Stone – Imperial Russian Stout
Jan5
Like the bottle says it pours like crude oil!
This is the second time I have had this beer and point blank I would have to say I love it. Many of the brews coming out of Stone don’t float my boat but this one had me thinking about buying a case and seeing how well it ages (it is supposed to age well). As you might be able to ascertain from the picture there is no head on this beer and it is dark…very dark. It has a strong lasting taste but is not overly bitter. The initial taste is very smooth but if left to sit in your mouth the bitterness will hit you and a hint of coffee will leak through. The smell of the beer has no prominent scent except for alcohol. The pour of this beer is thick and is almost too easy to pour 
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The website for this beer describes the beer as having hints of “anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol.” Since I am not exactly sure what anise and black currants are I will have to take their word on that. I can taste a very, very faint hint of coffee but the roastiness and alcohol are definitely there! This beer has an ABV at 10.8% which makes it a decently strong beer, although not the strongest I have ever tried. The taste of the beer changes as it warms up, becoming more mellow, less bitter, and the flavors more distinctive.
The Good: Delicious taste in an utterly dark beer, this beer truly could be chewed.
The Bad: I am not sure what type of food would go with it, that would be the one down side I could think of, it would probably kick the living shit out of any food you had.
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Cheers!
Elysian – Pandemonium
Jan0
This is another U.S. Sour beer it has been cask conditioned for over four years. It has a husky almost bitter initial taste with just a small hint of sourness. The after taste really brings forth the sour part of this beer, also, the sour taste seems to longer for a good minute before it slowly dissaptes a way. As with all of the other sour beers I have tried it reminds me of an ale mixed with hard cider. It is a very refreshing beer that seems to cleanse the palate after each drink. For instance I started this beer with a plate of BBQ wings and after each wing I would take a sip and I could no longer really taste the wing I just had. Although it does nothing for the spicyness . It is light in color and has no head to really speak of, I mean look at the head on the picture it is uber-thin. Overall I would recommend this beer if you are a lover of sour beers or would like to try one.
The Good: smooth after taste, easy to drink with a very nice finish
The Bad: Comes in a small glass
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Cheers!
P.S. If you are ever in the Greenlake area try out Tangletown which is where I had this. It is owned by Elysian and they are pretty good beers there with decent food.
Boddingtons
Jan2
Ahh Boddingtons… this is one of my good old stand-bys. I am usually not a light beer guy but this beer is an exception. I like the fact that it comes in a nitrous’d can to give you a nice pour like you might find coming from a keg, it is light, smooth and super-easy to drink. This beer is sometimes a nice refresher after drinking some heavier or more powerful beers. I have also used this beer when I have a guest over that likes piss-water beers (aka bud light) which is something I don’t serve .
Overall this is a great beer if you don’t want anything heavy but you are still craving a beer.
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Cheers!
Sin City Porter
Jan0
No, these were not all mine!
The smell of this porter is a bit burnt and it is darker than the darkest night in a deep cave. It pours with a small head and is smooth and has an almost vanilla aftertaste. Overall it is unremarkable and doesn’t live up to the name of sin city. It should be rough and after you are done with a pint you feel used and spit out.
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Ellis Island Brewery – Las Vegas, NV
Jan2
First off this brewery is not for the faint of heart! I believe I ruined half a lung coming in here to get this review. The upside is the beers are fucking cheap! For three pints the total was $6 that is awesome as long as you don’t take into your health costs . I ordered a stout, the sexy beer mistress got a weisse and the fed goat got an amber.
My stout had no head and was the lightest I have had in awhile. And by awhile, I mean ever. It has a burnt coffee after taste and an initial bland taste. I can’t say much about the smell as the cigarette smell overpowers my nose. Another way to describe this beer is budweiser with food coloring thrown in.
The good: cheap beer and an ok selection.
The bad: smoke and smoke!
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