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: Nelson

Reviewing Nelson from the Alpine Beer Company.
Score: 93

Unknown vintage bottle received as part of a trade in early January 2012. Served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/31/12.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, translucent yellow-orange color with some cloudy and flaky sediment floating around. I was concerned that I was inadvertently using a dirty glass, but my roommate's freshly cleaned Duvel contained the same cloudy and flaky sediment. The sediment is really off-putting, but obviously it's the aroma, taste and mouthfeel that matter most in a beer. Still, the floating "flakes" bother me. This beer makes Heady Topper seem "clean" in appearance by comparison. Pours a full finger of slightly off-white sea foam head that slowly settles into a thin layer across the top of the glass. Excellent lacing with sticky sheets of head that cling to the side of the glass. 3.5/5

Smell: Loaded with vivid and fresh tropical citrus and floral aromas that leave me to believe this one uses Citra hops. Reminds me a lot of Zombie Dust. Bright grapefruit, orange juice, mango, pineapple juice and lemon rind. Some Mellow doses of pine and fresh grass clippings with a light maltiness in the background. 4.5/5

Taste: Sweet, slightly earthy citrus, bready malts and subtle amounts of rye/spice. The citrus is more pronounced upfront, while the finish is more malty than citrusy. Not very bitter. Very refreshing and drinkable. There is a light "white wine" grapiness throughout. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium, maybe medium-plus, carbonation. Carbonation level is perfect for the flavors. Creamy mouthfeel. Slightly dry, malty/acidic finish 4.5/5

Overall: This beer might be towards the end of its freshness life, as I received it roughly a month ago, but it is still extremely delicious. I would love to see how this one tastes right off the bottling line. This is an excellent single IPA that I wish I had easy/ready/consistent access too.

Recommendation: Fans of Zombie Dusty, Heady Topper, Lagunitas Sucks, Anti-Hero IPA and Surly Abrasive Ale should seek this beer out.

Pairings: Sherbet ice cream or hamburgers.

Cost: $7.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Kosmyk Charlie Y2K Catastrophe Ale

Reviewing the Kosmyk Charlie Y2K Catastrophe Ale from Central Waters Brewing Company. Full and fair disclosure upfront -- as much as I loved King Henry, barleywines are one of my lesser favorite styles of beer (especially fresh).
Score: 80

December 2011 vintage bottle served in a Great Lakes snifter glass and enjoyed in the wee hours of 01/29/12.

Appearance: Pours one finger of tan/cream colored sea-foam head that settles into a ring around the glass and splotchy, thin coating atop the beer. The color of the brew is a brown yellow/orange color that looks like a very murky non-alcoholic apple cider that you'd buy at a Farmer's Market. The murkiness is best described as a bottle-conditioned "yeastiness," and this murkiness renders the beer opaque. When held up to light, Y2K has yellow highlights at the top, while the lower half has amber/mahogany highlights. Excellent lacing. Leaves behind a foamy residue on the side of the glass with solid cling. 4/5

Smell: Malty tiramissu, creamy vanilla cupcakes/cupcake frosting, and caramel. Has a yeasty twang that you usually get with bottle conditioned homebrews, and a very noticeable booziness to it that only accentuates in presence as the beer warms. 3.5/5

Taste: Wow. This is a boozy malt bomb that is very unbalanced in my opinion. Very malty caramel-forward with a moderate tropical fruit/grassy hoppiness and light yeasty flavor. The hoppiness seemed a little out of place and took a few minutes to "pin down." Lots of booziness here, but it is not a "hot" warming booziness until the beer approaches room temperature. This has a lot of flavor similarities to the He'Brew beer Lenny's RIPA, only this is substantially more drinkable and less "hot." I could imagine this beer gets better when barrel aged because the caramel malts would make a good compliment to the bourbon flavors that barrel aging tends to impart. As an unaged, fresh barleywine, however, this one is merely "run of the mill" and drinkable, but certainly neither worth seeking out or shelling out $4 a single bottle. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied, light-medium carbonation. Malty-sweet, hoppy finish. Alcohol heat grows as the beer warms. 4/5

Overall: A malt bomb of a barleywine. Drinkable enough, but why drink this when there are plenty of better beers on the shelf? Maybe King Henry has left me jaded.

Recommendation: If you must drink a barleywine, this is certainly a decent one that is much more "balanced" and "ready to drink" fresh than most beers of the style are. Alas, if you are simply seeking a good beer to try, I would recommend trying something else (such as the recently released Peruvian Morning, also by Central Waters) instead.

Pairings: Pastrami sandwich on rye bread with Swiss cheese, drizzled with honey-Dijon mustard dressing.

Cost: $3.99 for a single bottle or $11.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Slainte Scottish Style Ale

Reviewing the Slainte Scottish Style Ale from Central Waters Brewing Company.
Score: 70

December 2011 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed in the wee hours of 01/28/12.

Appearance: Deep, dark mahogency color with brown highlights at the top and ruby highlights in the lower half of the beer. Pours three-quarters of a finger of creamy khaki colored head. Settles almost entirely. Average lacing with solid cling. 3.5/5

Smell: Creamy malts and tiramissu. Hint of caramel, hint of vanilla, and some bready malt. Touch of rye? 3.5/5

Taste: Bready malts, nondescript malts and a little spice. Hints of vanilla. Stainless steel sweetness towards the finish. 2.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, light carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. 3/5

Overall: A below average Scottish Ale. Very disappointed given the mild hype behind this beer.

Recommendation: Skip this one. There are plenty of better beers in this style wherever you'll be able to find this one (e.g., Robert The Bruce)

Pairings: Caramel popcorn.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack

Beer Review: Peruvian Morning

Reviewing the Peruvian Morning from Central Waters Brewing Company.
Score: 92

2012 vintage bottle (January 2012) served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/27/12.

Appearance: Pitch black color, opaque, with a thin later of brown highlights atop the glass and tiny ruby highlights at the bottom. Pours a half finger of creamy tan colored head that recedes into a thin ring around the glass. Average lacing with some decent cling. Lacing is a little oily. 4/5

Smell: Chocolately bourbon and light coffee. Brown sugar, campfire marshmallows, raisin creamy chocolate, tiramissu, vanilla extract, and roasted coffee. The bourbon flavors are kinda sweet and very smooth. A little shortbread cookie. Faint alcohol notes as the beer reaches room temperature. 4.5/5

Taste: Liquid tiramissu. Some super smooth, mellow bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, raisin/fig, and creamy chocolate. Quite drinkable. Not tasting any coffee. Light alcohol warming effect as the beer warms. Increasing "straight bourbon" flavors in the finish as the beer warms, throwing off some of the balance. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-minus bodied, no carbonation. A little thin and watery for the style. Smooth, slightly sweet finish. 3.5/5

Overall: An absolutely delicious barrel aged stout that is slightly undermined by an overly watery mouthfeel. More flavorful as it warms, but the beer tastes better and is more balanced when it is 50 degrees. Drink this one on the colder side of cellar temp.

Recommendation: Worth seeking out. This is a very balanced barrel aged beer (at least until it reaches room temperature).

Pairings: Dark chocolate fondue.

Cost: $11.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Alaskan Smoked Porter

Reviewing the Alaskan Smoked Porter from Alaskan Brewing Company. This is my first beer from Alaskan Brewing Company, and Wisconsin, who they recently started distributing to, is the only state east of the Mississippi that gets their beer.
Score: 90

2011 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/27/12.

Appearance: Jet black color with thin caramel highlights at the top of the glass and faint ruby highlights at the bottom. Pours two fingers of soapy tan head that settles into a ring around the glass. Above average lacing with an above average cling factor. Lacing becomes more "oily" as it warms. 4/5

Smell: Prominently roasted chocolate, cocoa and smoke. Also detecting (stale?) roasted coffee, an aroma best described as a "used coffee filter smell," and roasted nondescript malts. Light notes of dried dark cherry and dried raisins are in the mix too. Milk chocolate comes out as it warms if you swirl before sniffing. 4/5

Taste: Smoked chocolate and light notes of dried dark fruit throughout. Hints of oak. Not tasting much coffee aside from a little lingering acidic coffee bitterness in the finish, though the amount of coffee in the finish slightly increases as the beer layers. Some roasted nondescript malts toward the finish as well, supplanting the chocolatiness. Finishes with a lightly smoked bitterness. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium-minus carbonation. Finishes smoky, bitter and a little acidic. 4/5

Overall: Not overly smoked and mixed with the perfect amount of roasted chocolate, making for easy drinking. Smells slightly better than it tastes, but the flavors are pretty spot on for a porter. I am usually a fan of thicker bodied dark beers, but the mouthfeel is pretty interesting due to the smokey malt character of the beer.

Recommendation: Seek this one out. This beer is not nearly as smokey as most smoke-infused beers (particularly the "smoked beer" style), though more "sensitive palates" might still find the smokiness a wee bit overwhelming. This could make an interesting beer for casual beer drinkers, as the smokey mouthfeel would be an entirely interesting departure from the grainy water flavors of Miller Lite.

Pairings: BBQ Brisket sandwich and mashed potatoes.

Cost: $8.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Reviewing the Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout from Terrapin Beer Company out out of Georgia. After trying three new beers that turned out to be disappointments, I had to go with a new one that I knew I was going to enjoy.
Score: 93

2011 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/26/12. Thank you BeerAdvocate user mecherd for hooking me up with this brew!

Appearance: Pours a jet black color -- light does not cut through any part of this beer -- with a finger of foamy tan head that settles into a thin cap of head atop the beer. Excellent lacing. 4.5/5

Smell: Heavy doses of coffee, roasted oats and fresh oatmeal. Smells a lot like the Founders Breakfast Stout. Dried dark fruit, milk chocolate, roasted malts and a little hops. 5/5

Taste: Bitter espresso, dried dark fruit, roasted chocolate and cocoa throughout. The chocolate sweetness really balances out the coffee/espresso bitterness. Lingering finish of coffee breath. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, minimal carbonation. Perhaps a little watery for the style. Very average stout mouthfeel and slightly creamy, finishes bitter but not dry. 3.5/5

Overall: An absolutely excellent oatmeal imperial stout. I wish I had easy access to this stuff. Not quite as good as Founders Breakfast Stout, but how many beers are?

Recommendation: Seek this beer out unless you absolutely can't stand coffee.

Pairings: A s'more would go great with this.

Cost: $10.99 for a four pack.