Review: BrewDog Tokio* Imperial Stout

I picked this one up at Martin Wine Cellar a week or so back thanks to a tip from a friend about a beer available in Baton Rouge that clocked in at over 14% alcohol.  I still don't know why this BrewDog offering is spelled "Tokyo" in some places but "Tokio" in others, but either way, at $15 per bottle it had better be good!  Since it's final count in 18.2% alcohol, I invited Dustin over and we proceeded to give this one a taste. 

For tasting, I poured from an 11.2 ounce bottle into a Samuel Smith's snifter. It's dark brown, you can tell it's not black when held up to the light. There's a small tan head, not much retention or lacing, but I wouldn't expect too much head from a beer this strong.

Whoa, the aroma is complex and boozy. It has hints of dark fruits, caramel, boozy spice, tingles the nostrils a bit with the alcohol kick. It's good but it makes me a little nervous of trying this one!  I've never had a beer be so overwhelming on the alcohol, even the ones I've tried that came close to this one in the 13 to 14% range.

The taste is similarly complex but not so boozy that I don't enjoy it. It has the same flavor profile as the aroma. Dark fruits from the cranberries and the jasmine is there too. There is still a caramel note but I don't get the chocolate roasted flavors of a typical imperial stout.

It has a good mouthfeel despite the high abv that is unmistakable. I'd definitely drink another at some point but this isn't meant to be a session beer. It's hard to score the drinkability when I consider the price as well. Still, I'm liking this brew and I'm damn glad I've tried it.  It's certainly not for everyone, but it fulfilled one of my resolutions, counted towards the 365 in 2011, and was certainly an interesting beer to have experienced.

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B

Imperial Stout

Reviews: Two Beers From Florida Breweries

Two more from the beer run to Gainesville... a Key West Southernmost Wheat from the Florida Beer Company, and a Holy Mackerel Special Golden Ale from Gordash Brewing Company.  One of the things I always try to do when traveling is check out the local beers.  The only one I found on tap while I was out in Gainesville was the Swamp Head Stumpknocker Pale Ale but I did find these two at the bottle shop, so let's dive in.

Up first, the Key West Southernmost Wheat.  It's a pale yellow beer, bubbly with a small white head.  An earthy, grassy aroma with a little spice to it.  A definite orange citrus flavor as well.  

 

The flavor is more orange citrus than earthy, creamy on the tongue even, and very carbonated.  All in all, this is really just an average witbier as far as I can tell.  It's not bad, but nothing I would seek out again.

My Rating: C+

BeerAdvocate: B-

Witbier

The second one is the Holy Mackerel Special Golden Ale from the Gordash Brewing Company.  It's considered a Belgian Strong Pale Ale... interesting, and not really what I was expecting from a little brewery in Florida.  I poured it from a 12 oz. bottle into a Chimay goblet... it's a hazy orange color with a really small white head.

Smell strong of wheat, with a little hint of apples. No real Belgian spices that I'd associate with a Belgian ale.  The taste is better, with spicy, fruity, floral notes... pretty good actually. Certainly better than expected after the aroma.  Pretty solid mouthfeel too, bubbly, carbonated, not too thin... good. 

This one is really easy to drink, the alcohol (8.5% abv) doesn't come through strong at all. Ended up being a pretty decent beer I think.  I'd definitely get more from this small brewery if I saw them. 

My Rating: B-

BeerAdvocate: B-

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

And with that... a little closer to 365 in 2011.  As of writing this, I'm one behind pace, so I guess tonight will need to involve a beer or two!  Good news though, it's my birthday and I'm about to head to the Chimes to celebrate!

Cheers!

Newcastle "Walk The Dog" T-Shirt Giveaway - by The Beer Buddha

Just in case some of you don't read his blog as well, Jeremy (AKA The Beer Buddha) is giving away a handful of Newcastle shirts through his blog, The Beer Buddha.  I know telling all of my readers (yeah, all 4 of you) about this might hurt my chances, but whatever, he's a good dude and helping promote other local beer bloggers is sure to bring me some good karma in the future.  Or something.

So... check out his blog, e-mail him to win a t-shirt if you want, and good luck!

Cheers!

Eric

Review: Brasserie Caracloe Troublette Witbier

And now for a review of an import, the first one in February, and #34 on my New Years' Resolution goal.  This one is from Brasserie Caracole, a small Belgian brewery that really needs to work on their website.  I've always been a huge fan of Belgian beers, but we can get most imports in Louisiana, so when I was browsing the bottle shop in Gainesville I was sticking mostly to the domestic microbrews.  One of the other shoppers, noticing my increasing stock of beers, recommended this one to me, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  She was also an LSU grad, so I figured her recommendation would be worth a little more than usual.

 

For this witbier, I poured it from an 11.2 oz. bottle into a stange glass, the one that was complimentary in the Slinky's beer tasting last month!  It's a clear pale yellow color, with a ridiculous head that has some great retention. It took at least two pours to top off even with a small bottle.

The aroma is sweet and floral with hints of honey and earthy tones.  Pretty damn good.  The flavor isn't as bold as the aroma... still floral honey tones, clove, a little bitterness from some minimal hops but the floral notes come through the most.  It has good carbonation, feels great to swish around on the palate.  This one is really super easy to drink, and a damn fine witbier.  I've never seen it around Baton Rouge, but I'll be on the lookout and report back if I do find it.

 

My Rating: A-

BeerAdvocate: B+

Witbier

Review: SweetWater Happy Ending Imperial Stout

I picked up this one on the recent beer run to Gainesville... I've had SweetWater beers before while visiting friends in Alabama but at the time the laws prevented anything stronger than 6 (or 8) percent alcohol from being sold, so this one was off the table.  Fortunately the laws in Alabama have been changed, so it's a little easier to get good beer there, but they still have some work to do.  SweetWater Brewing is a pretty sizeble micro-brewery out of Atlanta, Georgia.  If you're ever there, check them out.

 

I had this one poured from a 12 oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.  It's a pretty impenetrable dark brown color, nearly black, with a bubbly light brown head. Great looking brew, just what you'd expect from an imperial stout.

The smell is chocolate malt and a little metallic tinge to it. Just alright on the nose... nothing special.  The taste, on the other hand... yum. It's rich, chocolatey, a little roasted bitterness on the end. Very little booziness mucking it up, just a well done imperial stout.  The mouthfeel is a little thin, but not bad... really easy to drink for a 9% abv stout.

Solid beer, wish I had another in the fridge!  One thing about this 365 in 2011 trip I'm on, I'll know which beers I want to stock up on next time around, and which ones I can skip!

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B+

Imperial Stout

Review: Moylan's Moylander Double IPA

Rewinding a bit for a review of one I tried last week... Moylan's Moylander Double IPA.  I picked this one up at Calandro's on Government St. a while back when I was grabbing some Abita Strawberry and a few other brews, and it was time to give it a try!  Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Chimay goblet... it's a copper color, a little hazy, with a huge creamy white head. There is great retention and lacing. It's a heady beer, that's for sure.

The aroma is sweeter than I expected, a delicious blend of molasses, pine hops, and a little citrus as well. Very well done and an excellently blended hop profile.  The taste hits hoppier than the aroma... whoo this one is a more than a little bitter! The piney and floral flavors come through the strongest, but there's still a little molasses kick on the end and then back to the piney hops on the aftertaste. 

Great mouthfeel, creamy, thick, again a pleasure to drink. This double IPA exceeded my expectations, and I'd absolutely drink it again.  If you're a hop head, check it out for sure... if you don't like the hoppy beers, I'd start out a little slower than this double IPA.  Maybe try the NOLA Hopitoulas IPA, Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA, or if you can find it, the Bell's Two-Hearted Ale.  (And if you find some, bring me a few!)

My Rating: A

BeerAdvocate: A-

India Pale Ale (IPA)

Super Bowl Beer #3 - Clipper City Loose Cannon

Now that that abomination of a halftime show is over, it's on to another beer. I had a few Bud American Ales (thanks to Brent) and a Sierra Nevada Kellerweis (thanks to Dustin) in the first half. 

Now it's time for Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3 IPA from Clipper City Brewing. I picked this one up on that beer run to Gainesville a few weeks ago.  This is a tasty hop forward IPA. Strong flavors of grapefruit and a little pine. Yum! Now, here's hoping the Packers can hold on!

My Rating:  B+
BeerAdvocate: A-


India Pale Ale (IPA)