Beer Review: Dick’s Imperial Stout
Jul0
Yummy deliciousness
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by my fiancee so please don’t think I started to carry around a man-purse or something stupid like that 
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Amount of brew: 12 fluid ounces
Warm and fuzzy factor: 7.5%
Type of beer: Read the title
Purse-thinning-factor: $2.49
I hardly ever post a beer review. My usual role on this website includes the very amateur photography. My secondary role includes picking beers for Mr. Beer Guy to review. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t that I am averse to sharing my opinion (about beer)… It is just that putting my opinions down on “paper” means that I have to really think about them first.
So why am I doing a review now? Did you happen to notice the lovely textbook that is in the background of the picture? Um, yeah. That would be a review book for my next big fat test in a series of big fat tests that I will be involved in for a while. I figured that procrastination is definitely a part of studying, and this beer review is helping in the procrastination department.
Oh yeah, I should start talking about the beer.
As the title indicates, this is an Imperial Stout. Please refer back to Mr. Beer Guy’s info post on Imperial Stouts if you want more technical information about that. Mr. Beer Guy chose this beer partly because he had not seen it before and partly because Dick’s Beer has consistently produced delicious beers. As another side note, before I actually get to reviewing this beer, Dick’s Beer makes a GREAT variety pack that we actually buy pretty often. They have a good spread of brews that have never disappointed. FTW We are actually thinking about using at least one Dick’s beer at our wedding.
Okay, so the beer… Out of the bottle and from the fridge, this beer smells pretty rich and smokey. It tastes just as mouth-watering as it smells. The beer is not over-powering in taste or intensity of the stout. I would recommend this beer to people that are wanting to try a stout but don’t want something that is going to knock them off their feet (or USMLE studying chair). The stout definitely went quickly and Mr. Beer Guy kept making his way from the office to the dining room so that he could get sips of the beer before I finished it off.
I don’t think that I would have like this beer if it had been hot and muggy outside. But then again, I don’t know too many people that like to drink heavy drinks while it is that warm outside. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what happen to this beer as it warms up. I think that it does start getting a bit stronger, but I happen to have finished off the beer before it got too warm.
The bottom line is that Dick’s Beer has brewed up yet another winner. It is great for people who want delicious beer, and it is even better for people who want delicious beer while procrastinating for studying for a test.
The Good: A good imperial stout that lives up to the Dick’s Beer label
The Bad: I don’t have more of these in my house to help me procrastinate further.
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Beer Review: Primator
Jul0
A delicious lager (yes, you heard that right)
Amount of brew in bottle: 500 ML (i.e. roughly a pint)
ABV: 5%
Type of brew: lager
Price: $3
I was getting low on my beer review so I headed on down to one of my beer supply spots and as I was checking out I asked them for a good beer to review that wasn’t common and this was the one they suggested. I would have to say it is a pretty darn good lager. It has been fairly warm here in Seattle so a good lager is very refreshing. I am always skeptical drinking lagers and pilsners as they have a bad rap here in the U.S. because of the macro-breweries that brew tasteless crap. I had a bit higher hopes with this beer since it came from the Czech republic which is where lagers originate. This beer pours with a light color and a good amount of foam. The taste is refreshing with a very slight bitterness to it and has some decent taste to it. Some might describe the taste as floral to me the taste seems light, sweet and like I said before a tinge of bitterness.
This is the second foreign lager I have had and so far I have been impressed. The difference between most U.S. lagers and the foreign lagers is very noticeable. I am sure there are some craft breweries that brew up some mighty tasty lagers but they are few and far between. If you see this beer when you are at the store I would suggest you pick one up, especially if it is warm outside!
The good: great taste, light, refreshing, awesome on a hot day
The bad: I am coming up blank
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Beer Review: 2009 Oak Aged Imperial Stout – Left Hand Brewing Co
Jul0
A damn fine beer! Photo by - Jana
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 10.2%
Type of brew: Imperial Stout
Price: $7
I love all types of beers but I would have to say good stouts and IPAs tend to be my favorites. Which means I have been looking forward to reviewing this beer for the week or two it has been in my fridge. On first taste of this beer it is readily apparent that it is barrel-aged because it is smooth like silk and is a bit sweeter than normal stouts. The nice thing about it though is that it isn’t crazy sweet, when trying barrel-aged stouts it is always a gamble and sometimes you get a beer that is so sweet you might wonder if you are drinking straight high-fructose corn syrup. However, it appears Left Hand brewing has decided to get the perfect combination for an oak aged stout; it is sweet with a slight taste of malts and dangerously easy to drink. I have to say that this stout has topped all of the other oak-aged stouts I have had to date. As most stouts this beer is black but what else would you expect? If someone gave you an amber “stout” you would laugh at them and ask them for whatever they have been drinking 
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On a side note all of the beers I have had from Left Hand Brewing have been enjoyable, so, if you are ever faced with a bunch of beers that you know shit about and Left Hand is in their maybe you should choose them. Also, they have one of the best brewery site designs I have seen to date.
The good: super easy to drink and a delicious taste
The bad: It could be too sweet for some people and it only comes in 22 ounce bottles
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Beer Review: Alpha Dog – Laughing Dog
Jul0
Don't follow this leader!
I have had this beer in my fridge for almost a month now so I guess I should finally get to reviewing it.
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 8%
Type of brew: Imperial IPA
Price: ~$6
The last time I had a laughing dog beer I wasn’t that impressed. Actually I was downright fucking unimpressed but hey I am not reviewing that beer on this post. Thankfully this beer is a little better but it still is not the best beer I have ever had. Supposedly this beer has 120+ IBUs but I don’t feel that it is that hoppy maybe because the malt is over-riding the hops which is too bad. The beer poured a light brown color and had a malty smell. The taste is skunky and very malty. Even though the taste is not that great this beer is decently easy to drink. However, this beer is rather unremarkable and Laughing Dog has let me down once again. Since this is my second beer I will give Laughing Dog one more try before I stop drinking their beers.
The good: A great beer to use for revenge
The bad: Tastes like malty skunk water
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What the firkin!
Jun0
That is a wee keg you have there!
Have you ever heard of the term “firkin?” Personally I had never heard of the term until this year’s Seattle Beer week. Granted I am fairly new to the beer geek world. So, I took it upon myself to do some research and post it here so maybe someone else won’t appear as ignorant. Sometimes you will see in pubs that serve craft beers that a beer is available only in a cask. Those pubs are saying two things:
1) It is a small amount of beer compared to a keg since cask beers almost always come in firkins.
2) That the beer was brewed cask-style (I will explain more about this in a later post).
A firkin actually indicates a size it usually means a fourth of a full keg, which means it is 9 gallons. There are other interesting terms that convey size as well they are:
- kilderkin (twice the size of a firkin)
- barrels (twice the size of a kilderkin, i.e. a keg)
- hogsheads (1.5 times larger than a keg)
- butts (three times the size of a hogshead)
- tuns (almost 8 kegs/barrels)
Well now you know different sizes that usually house liquid! You also know that when someone says there is a cask beer there isn’t that much there so you better get to the bar before it taps out .
Beer Review: Old Rasputin – North Coast Brewing Co.
Jun0
A beer made by ZZ-Top's predecessor
I sure do love a good imperial stout, so, when my Uncle suggested that Old Rasputin is a great Russian imperial stout I just had to try it. Before I get to the bulk here are the pertinent stats.
Amount of brew in bottle: 12 fluid ounces
ABV: 9%
Type of brew: Russian Imperial Stout
Price: $5
When my fiancée tried this beer she said “if you don’t finish this beer I will.” But I don’t think she will get a chance . The beer is pretty darn good it is a bit fuzzier than I normally like my stouts but it is not like drinking a soda. There is a slightly sweet initial taste that becomes a little bitter. This beer isn’t as thick as other imperial stouts I have had but it is definitely no pilsner. It is a very easy to drink beer, I can’t say that it is better than the other imperial russian stouts I have had but it is a contender. As with most of these beers you need a very flavorful food to match with it or you can just enjoy the beer by itself. One thing I noticed is that as the beer got warmer it was sweeter and less bitter. Overall I am glad I have had this beer but I don’t know if I would buy it again, I would be interested to see how it tasted coming from a keg (or cask).
The good: Great example of a Russian Imperial Stout that you can get in most grocery stores
The bad: A bit strong to have on an empty stomach or if you don’t like sweet beers
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Beer Review: Wild Blue – Blue Dawg Brewery
Jun0
Is this juice or beer?
While visiting my Mom down in a small rural town in Washington I dropped by the only place that sold craft beer and picked up a few brews. This one caught my eye mainly because most beers aren’t brewed with blueberries. The owner of the shop asked if I have ever had it which I said “no” he replied with “well it tastes like blueberries.” Well the owner was correct it sure does taste like blueberries. Some pertinent stats:
Amount of brew in bottle: 12 fluid ounces
ABV: 8%
Type of brew: Lager
Price: $2.50
After buying this I found out this beer was actually brewed by Anheuser-Busch which surprises me as it isn’t half bad and it doesn’t taste like water! Mainly this beer tastes like a liquid version of fruity pebbles. I almost don’t want to call this beer a beer because it sure as hell doesn’t taste like one! This would not be a beer I would drink all of the time but it was a nice change of pace. Granted if you don’t like fruity beers I would steer clear of it. I do think this beer might go well over vanilla ice cream or something you could make a float out of. Maybe some year I will have to give that a try .
The good: easy to drink
The bad: a bit too sweet for some people
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Beer Review: Flemish Sour Ale – Monk’s Cafe
Jun0
Who you callin' sour boy? Photo by Jana
Whenever I drink a sour beer I am always wishy-washy about it. On one hand it tastes like a weird apple cider but on the other hand it is kind of refreshing. Before I get into the bulk of the beer review here are the pertinent stats:
Amount of brew in bottle: 11.2 fluid ounces
ABV: 5.5%
Type of brew: Sour ale
Price: ~$4
If they renamed this beer to “sweet and sour red ale” it would sum this beer right the hell up. It has the taste of an apple cider that had a few extra cups of sugar added but still the slight tang of sourness. It pours with a red color and has a decent head on the top of it. I am not entirely sure if I am drinking a beer or a kids drink that has been spiked by my evil cousin Vinnie. This beer is ridiculously easy to drink and if I was on an empty stomach while having it this beer would do me in not because it has a high ABV but because it is too easy to drink. I do notice that after having this beer there is a slight bitterness that lingers in my mouth. This beer really reminds me of sweet and sour pork mainly because it is really sweet and with just a touch of sour. As with most sour beers it is a taste you must enjoy or else you will not like the beer. When my fiancée tasted this beer she said it “tasted like apple cider gone bad” which pretty much sums up most sour beers . I personally don’t mind sour beers and they are especially nice way to cleanse your palette after a meal.
Overall I felt this beer was ok for a sour ale, but I felt it was too sweet for my tastes. When I have a sour beer I want sour not some wussy “sour” beer that just has a hint of sour. That is like getting the “fire” sauce at Taco Bell which is a poor imitation of things that should make you cry.
The good: super easy to drink
The bad: way too sweet
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Beer Review: MoM Hefeweizen – Rogue
May0
A fine beer for Mom!
I don’t usually drink hefeweizens so this beer is a departure from my normal stout, porter, lager, IPA mix. The pertinent stats:
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 4.8%
Type of brew: hefeweizen (the rogue site also states it is belgian style)
Price: ~$5
This beer doesn’t have the normal sweet, heavy taste that I associate with hefeweizens. When I first poured this beer I noticed that it was very bubbly and the smell reminded me of Henry Weinhards private reserve. Which seemed weird to me since Henry’s is a pilsner and this is not. Anyways it doesn’t taste like a pilsner which is good and it is a very easy to drink beer and I would look to have this by my side when I am eating some super spicy chicken wings or after a good long bicycle ride. It isn’t too bitter nor is it that sweet it is just right and I could see this being an awesome session beer. It has some distinctive tastes that won’t make this beer boring but it is not some huge monster of a beer. One question I had going into this beer is; would I give my Mom this beer? The answer is positively yes! This is also one beer I would prefer cold instead of trying to warm it up to 55 degrees like many of the other beers I drink.
Overall this beer was a nice change and as it gets hotter here in Seattle I am going to have to keep a few of these in stock for when I BBQ (which is damn often).
The good: easy to drink beer
The bad: too easy to chug (ok maybe that isn’t always a bad thing)
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Beer Terminology : Imperial
May0
Have you ever noticed a beer that had a name starting with “imperial” sort of like “Imperial IPA” or “Imperial Pilsner” etc… Maybe you just wrote it off as just part of the name or maybe you were curious as to what it meant. Well this is my understanding (and I did a little bit of research to) of the imperial term. The first beer with this name comes from “Imperial Stout” also known as “Russian Imperial Stout” which was first brewed in 1796 (wiki page) for Catherine II of Russia. Mainly because the stouts coming from England would be bad by the time they got over to Russia so the brewers increased the alcohol content and malts to help preserve the beer. When pouring an imperial stout like Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout it is usually dark, thick and resembles a light-weight motor oil.
However, nowadays the imperial label is applied to all sorts of beers. Some people don’t like this and others don’t care. I am on the don’t care side mainly because when someone uses the imperial label I understand what they are trying to convey. This beer has higher alcohol content and is a more robust beer. For instance if you drink an Imperial IPA (sometimes called a double IPA) it just means it is really, really hoppy (over 100 IBUs) and has a fairly high alcohol content.
So now you know when you run across the imperial label it just means you can get sauced faster (if that is your goal) or you will get overwhelmed. Personally I find these beers go well with really strong food like a very hearty chili or a spicy plate of wings.