Beer Review: Southern Star Brewing Company – Buried Hatchet Stout
Jun0
A yummy stout!
Amount of brew in can: 12 fluid ounces
ABV: 8.25%
Type of brew: Stout
Price: ~$9 (for a four-pack)
What I really want to say about this stout is it is one of the best stouts I have tasted, ’nuff said.
But, you probably want to hear my opinion as to why I think that. I have had this stout a few times and it has been good every time (yay! for consistency). When you pour it you can definitely notice the malt that they put into the can it is pretty overpowering. Kind of like hops can be easily noticed in certain IPAs during a pour. This is like many craft beers it gets better when it is not straight out of the fridge, the can says 55 degrees but I just know it is better when it is warms up 
. The beer is not too sweet but still has some sweetness to it, it has a little bit of a bitter finish too it so it doesn’t stay super sweet like a barrel-aged stout. So, why do I think this is a great stout compared to other stouts? Probably because it has just the right mixture for me of sweetness, flavor, body and finish. Some stouts come off rather bland to me, others just try to over power you. Now, do I think this is the best stout in the world? No, I am not that arrogant I am sure there are better ones. Is this a good consistent one that I can drink over and over and still enjoy it? You betcha!
Of course with anything there are some things I don’t like. The ABV is a bit high for me to drink multiple ones in a day. And as far as I can tell it is only a midwest beer so my left-coast friends don’t know what they are missing .
The good: A mighty fine stout that I think anyone should try at least once
The bad: Can be hard to find
Beer Review: GDBC – Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Jun0
Watch out this Yeti has a bite!
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 9.5%
Type of brew: Stout
Price: ~$10
Yet another Yeti! GDBC just doesn’t stop producing different types of Yeti’s. Not that I am complaining but as my wife said “tastes like normal Yeti but with a chocolate aftertaste.” While I agree with her for the most part I want to say there is one thing that isn’t mentioned, the spice. Yes, that is right those peeps at GDBC threw some cayenne pepper into this beer. I actually kind of like it. They did a great job of balancing out the sweetness of the chocolate with a little kick from the pepper.
Another good/bad thing about this beer is that the 9.5% ABV is not even noticeable allowing people to quickly drink it. On the flip side if you tend to chug stouts (or any good quality beer) go read another blog 
. This beer reminds me of a cupcake that was recently put out by Cupcake Royale the Chocolate Scorcher although this beer is thankfully not as spicy. The beer pours nice and thick with a small amount of head. So pretty much it pours like most imperial stouts .
Overall this was another great Yeti from GDBC and I am happy that they released it. If you have a chance to pick up a bottle I would say go for it. It even works on a warm day (85 degrees @ 11:45PM as I write this). I would have to say overall the spice is the most surprising thing about this beer as most beers I have consumed rarely have a kick and it is a nice change.
The good: Another delicious stout
The bad: If you don’t like heavy beers stay away
Overall taste: 
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Overall rating: 
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
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Overall rating:
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
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Overall rating:
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 .
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.
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Overall rating:
Beer Review: Quilters Irish Death by Iron Horse Brewery
Apr0
It is as deadly as it is smooth. Photo by Jana
Here in Washington (or maybe it is just Seattle) we have people that come out and knit at coffee shops and bars. I find this kind of weird but hey whatever floats your boat. Any ways I saw this bottle called “Quilters Irish Death” and I thought of these people (yes I know quilting and knitting are different but they are god damn close enough).
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 7.8%
Type of brew: stout
Price: ~$4.50
What can I say the bottle really says it all with “smooth dark ale.” Yep, that pretty much sums up this beer. On first taste there isn’t too much to the beer but there is a pleasantly sweet after taste that isn’t too strong but is still noticeable. Since there is no barley (at least from what I can tell) in the beer it isn’t as bitter as you might expect. Even though this beer is very easy to drink that can also be a bad thing, especially on an empty stomach! I know for me I came off feeling more buzzed from this beer than I did from the belzebuth. This is one of the few dark beers that I have had that can be easily gulped down.
The good: easy to drink perfect for cold rainy days (so 4 out of 5 days here in Seattle)
The bad: It only comes in big bottles 
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Overall rating:
Beer Review: Great Divide Brewing Co. – Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
Mar0
This is one hairy mutha
The Espresso Oak Aged Yeti claims to be a good food pairing for breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cheesecake and creme brulee. I am not sure if I could ever come to drinking beer in the morning but I can see how this beer would wake anyone up. It has a strong taste, the taste is good but is not subtle. Here are some pertinent stats:
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 9.5%
Type of brew: Imperial Stout
Price: $12
This beer is dark, intense and not super smooth or sweet like you find with many wood-aged beers. The taste of the espresso comes through quite clearly and adds to the bitterness. Although the hops and malts finish off the taste. Like all of the other imperial stouts I have had this is not a fast drinking beer, especially from the intensity of the flavor I would get my ass kicked to the floor chugging this beast. It appears that this beer is coming out slowly and in small batches. When my fiance went to grab this beer for me (ain’t she great!) there was only one case left in the store and they had not even brought it out yet. Thankfully we got a bottle to try as I could see drinking this beer often. Although for the price of this beer you could buy a 6-pack of oak-aged arrogant bastard which is one of the more expensive 6-packs you can find in a grocery store making it the only major downside to this beer.
The good: great tasting beer, awesome label, kickstarts you if you are at all tired
The bad: the price and limited stock
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
La Biere des Collines – Hercule Stout
Mar0
Run away!
Today I am drinking La Biere des Collines’ Hercule Stout which is a bottle of brew I purchased a few weeks ago mainly because the label caught my eye. Before I get into the bulk of the review below is a summary of the pertinent stats:
Amount of brew in the bottle: 11.2 fluid ounces
ABV: 9%
Type of brew: Belgian ale / Stout
Price: ~$4
I was pretty anxious for this beer as I thought it would good and since most belgian ales aren’t stouts I figured it would be interesting. Plus with a name like Hercules Stout I was imaging a dark strong beer that would kick anyone’s ass. Sadly, I was let down like a geek going to watch Episode 3 of Star Wars on opening night. The smell of this beer is awesome with hints of chocolate, sweetness and a faint scent of hops and if the taste was half of what the smell was my expectations would have been met. However, on first sip the illusion setup by the smell disappeared. The taste has a tiny hint of chocolate from the barley but otherwise the taste is flat and boring. I would not recommend this beer as there are far better ones out there.
The good: The label is dang cool, the smell is great
The bad: The taste
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Full Sail – Black Gold Imperial Stout
Feb0
That's it I am moving to Beverly Hills
Today I am reviewing Full Sail’s Black Gold Imperial Stout, this beer is a limited brewmaster’s release. Upon pouring this beer you can see it is dark, very dark. This beer is cask-conditioned that was aged in bourbon barrels which gives the beer some additional flavors. While the beer is still cold it is more bitter than I expected, however, after the beer warms up that bitterness goes away. This beer has a sweet smell that is a bit like a liquor and brown sugar which I am guessing is from the bourbon barrels. The taste has small hints of vanilla and the alcohol taste comes through more (but not much) as it warms up. Once the beer is at a good serving temperature (~55) it is more mellow and a delight to drink. The aftertaste on this beer is very sweet and it sticks around for at least 15 seconds.
Let me digress a little about why I am even reviewing this beer. I was recently at my local grocery store and this beer was at the bottom of the end display with a sign saying “2 bottle limit per customer.” It piqued my interest. I know Full Sail is a good brewery but the sign tipped me over the edge for purchasing this $10 bottle of beer. That and it was the very last bottle. Anyways, I am very glad that I bought this beer. Ok, back to our regularly schedule review…
As the name suggests this beer is thick as black gold, but probably sweeter. This beer has an ABV of 10.5% which is pretty strong but the alcohol taste isn’t overpowering which is nice. I have had quite a few beers that had an ABV of 9+% and it is quite common for the alcohol taste and smell to be very noticeable. I have now let this beer sit for an hour and a half and the beer has become almost sickeningly sweet. What does this tell you? Don’t nurse your dang beer! However, both my fiance and I have nursed ours as it is just not a beer you drink quickly. I couldn’t imagine drinking the whole bottle by myself!
The Good: A great tasting beer that is easy to drink, until it gets really warm
The Bad: It is a limited release and a bit expensive
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness:
Laughing Dog – The Dogfather
Feb0
Even dogs must bow down to it...
Tonight I am drinking The Dogfather from Laughing Dog Brewing. From the get go you can tell this is a serious stout! The beer is rated at 10.85% ABV which is not exactly a budweiser . The higher alcohol comes through in the taste and the smell of the beer. I can’t drink this beer quickly for many reasons: it has a high ABV, the taste would be over powering, the bitterness would get to me. Overall the Dogfather isn’t that bitter but it does have an IBU rating of 71 which is higher than some IPAs. I am going to guess based off of the sharpness in the bitterness that it is mostly coming from the malts with the hops giving it the sharp finish. The aftertaste of the beer is surprisingly sweet which would be almost gross if someone was to take a huge gulp. As the beer warmed up the bitterness and sharpness toned down a bit and a slight smokey flavor showed up.
Overall this beer was pretty damn good. I would say the hardest part of this whole review was getting a picture of my dogs looking like they actually gave a damn about the beer. It was almost as bad as getting a girl interested in engines: the easiest way is to put a “cute” pair of shoes around the damn thing. However, in this case, the “engine” was beer and the “cute” shoes were freeze-dried liver treats.
The Good: aftertaste, makes you feel good after a tough work week, taste
The Bad: A little too bitter
Overall taste:
Bitterness:
Smoothness: