Beer Review: Mikkeller – Nøgne ø
Mar0
The breakfast of champions(?)
Amount of brew in bottle: 16.9 fluid ounces
ABV: 7.5%
Type of brew: Stout (Oat & Coffee)
Price: ~$12
With a sub-title of “beer geek breakfast” this beer was just calling to me to try. While having a beer for breakfast sounds gross to me, to each his own. The beer says it is a “mixture of an oat and coffee stout” which I can tell when I drink it. Overall this beer is thick and a little sweet. As it warms up it gets a lot sweeter than when it was cold (shocking I know). This is the first beer that I have had that was solely brewed at nøgne-ø and I have to say I am quite surprised. One thing that is nice is that the beers are in pints and not 22-ounce bottles which makes it a lot easier for one person to drink by themselves.
Since this is a combination of an oatmeal stout and a coffee stout the oatmeal portion gives it a nice little bitter finish which is great counter-balance to the coffee portion. If you ever get a chance to get your hands on this beer I would suggest letting it warm up a bit before drinking it. Overall this is a nice little stout to drink although it is a bit high on the ABV but not over the top like a lot of the beers. But the price is pretty damn steep. I expect for $11 to not go “eh” for a stout, I mean it is good but is it $11 good? Nah. I know they had to import the bugger but they have to do that for other beers as well.
But hey if you are feeling like you have a bit of extra cash and want to try an imported oatmeal stout go right ahead. However, there are far better ways of spending your cash…like you know buying me a bottle to review 
.
The good: A good craft stout
The bad: Expensive!!
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Beer Review: Midnight Sun Brewing Co – T.R.E.A.T
Jan1
A delicious pumpkin beer!
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 7.8%
Type of brew: Pumpkin Stout
Price: ~$11
Ahh pumpkin beers how I love thee. Seriously though I usually associate pumpkin beers with Halloween, go figure, right? But, when I saw this beer in the grocery store it was very intriguing and with the better half’s blessing I purchased it (granted she loves pumpkin beers so that helped). Neither of us were disappointed by this brew it is very good. This beer takes a stab at dethroning our favorite pumpkin beer (pumking from Southern Tier). This is the second beer – first review here – that we have reviewed from Midnight Sun and both have been top notch brews. I will have to consume a few more of their beers before I put this brewery into the “good brewery list” but it is on its way. Anyways, back to this beer. It pours dark and smooth like a normal stout, there is very little head and it has a rich smell mostly of cinnamon and pumpkin (shocking as shit I know). The taste of the beer is a little bit like a weak chocolately pumpkin pie. The aftertaste is also very nice. This beer doesn’t pack as much of a wallop as the pumking which is one mark in this beer’s favor.
Overall this is a great beer as long as you like pumpkin. If you don’t like pumpkin well you should steer clear of this guy.
The good: Awesome pumpkin beer
The bad: A bit expensive
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Beer Review: Firestone 13th Anniversary Ale
Jan0
A delicious and expensive beer!
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 12%
Type of brew: Barrel-aged ale
Price: ~$20
I don’t usually pay $20 for a bottle of beer, shit I don’t know if I have ever paid that for a six-pack. But hey I thought I would treat myself, well that was my thought about 2 months ago when I purchased it . This beer pours flat and is very dark. The beer is compromised of seven different barrel-aged beers. This is the first beer that I can remember that has had this many blends of beer. Overall this beer is very pleasant and easy to drink. On first sip of this beer it was fairly dry and had a little bitter aftertaste. The initial taste was sweet with hints of vanilla and some type of fruit (I would say cherry). However, I poured this beer straight out of the fridge and as it warmed up it got a little sweeter and the bitter/dry finish went away.
The biggest question for me was is the bottle worth the price tag? Although the beer is really good and the packaging is superb I don’t think it is still worth the price tag. The taste of the beer is great and I would imagine it would age awesomely but $20+ for a bottle of beer is a bit extreme for my pocket book. But hey if you pay this much you get a pretty awesome document explaining the beer.
The good: Awesome taste, great packaging
The bad: Way more expensive than it should be
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Beer Review: Old Viscosity – Port Brewing
Dec0
Tasty + Sludgy == Awesome
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 10%
Type of brew: Strong Ale
Price: ~$8
One of my friends loves this beer, so I figured I would give it a shot. Upon opening the bottle I noticed how slow the beer poured I knew this beer would be thick but good gosh. While the beer was being poured I noticed a fairly sweet aroma and on first taste the aroma was backed up by a slight taste of vanilla. It was a lot sweeter than what I expected but it makes sense since the beer is aged in oak barrels. There is no hint of hops or anything with a resemblance of bitterness in this beer. The beer packs quite a punch with 10% ABV but there is no alcohol taste to it which is pretty amazing and dangerous all at the same time.
Overall this beer is pretty dang good. If you have a chance to pickup a bottle of this beer do so.
The good: Very smooth and easy the drink
The bad: Could be a little too sludge like for some people
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Beer Review : Smuttynose – Baltic Porter
Dec0
Deliciousness in a bottle
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 8.7%
Type of brew: Porter (Baltic)
Price: ~$6
My fiance is interviewing for her residency throughout the U.S. and I have been going with her on some of these trips. While in New Hampshire I decided to pick-up this local beer. For some reason porters go hand and hand with cold-ass winter nights. This brewer must have thought the same because this beer kicks-ass. This porter pours fairly thick and bubbly with a nice head, there is a slight amount of carbonation and it smells of chocolate. Not surprisingly the beer has a hint of chocolate but it is also slightly bitter but in a refreshing way. The beer is super easy to drink and gives you a nice warmth as you drink it, granted the beer weighs in at 8.7 ABV which is pretty strong but since this beer is part of the “big beer series” it is not surprising . I am really surprised at how good this beer is. I have not heard many good things about east coast breweries but so far this one has been decent.
The good: A really good porter
The bad: You can only get it in New Hampshire and local areas
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Beer Review: Goose Island – Christmas Ale 2009
Nov0
*Insert Witty Caption Here*
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 5.7%
Type of brew: Brown Ale
Price: ~$7
I have only ran into Goose Island brewery once and even though the beer was good it was pretty over the top. Anyway, this beer piqued my interest when I was at my local grocery store so I picked up a bottle. I am usually pretty indifferent about brown ales but I have to say this is a pretty darn good brown ale. It is a bit sweet as it warms up but that appears to be a trait of this brewer. Besides being slightly sweet it has a slight bite from the hops although it is very tolerable.
The beer pours a brown color white a small white head and a small amount of carbonation. There is a slight aftertaste and almost reminds me of many barrel-aged beers. It is super easy to drink and is light enough to drink on a weeknight. I think it would be a good beer to drink with more bland foods like poultry or fish. Overall I thought this was a great brown ale to drink when you want something with taste but still want something light.
The good: A great brown ale
The bad: It could be a little sweet for some and it only comes in large bottles
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Beer Review: Harviestoun – Ola Dubh
Nov0
Black as black can be!
Amount of brew in bottle: 11.2 fluid ounces
ABV: 8.0%
Type of brew: Ale
Price: $8.50
Earlier I reviewed a beer from Ireland and now I am reviewing a beer from Scotland, it is like I planned it! I have been eyeing this beer for awhile but have been reluctant to get it because of the high cost of one bottle. Finally though I got a bottle of this and am now reviewing it (no shit, right?). This beer is not what I was expecting though, I was really expecting a syrupy sludge. Instead this beer is sweet, flat and fairly light tasting. The beer gets considerably better as it warms up, this is not a beer you want to drink straight out of the fridge.
The beer does have hints of whisky which makes sense since it is aged in whisky barrels. Like all other wood-aged beers it is a lot sweeter than your normal beers. When I mentioned this beer was flat in the first paragraph I really meant it, there was absolutely no head at all when I poured it. It is like drinking a wine, water or flat soda. This is one of the darkest ales I have ever consumed though, it is pitch black. Initially I was not impressed with this beer but as it warmed up I really enjoyed it. It is not the best beer I have ever had nor do I think it is worth the price tag of it, but it isn’t horrible. I kind of think of it as a cheesy action flick that you don’t mind paying $9 to see once because it was pretty funny and entertaining but you wouldn’t buy it or even remember it in a year.
The good: A fairly tasty beer once it warms up
The bad: I think the price point is a little high
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Beer Review : O’Hara’s – Celebration Stout
Nov2
An awesome stout!
Amount of brew in bottle: 25.4 fluid ounces
ABV: 6.0%
Type of brew: Stout
Price: ???
I have had this bottle of brew in my fridge for at least two months now. It has been one I have been waiting to try but I just never have gotten around to it. I really shouldn’t have waited so long because this beer is damn good! This beer pours with a fairly thick head and is fairly carbonated. It has an almost chocolatey sweet smell to it as well. The beer is super easy to drink and has a dry finish to it.
I had really high expectations for this beer since it is brewed in Ireland and there is at least one few famous stouts that comes out of that country. Personally I think this is better than the very well known stout that comes out of Ireland. The beer is a bit heavier than some stouts but it is far from the heaviest beer I have had either. Overall this is probably one of my favorite stouts I have had to date. If you get a chance to try this stout I would definitely pick it up!
The good: A great stout, really easy to drink
The bad: A little bit hard to find and it comes in a big bottle
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Beer Review: Southern Tier Pumking – Mike’s Version
Oct0
It's the great pumpkin!
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces (if you can actually find a bottle)
ABV: 7.9%
Type of brew: Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Price: ~$5.50 or $25 for a growler!
Note: My fiancee and I wrote a review of the same beer, you can check out her version here.
October the month of ghouls, goblins, little rug-rats trying to get candy and delicious pumpkin beer. I used to not be a huge fan of pumpkin beers they either were too pumpkin like or tasted like normal beer with a pumpkin label affixed to it, lame! But Souther Tier has once again changed my perception on beers. With the Pumking beer it is by the far the best pumpkin beer I have ever tasted. To me it reminds me of drinking a pumpkin pie with extra cinnamon. It is just a damn yummy beer. Apparently other beer-drinks in Seattle agree with me considering one store we went to sold 17 cases of this stuff in a few weeks. So after the first time drinking the beer we went back to get another one and had to “settle” for paying a premium and buying a growler of the stuff so we can review it. Do you see what we go through for you guys?! As I type this review after my second glass of the beer I can fully feel the effects of the 7.9% ABV the beer is packing. The nice thing about this beer is that it is really easy to drink and isn’t overpowering like some beers I have had. The beer pours a golden orange with no head. The smell of the beer is just like it tastes, like a pumpkin pie.
We also had our neighbor try the beer with us. He initially liked it but said that it got harder and harder to drink as it warmed up. I could see this happening with this beer so try not to savior the beer over an hour or two.
The good: easy to drink pumpkin beer
The bad: A touch too much cinnamon at times and not a beer to be consumed super slowly
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Beer Review: Ommegang – Chocolate Indulgence
Oct2
Yummy, yummy chocolate
Type o’ beer: Ale
Warm-and-Fuzzy Factor: 7%
Wallet/Purse-Thinning Factor: $13
Anyone want to guess why this beer caught my eye? The beautiful design of the label ensured that it would be an absolutely delicious beer that was worth every penny I paid for it.
Right.
It said “chocolate.” It also said “Ommegang” and I have liked their beer before. It also said “Cooperstown, NY” on the label. Only close friends will know the importance of that town.
Originally, I wanted a pumpkin beer. It is fall and I usually don’t like fruity beer but pumpkin beer is just up my alley. I am having issues finding a pumpkin beer that isn’t too pumpkin-y or one that also doesn’t leave me asking Mr. Beer Guy if I bought the wrong beer. Instead, I found a new chocolate beer that I hadn’t tried before.
A disclaimer. I was making this lovely chili recipe when I was drinking this beer. The seriously intense steam and flavor coming out of the pot o’ ingredients MAY have changed how my taste buds feel about the flavor.
Mr. Beer Guy had to make sure things were correct, so he let the beer warm up a bit before serving it up. Out of the bottle the beer had a nice, creamy looking head to it. It looked pretty dark for an ale, but I figured that would be due to the chocolate.
And the taste? A bit like chocolate, a lot like…
kalamata olives.
You think I am joking? I tried it a few more times. And then waited until I was done cooking, and tried it some more. It still tasted like kalamata olives in a much stronger way than chocolate. What I can’t figure out is why Mr. Beer Guy doesn’t like this beer. He usually really does not like olives. So I guess that leaves two options…
One – This beer doesn’t really taste like olives
Two – He actually likes olives but just wants to make things interesting for me
I am thinking that two is more likely.
The Good: Easy to drink, flavorful, not too crazy with the ABV, and a good dinner beer
The Bad: Not a good beer to finish the night with, not what I was hoping for in the flavor category, and I felt like I expected more from Ommegang
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