Beer Review: Russian River - Pliny the Elder

Russian River Brewing Co.
Pliny the Elder
Double IPA
8% ABV

Appearance: Pours a clear yellow orange with a light and bubbly two and a half fingers of white foam.

Smell: Orange, tangerine, pine, and some earthy spiciness with a bit of sugary sweetness.

Taste: Follows the nose with grapefruit and  pine and an earthy, spicy finish. Very well balanced with a little hit of alcohol as the beer warms. 

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, crisp, and refreshing.

Overall, this is a really solid double IPA. Currently the third highest rated beer on BeerAdvocate.com, I really had to keep my expectations in check on this one as I've been trying to get my hands on a bottle ever since I became an IPA junkie about a year ago. At first it didn't really blow me away. The aroma, while pleasant, wasn't really unique or particularly outstanding in any way. The taste was similar in that it was certainly enjoyable but nothing terribly interesting or exclusive. But then the beer warmed up a bit and surprisingly revealed itself as the extremely balanced and well-made beer that it is. It's not a hop bomb like so many IPAs released today. Instead, it quietly impresses you with its subtlety and balance. Despite this, I have to admit that it does fall short of it's legendary status but through no fault of it's own. It's still a beautifully made beer that I wound never turn down and if more easily available, would be one that I would likely return to often.

4 out of 5

Beer Review: Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Goose Island Beer Co.
Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
Imperial Stout
14.3% ABV

2012 Vintage - Intelligentsia La Tortuga Coffee Beans

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with a scant finger of reddish-tan foam.

Smell: Oak, vanilla, light coffee, baking chocolate, dark cherry, and raisins.

Taste: Follows the nose but much more robust and complex. Oak, vanilla, bitter, roasted coffee, burnt caramel, earthy, spicy, smoky and salty with some bourbon alcohol notes. The coffee is certainly there but it doesn't hit you over the head with it's presence. I've heard that the fresher you drink this, the stronger the coffee is in both the flavor and aroma.

Mouthfeel: On the heavier side with a spicy and acidic finish, presumably from the coffee beans integrated in the brewing process.

Overall, this was not quite as legendary as I was hoping for. I'd been trying to find a bottle of this (or any Bourbon County stout, really) for quite some time and the hype surrounding it was pretty extensive. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very good barrel-aged stout, but there are many others that I have enjoyed much more. I like that it's complex and quite easy to drink at a whopping 14.3% ABV (the highest of any beer I've ever had) but I didn't care for the acidic/bitter/salty flavors that were very front and center, in my opinion. And while I hate to bring the price of the bottle into a beer review, I feel that at $22 a bottle it certainly warrants mentioning. The point is, I've had much better stouts for half that price and this is one that, while I'm glad I tried it, I won't be purchasing again. I will however try the other variants (Cherry Rye in particular) if and when I come across them.

4 out of 5

Beer Review: Lakefront - 25th Anniversary Imperial Stout

Lakefront Brewery
25th Anniversary Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
10% ABV

Appearance: Pours a black-brown with reddish highlights and over three fingers of bubbly tan foam that sticks to the sides of the glass. A beautiful looking stout.

Smell: Semi-tart cherries, coffee, oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate.

Taste: Follows the nose almost exactly with lots of semi-tart cherries, coffee, oak, roasted malt, and cocoa powder. Absolutely no alcohol present in the flavor, even after it warms up substantially.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, creamy and smooth, with a nice tart bite that mellows out as the beer warms.

Overall, this is a really enjoyable and unique imperial stout. The addition of cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and pureed cherries were quite interesting and added a nice complexity to the aroma and taste. I loved that this was strong and flavorful but also very easy to drink with no heat whatsoever from the 10% ABV. With their 25th Anniversary Imperial Stout Lakefront offers us an impressive, expertly crafted, and affordable brew that I would not hesitate to purchase again. Well done!

4.5 out of 5

Beer Review: Firestone Walker - Parabola

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Parabola 
Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout
13% ABV
2013 Vintage

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a finger and a half of tan foam that dissipates rather quickly.

Smell: The nose consists primarily of bourbon, oak, and vanilla but also contains more subtle aromas of baking chocolate, coffee, and caramel.

Taste: Much like the smell, the bourbon dominates here. This one's pretty boozy but there's a lot more going on than just the alcohol. Dark fruits (plum, raisins, and cherries), black licorice, caramel, earthy spiciness, bitter chocolate, light coffee, oak, and vanilla all blend together to create an intoxicating concoction.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly lighter, semi-oily mouthfeel with a nice little bit of carbonation. In general though, very creamy and velvety.

Overall, this is a fantastic barrel-aged stout that's complex, flavorful and a great bottle to share with beer-loving friends or family. The wonderful thing about this beer is that while it is quite intense in terms of flavor and alcohol, it's also a very easy sipper. If that makes any sense. Like a fine cognac, Parabola is meant to be slowly enjoyed and appreciated. It's a beer that you can take long pauses in between sips and, as cheesy as it sounds, let your mind wander, discovering all the aromas and flavors within. Seriously, this can be a form of meditation. Mediation through beer. I think I may be onto something.

5 out of 5

Beer Review: Dark Horse - Artic Dekoorc Eert

Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Artic Dekoorc Eert
American IPA
6.5% ABV

Appearance: Pours a glowing hazy orange with three fingers of off-white foam.

Smell: Orange marmalade, tangerine, grapefruit, pine, and a bit of earthy spiciness.

Taste: Orange and grapefruit rind, piney, nutty, and earthy spice. Nicely balanced with the perfect amount of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, crisp and dry.

Overall, this is a great IPA from a brewery that I'm happily starting to see a lot more of lately here in Illinois. Part of their single hop Crooked Tree series, this particular one spotlights the highly popular Citra hop. While I feel Citra is a bit overplayed in the current market, it is a really solid hop varietal and in the hands of a good brewery can yield great results. Such is the case with Artic Dekoorc Eert (Citra Crooked Tree spelled backwards, in case you hadn't already figured that out). It's flavorful, balanced, and easy to drink at a perfect 6.5% ABV. It's not quite as remarkable as Zombie Dust (also about 6.5% and brewed with Citra) but
all comparisons aside, it's a fantastic beer that can hold it's own
against the best IPAs out there. Cheers to Dark Horse.

Beer Review: Sierra Nevada - Narwhal

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Narwhal
Imperial Stout
10.2% ABV

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with brown highlights. Over three fingers of bubbly and creamy tan foam with great retention.

Smell: Not a whole lot going on here. Light roasted coffee and dark chocolate. As the beer warms, it becomes slightly more aromatic, bringing out notes of dark fruit such as currant.

Taste: Baking chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, a medley of dark fruits (plums, raisins, currants). Finishes somewhat boozy with hints of black licorice and oak.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, somewhat of a lighter mouthfeel but still nice and creamy with the perfect amount of carbonation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this imperial stout from Sierra Nevada. This bottle was probably a good 9 months old and actually had some nice barrel-aged characteristics to it. Smooth, creamy, complex, and fairly balanced with solid but not overpowering heat from the alcohol. I do wish it were more aromatic but it more than makes up for it in the flavor department. The cold winter months are typically dubbed stout season but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a great stout under the summer sun. I'm looking forward to picking up more of this delicious black brew when it's released again this Fall.

4.5 out of 5

Beer Review: Founders - KBS

Founders Brewing Co.
KBS
Imperial Stout
11.2% ABV

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with two and a half fingers of rich, tan foam.

Smell: Bourbon, vanilla, oak, earthiness, baking chocolate, and lightly roasted coffee.

Taste: Follows the nose with bitter chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coffee, oak, a bit of sweet vanilla and lots of great bourbon flavor. Not overly boozy. Just right.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and silky smooth with a semi-dry oaky finish and fairly low carbonation.

Wow. I have to say that even after all of the hype surrounding this beer, I was still impressed. I was sort of expecting to be disappointed, assuming that this was just another one of those beers that quickly became overrated. Definitely not the case with KBS. It deserves all of the accolades it has received. I only wish it wasn't so hard to acquire as it is quite simply one of the top 5 best stouts I've ever had. Complex, flavorful, smooth, well-balanced, not too boozy (despite it's high ABV) and just an all-around pleasure to drink. The quintessential barrel aged stout.
Liquid perfection.

5 out of 5