappointed by the taste of this beer given the extremely pleasant aroma and delightful appearance. This one definitely did not live up to its hype for me. A decent beer overall, but nothing that stands out. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is a much superior brew.

Recommendation: Given its very average nature, I can't exactly recommend buying this beer, especially in a six pack. Casual beer lovers will most likely enjoy this brew, which is more balanced and less hop-aggressive than most IPA's. IPA lovers should avoid this one. Certainly worth trying, however, and definitely worth smelling.

Pairings: Falafel.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack.

Beer Review: Black Chocolate Stout

Reviewing the Black Chocolate Stout by Brooklyn Brewery.
Score: 93

2010 bottle poured in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Black used motor oil color, pours with a finger of brown frothy head that settles into a thin lacing on the surface of the beer. Looks very oily, dense, completely opaque. Slightly below average lacing, which is to be expected from a 10% ABV beer. 4.5/5

Smell: Bitter chocolate and earthy hop aromas. Some raisins, light cherries, a little vanilla. Some booziness. 3.5/5

Taste: A little alcohol burn at the front, but super creamy bittersweet chocolate on the mid-palate. Some coffee beans, hints of dark fruit and oaky vanilla. This one is pretty complex. Finishes with super bitter chocolate that lingers quite some time. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, oily, with minimal carbonation. Finish is very dry. 4.5/5

Overall: A little less balanced than some Russian Imperial Stouts, but overall very flavorful and complex. I love beers than linger, and this one sticks around awhile. The beer is brewed by the guy who wrote one of my favorite books (The Brewmaster's Table). This one is a heavy meal in and of itself.

Recommendation: I would highly recommend this beer to more seasoned drinkers, but casual drinkers looking to get into good beer might not want to start with this one

Pairings: Seedless red grapes and the dark meat of turkey. Smoked meat would work wonders with this one.

Cost: $7.99 for a four pack.