Happy Thanksgiving!

A day filled with delicious food and family would not be complete without Craft Beer. What are you drinking? I will likely go with Poppa Skull from Dogfish/FFF and Lucky Bastard from Stone as those are new and cold in my fridge. I also have the new Sam Adams Winter Pack chilling. Maybe a Chocolate Bock before bed?

Either way, today is a good day to show any beer-haters in your family just how well beer can pair with food. Try a good triple with your turkey or a brown ale with your stuffing. Open a stout or porter with dessert.

Either way, have a great holiday, enjoy wonderful food and beer, and travel safely.

Cheers,

Steve

Goose Island, Three Floyd's & Dogfish Head

Just received an email from one of my beer guys. He has Alpha Klaus and Poppa Skull on hold for me tomorrow. While both will be easy to pick up over the next week or two, it is nice to know there is someone looking out for me. My schedule doesn't always allow for frequent beer store trips and I have been known to miss out on rare offerings from time to time.

I can also look out for myself. I will be in line before work on Friday to grab a bottle of Goose Island BCS Rare. Looking forward to giving that a try if I can grab more than one. If only one, I will likely age.

Going to give Dogfish Head Namaste a whirl this evening. Looking forward to the 5% ABV. While the release timing is a bit confusing given the chilly months ahead, a more session-able ale is a welcome respite from the boozier seasonal options currently available.

On to more important things - bedtime for my son!

Namaste... (I almost pulled that off with a straight face).

It's been a long time...

But I am back home. Actually, just the opposite. Heading to San Antonio tomorrow for work. Will enjoy some of the finer Ice Houses and such in the great state. But in the emotional sense, I am right where I belong because ... stouts are here! I love gathering up the great, viscous whatever that comes with this time of the year. I just picked up a 2009 Goose Island BCS yesterday. I passed on the 2010. I figure I will read a few reviews. Either way, the real treat will be the 2010 BCS Vanilla. Can't wait to try.

Another of my favorites arrived on the scene last week. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. I did something I have never done; I bought a case of the stuff. To be honest, it is a bit boozy, but boy does it age well!

Just previewing my cellar and it is no longer in its death throes:

2009-10 Brooklyn Black Ops
2010 FFF Dark Lord
2010 Green Flash Barleywine
Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10
Bell's Batch 9000
Bell's Expedition Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
2009 Goose Island BCS

Nothing too impressive, but I am actually managing it at this point to ensure optimal coolness for Dark Lord Day. As fucking geeky as that sounds, I was a little embarrassed with the cooler I brought last year and would like to make amends. I also want to make sure I don't blow my wad on April 24th. So active management it is - Active Management, when translated to my wife, means spending more on already expensive beer. Joy.

And then another work trip next week. This time to San Diego. Escondido to be exact. And my client loves dinner at Stone. So... I intend to do an early dinner and then enjoy a few beverages I cannot procure in the Midwest before heading back to my hotel. I love that place - the food and the beer list are second to none.

And that is that ... good evening friends.

okay

I might be done sweating now

Claritin-D and drinking

I posted on my evening but I must have worked my liver overtime. Every time I move my body, I start sweating. I am that gross guy on the subway you don't want to sit next to. Sorry dude, now you know why I wanted the aisle seat.

Off to work. Tonight is supposed to be a Dark Lord tasting, but if this cold is still in full swing I may have to pass.

tragic

So. I love Sheffield's.

Seriously. Walked in after great Cubs game and they had six taps of Southern Tier! Had a taste of Jah-vah and a snifter of Gemini (my phone kept wanting to default feminism for Gemini). A hoppy and boozy affair with enough backbone to be respected in the morning. Nice nose and a sweet disposition lend to drinkability. I like it!

Sheffield's before the Cubs game

Looking forward to real beer prior to knocking back a few Old Styles at the Cubs game. Going with a friend/co-worker who has professed a love for "Blue Moon with oranges." I smiled nicely and told him we would introduce him to a few real beers.

Should be a good time.

I love their beer list and their food is incredible.

Check it out:

http://www.sheffieldschicago.com/

Go Cubs!

in car

with Nick.

Texas Board Of Education Tried To Keep Word 'Slave' Out Of 'Slave Trade'

This board of intolerant hacks is re-writing the text books for millions of our children. The job of a socially conscious parent becomes more difficult as we now have to unteach our children what they learn in school. From a civics perspective, this is disasterous. From an ethnocentric perspective, this is alarming! We ARE part of a global community and we ARE a powerful nation. Why can't these two viewpoints be reconciled.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Chicago Craft Beer Week

Haven't been to one event. So very sad. This seems to be a pattern every time there is a week long beer event.

Pere Jacque

Enjoyed a couple of
Goose Island's version of a Belgian dubbel last night. Not nearly as fruity as advertised, which is a good thing. Malt was very big with a nice dryness about it that may have been the reason the fruit was a bit less forward as expected. I am very happy with my purchase.

testing...

the Android Blogger app for my Droid. Cool.

testing...

the Android Blogger app for my Droid. Cool.

Tom Corbett Subpoenas Twitter To Identify His Anonymous Critics

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/23608537/detail.html



I like what Vic Walczak, of the ACLU's Pittsburgh office, says about the Federalist Papers and Thomas Payne at the end of this article!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Senators Don't Take Position On Limiting ATM Charges Because They DON'T USE ATMS

"Old man take a look at my life, I pay a lot in fees..."



That shiny box has money in it?!?!?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Mark Williams, Tea Party Leader, Says Muslims Worship "Monkey God"

Stay classy New York! Scary that he is a national leader with such tall and hateful talk.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Recently...

Recently reviewed 5 beers on Beeradvocate.com. Will post the reviews here and give you a sample of what I have been drinking. Lots of Stone, Half Acre, Goose, Surly, Brooklyn, South Hampton, New Holland, and ... FFF's Dark Lord.

Recently reviewed 5 beers on Beeradvocate.com. Will post the reviews here and give you a sample of what I have been drinking. Lots of Stone, Half Acre, Goose, Surly and ... FFF's Dark Lord.

I have a novel's worth of reviews in writing that I need to transfer and a boat load more in my head. I have my work cut out for me. You would think not watching TV would provide free time. You would be wrong.

Steve

Sheepish

My wife and I have a blog - notvfor365days.blogspot.com.

It is our family endeavor for the next year and we are fiercely proud of it.

However, I have been sampling a shit load of beer lately and have been supremely neglecting these hallowed pages. I will be posting my reviews from Stone Brewery, a few of my own brews, Half Acres growler offerings and a myriad of bother (Pliny the f'ing Elder!!!) very soon.

I can't wait (and sorry)!

Shalom

Half Acre

Drinking a growler of their new Ginger Twins IPA. Very nice, balanced brew with the right amount of hop bitterness to make it an everyday beer. I was a little disappointed after I was told that it would be a seasonal. It drinks well enough to be a six-pack regular.

Overall, well worth the stop and the $12 growler refill.

And I picked up a Half Acre pint glass!

Help! We screwed up!

This is sort of embarassing. We made a Founder's Breakfast Stout clone last weekend and thought we had put together a masterpiece. That is, until I tasted the ridiculously sweet concoction, glanced at the recipe, and realized we had made the all-grain and extract recipes into one 5 gallon batch. You see, we intended to do partial-mash and failed to see that the recipe mentioned full-grain and extract, not partial-mash. We now have a 5 gallon batch which, according to Hopville recipe calculator, should produce a stout with abv at 16.5% with an astounding 535 calories per 12 oz. serving.

We screwed up.

So here is where your help comes in - can we salvage this or is it a tosser?

Two ideas:

1) Blend it with another 3-4 gallons and dilute the powerful blend we inadvertently created.

2) Run a tertiary and quaternary fermentation with different yeasts and hope that we can eat up the tremendous amount of sugar.

Any other ideas?

And another thing ...

We bottled the IPA we made a few weeks ago. I am anxious to try it with carbonation and a bit more time to bring the flavors together. We tried it out of the bottling bucket yesterday and it tasted very good - very citrusy with a nice strong hop aroma. Very nice sugar as well which is what I wanted to create.

Breakfast Stout

I will post pictures soon, but yesterday the kpsl(nr) brewing team put together a Founder's Breakfast Stout clone. We may have made a mistake in using too much grain AND extract. No matter the outcome, I loved every minute of it. Different aromas, cold press coffee, chocolate, different grains.

It was a sticky mess but something I would very much like to do again. We will let it sit for 4-5 days in primary fermentation. After that we will check the gravity and move it to secondary fermentation where we will add more coffee. We are using two Metropolis roasts, so we will have a nice local product of which to boast.

After a few weeks in the secondary, we will check the gravity again. If our liquid still had too much sugar, we made need to make some tough decisions on the fly.

All issues aside, making beer is nothing short of great fun. And to make beer with good people is even better.

Recipe

We are brewing again this coming Saturday. I am working on a partial-mash recipe for Oatmeal Coffee Stout. I am looking for a higher abv, somewhere in the mid 8's. It would be ideal to do this as a full-grain but we don't have a pot big enough just yet. Either way, we may end up calling this one, Breakfast.

Not all that original, so look for the name to change.

North Coast Brewery - Old Rasputin

What a beer!!!

Sitting at the bar in Yia Yia's - Lincoln, Nebraska. A dark night wet with rain and melting snow. And this place, a holy beacon for a traveler stranded in Lincoln ...

But I digress. The first beer I ordered was Old Rasputin. Not sure why I haven't picked this up yet. I truthfully was unaware it was so easy to find in my hometown, Chicago.

A beautiful pour - dark chocolate with a toasty tan topper. A gorgeous beer, smelling strongly of chocolate with hints of coffee and fruit esters.

The first sip is eye-opening as this is a big beer with great coffee and enormous chocolate notes right up front. It also possesses an amazing hoppy front and a velvety smooth finish. I kid you not, this is so thick and full it tastes like dirt would taste if dirt tasted good.

Drink up my friends, this is a beer to fill your fridge, share with friends, and cherish until it is no longer with us.

Serving type: bottle

Flying Dog - Horn Dog Barleywine

A: Dark, dark amber with a decent one-finger head. Moderate staying power.

S: Plum and raisin with sugar. Almost peachy with melon coming over the top. This is a very fruity beer!

T: Very sugary, malty with a nice hoppy finish.

M: Sugar and bitter hop

D: It' okay - decent for the style. I generally need to be blown away with a barleywine to consider it drinkable. It is so hard to blend the malt and extra sugars with the right amount of hops to make the perfet BW.

Nice work.

B+

Yia Yia's - Lincoln Nebraska

What a surprise. I went directly from a vacation in NYC to Lincoln for a work conference. What a contrast. On my last night, I took a recommendation and visited Yia Yia's. I don't know where to start.

The beer - over 300 bottles and 10-15 taps. I had:

Old Rasputin
Weyerbach's Simcoe DIPA
Boulevard Single Wide IPA
New Belgium Ranger IPA

Outside of an expired bottle of Single Wide, the selection was fantastic. All over the world, a bit Colorado heavy, but who can complain when you are trying to circumvent Lincoln distribution laws.

The food - no hyperbole here - the best pizza I have ever had. Better than NYC, better than Chicago, better than Naples.

First slice - potato and peperoncini. What a combo!

Second slice - Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Olive Oil. This did it for me. Put it over the top. Best pizza slice ever.

Third slice (gluttony) - Basic cheese - just okay.

They allow you to create custom slices that are under $5.

The only complaint was about my initial service. I came from a conference, so my style of dress didn't mesh well with the hipster bartenders and locals. However, after finally getting it across that I was a true beer geek, all was well. Never judge a book by its cover!

Cigar City Jai Alai IPA

What a beer!

Had this at Blind Tiger in The Village.

Great place.

A: Dark golden copper/amber with a decent head and moderate staying power.

S: Nice hop bouquet.

T: Oh, where do I start. Drool? The hops with a brilliant citrus and floral taste blend so well with the great sweetness this beer brings to the table.

M: I love it! Good hop bruise with a fine sugar stickiness and just the right amount of carbonation.

D: Yes!!!!

Stone - Levitation

Part of a sampler at Rattle n' Hum

A: Clear, dark amber with a good head and good staying power. Great lacing!

S: Nothing bult malt and minimal hops.

T: What? Airy hope bitterness and nothing else. Is something wrong - is this beer old? Weird watered down taste up front with a redeeming hop bitterness on the back of the tongue that is somewhat of a saving grace. Maybe my palate was bruised from an earlier beer but the lack of smell seems to support this.

M: Minimal hop bitterness, seems watered down. Not much in the way of mouthfeel.

D: I will try this again, but for now, it gets an average rating, which hurts as everything else Stone I have had has been great

Blue Point - Old Howling Bastard

Barleywine

Part of a sampler at Rattle n' Hum.

A: Clear amber. Not much head - could be due to pour.

S: Spice front with a nice hop component. HUGE malt - spicy sweetness!

T: Just like smell - sweet and spicy - sugar lips with a nice hop addition.

M: Decent carbonation - spiced hop aftertaste is great.

D: Very good barleywine - the sugar makes it all worthwhile.

Firestone - IPA

The only full pint of the day at Rattle n' Hum.

A: Golden copper - almost a clear, deep amber. Moderate head with no staying power. Good lacing.

S: Grapefruit and orange. Very nice floral hop bouquet.

T: Smooth - good hop balance with malt backbone. Brown sugar sweet.

M: Good bruise from hops with a nice malty, brown sugar sweetness on the lips.

D: Very drinkable sweetness with a bruising hop component make for a wonderful combination! I really like this beer.

A

Moylan's Hopsickle

Imperial IPA

Had this as part of a taster at Rattle n' Hum.

A: Cloudy golden ale with no head and moderate lacing. Looks very inviting.

S: Sweet and yeasty. Hops, obviously.

T: BRUISING! Hope everywhere and nothing else.

M: Um, bitter.

D: Insanity in a glass. Too much for a regular but a great one-time treat. They truly went above and beyond with this one.

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger

IPA

Maybe it was the long day and the afternoon at Brooklyn Brewery that put me in the wrong place to rate this beer. I don't think it stacks up the way most seem to think.

A: Cloudy, amber orange with minimal head (from pour) with no staying power.

S: Yeast - fruity esters with some hops and orange citrus.

T: Deep hop bruiser with a good kick. Great orange and grapefruit. Very heavy.

M: Nice lively carbonation with hop pucker.

D: Being honest - this beer is a bit much for me. Maybe, as I mentioned above, the earlier day-trip to BRooklyn Brewery was part of it, but something tells me there were too many hops and not enough malt to back it up.

Brooklyn Backbreaker

English Strong Ale

I understand why they decided to do this. Garrett Oliver went to England, fell in love with traditional four-row malt and is being very authentic. However, I did not enjoy the lack of aroma and it was, frankly, a bit too fruity. Point of interest, this was served at the brewery out of a plastic cup.

A: Amber - no head to speak of with good lacing.

S: None (plastic cup?)

T: Fruity yeast - sweet malt. Some hop with great bitterness coupled with a fruity maltiness. Eh.

M: Good bitterness.

D: Okay - not going to drink another.

Brooklyn Blast - Double IPA

Had this at the brewery prior to a tour. I will post more about the brewery at a later date, but this a very interesting take on a DIPA.

A: Golden golden perfection here with minimal head, no staying power. Great lacing.

S: Fruity esters, hops and citrus with a little malt and yeast. The only weak point on this beer was the bouquet.

T: Grapefruit - amazing floral hop taste with a hint of lavender.

M: Nice bitterness with great carbonation.

S: Very good, very fresh beer.

A-

Sixpoint Otis

Oatmeal Stout I had at Five Points restaurant in NoHo. Good stuff.

A: Pours jet black with a substantial, whipped head similar to Guinness which indicated a nitro-pour.

S: This is weird. An almost soapy smell with hints of chocolate.

T: Chocolate and coffee with Spice. Oatmeal makes for a silky, interesting combo of the two.

M: Great, easy carbonation. Silky mouthfeel from the oats and the whipped head are good.

D: Yes, good. Lower alcohol, I think. Very tasty.

B

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

This has always been a standby for me - primarily because it is a cheap, quality coffee stout.

A: Dark Amber/Brown with Ruby Red Hues. A 1-inch off-white head with quick dissipation. Great lacing.

S: Malty with vanilla/coffee accents. Also a bit yeasty with fruity esters.

T: Coffee and alcohol with a little chocolate. Really does taste like a cappuccino.

M: Brilliant!!! Nice, smooth carbonation.

D: A really drinkable beer, particularly for the price.

B+

So here we go ...

To NYC tomorrow bright and early. Lunch reservations, heading to rattle n' hum, see MOMA tomorrow night, dinner with friends after.

Will be great.

Oh yeah, having a Hopslam right now and SO IS MY WIFE!

Beer Naked

Bell's Hopslam - Redux

I stand corrected. I had this on tap two nights ago and was somewhat disappointed. Don't get me wrong - it was good, but not as good as I was expecting. The bottle, on the other hand, wow!

A: Nice honey amber with a good 2.5 inch white head with great lacing.

S: Hoppy goodness with a fair amount of honey sweetness coming through. Of course there is the appropriate ctirus.

T: Huge and hop heavy - this is what I was expecting! Nice hop bomb cut with honey and a very slight white pepper finish. Grapefruit as well.

M: The label is right - this is a bruiser. Velvety hop assault with a fine honey backbone. Decent carbonation.

D: 100% better than the tap. This is what I was expecting!

Second Chances

I purchased a sixer of Bells Hopslam and tasted last night. I think the bottle is a lot better than the tap. Not that anything is wrong with the taps at Sheffield's. On the contrary, they know what they are doing with beer. Maybe it had to do with the temperature, I am not sure.

I will post my review later today. In the end, the bottled Hopslam was the hop bomb I remember and the taste I expected.

Beer Naked

Backlog

Okay, the backlog of reviews I had is finished and on the site. Will review a few more this week and a boat load in NYC this weekend. Next week will be in Lincoln, Nebraska and will likely try a local brewery down the street from my hotel.

I should have plenty to add to the site in the coming weeks.

I will also be adding a listing of the beers I have reviewed and then a suggestions box.

Thanks,

Beer Naked

Lagunitas - Brown Shugga

I like this beer.

A: Pours a very dark amber with generous head. Great head retention and tremendous spider web lacing on the glass.

S: Hops, malt, Brown Sugar (of course). Also fruit that I cannot place - but definitely there. A dark fruit - plum, raisin?

T: Malty sweetness aided by the brown sugar make this a real treat. The hop-bitter finish and great residual sugar coupled with the fruit leave a great taste in my mouth after each sip.

M: Sticky sugars and great hop pucker make for a great mouthfeel.

D: A bit high in alcohol. Very nice hop presence and the brown sugar stickiness is a definite asset.

Big Sky - Scape Goat Pale Ale

Note: I am not a pale ale drinker, normally. However, I appreciate the style, want to learn more, and want to have a beer around that my wife will drink. This is it!

A: Clear, golden copper. Good head with poor retention. Very good lacing.

S: Yeasty with a bit of malt. Some slight fruit esters with a touch of hoppiness.

T: Nice rounded malt flavor with the perfect hop complement for the style. A nice, bitter, well-rounded pale ale.

M: The above mentioned balance creates a tremendous mouthfeel. Feels great on the cheeks and tongue.

D: Great session beer at 4.7%. Something I will keep in my fridge for sure.

Big Sky - IPA

12 oz. into pint glass.

A: Pours a cloudy, dark amber - very pretty - with minimal head (too cold into pint glass?). Great lacing on glass.

S: Yeast before hops. Orange peel.

T: Hop bitter up front - very orangey. Astringent, bitter - reminds me of cleanliness. My last batch of IPA was cooked at too high a temperature and it tastes a lot like this.

M: Too astringent. Bittering hops too big, not balanced with flavoring.

D: Just okay. But not horrible.

Bell's Hopslam

Hopslam release party last night at Sheffield's in Chicago. The beer was way to cold, had to warm it in hands for almost 5 minutes before it started to open up. The first sip, while cold, was very tight and very carbonated. I think I will have to buy this in the bottle and try again. I remember it being so much better. still good though.

A: Opaque golden amber with a bright white head. Head has moderate staying power and lacing.

S: Orange, lavender and grapefruit. Not a ton of hops on the nose. Weird, I know, but the truth.

T: American hop forward. After warming, grapefruit, orange peel, honey.

M: Great when warmed.

D: Good - will try again and may change this review. This is still a well made beer, just not entirely what I remember and definitely not what I was expecting.

Bell's - Special Firkin of Expedition Stout

Was at Sheffield's in Chicago for the Hopslam release party and they tapped a firkin of Expedition Stout prior to the Hopslam.

A: Dark brown, casading down the glass - it looked almost like Guiness (bad lighting). Great toasty brown head with tremendous staying power and fantastic lacing. Looked like a glass of chocolate!

S: Malt, sugar - Brown sugar, very big coffee.

T: Bourbon - Heavy Coffee - Brown Sugar. A little maple syrup with a very peaty taste. Also a backing of carmelized brown sugar.

M: Wow!!! All I can say.

D: Only one. I could not have had another. Too much to handle, but what an experience!

Half Acre - Big Hugs

Bought a bomber at the Half Acre facility on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago - what a great looking place. The loading door was open and it smelled divine. Looked cool too - I will be booking a tour soon.

A: Pours jet black, cola with a toasty brown head - marvelous looking beer in the glass. The head has okay staying power and there is great lacing on the glass.

S: HEAVY malt and coffee grounds with a sweet, slightly nutty smell.

T: Bitter at first, sweet, too sweet and fruity. Some coffee, but I have to be honest - way too thin and sweet fruit for a big beer like this. I really think it missed the mark.

M: Just okay - thin body with residual coffee and hop bitterness creating a decent mouth feel.

D: Eh. I would like to try it again to be certain of this review, but not at $10.99 per bomber. I drink a lot of stouts and this one missed the mark for me.

Last night

I split a bomber of Black Sun with Dana (now a follower of this site!) and had a few Big Sky IPAs. Black Sun was outstanding. I am glad I followed up by reading Three Floyd's site description as I thought it was supposed to be a RIS. It is listed as a medium bodied stout carrying coffee and piney hops. I was VERY pleased with this. Fantastic smell, great taste with outstanding drinkability.

The Big Sky had a very unique, pleasant smell - a little different than the Ska/Victory IPAs I have been drinking of late. The taste left something lacking. Technically, this is a brilliant IPA with a lot of character and a great balance of Hop/Malt, I just don't love it.

No review for either of these (maybe a Big Sky as I have one left) as I was at a function and thought pen to paper would seem a little odd.

There will be a review for Half Acre Big Hugs later, though - and it won't be a good one.

Victory - Yakima Twilight

A: Pours a dark amber with a light tan, very substantial head.

S: Hop upfront (of course) but almost fruity with grapefruit on the nose and something else, apples? Sugary, malty smell but well balanced with the fruit and hop.

T: Again, hops. Goes without saying. Very upfront, but something different, unique - probably the focus on the Yakima Valley hops. Either way, comes with a bitter dry finish that leaves you wanting your next sip.

M: Brilliant and smooth - with a great bitter, dry finish.

D: Great and mellow for such a hop bomb. I read a review here that mentioned the malts balancing out the hops in a brilliant way and I agree. A smooth, mellow double. Enjoying another right when I finish typing this ...

Last thought of the day...

Two things:

1) I won't generally make a habit of waiting a week and rating the beers I drink all at once. The holidays and a friend's tragedy necessitated the postponement. Either way, great beer all the way around.

2) I think I know why I gave Hercules such a low rating (B). First of all, it isn't the right kind of bold for my palate. It is very good, don't get me wrong, but it is missing something - I can't put my finger on it quite yet. Secondly, Stout/Porter is new to me. Not new as in I have never consumed them. No. My introduction into craft beer was via Lagunitas IPA. Up until six months ago, I would have billed myself as a Hop Enthusiast. But now, things have changed. I still love hops, but I can appreciate Belgians, RIS, Amber Ale, etc., without first comparing them to a monster IPA. To put it simply, my taste is growing.

So there, the reason I am initially harsher to IPAs lies in my proclivity for them, not my disdain. I have tried more of them. The others, there turn is coming.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

12 oz into tulip.

A: Pours black - looks a bit like cola. Great head with good staying power.

S: Sweet and nutty, malt and chocolate. I am getting excited about this one.

T: Same as the smell, spot on. The name says it all - this tasted like Black Chocolate. Oh yeah, also coffee. This is fantastic brew and is deserving of any and all accolades.

M: Eh, a little to be desired, but not bad. I'll just say the moth feel is true to style.

D: If you like stout and you don't like this beer, you don't like stout. This stuff is amazing.

I am sure to have a review soon where I don't love the beer, I promise.

Left Hand - Fade to Black

12 oz to Tulip

A: Small, toasty brown head with limited staying power. Pours ink black.

S: Toasty Malt at first. Warm spices second. Dark fruits as it settles into the nose.

T: Smokey and Bitter malt. Peat. Coffee hits a few seconds after first stip. Coffee Liqueur is there as well. Finally, I think it combines to a chocolate covered espresso bean. This is fantastic.

M: Surprisingly, the mouthfeel is lacking a bit. The coffee stays around which is neat but this is the only weak point of this for me.

D: I was a bit surprised at first, what with the smoke/peat. But after one, I couldn't wait to have another. This is great stuff.

Great Divide - Hercules Double IPA

22 oz. into tulip-like glass.

A: Very clear - a light amber color. Thick head with staying power, even with the 2-pour.

S: Grain and Grass (as my brother-in-law says, "these beers taste like weeds"). Obvious Citrus and Apricot, with significant alcohol on the nose.

T: Bitter (in a good way) from start to finish. Vanilla (weird, I know). Bitter orange and grapefruit as you would expect, but the grapefruit almost takes a backseat to the apricot/vanilla, almost. This is, as you like to say, a Hop Bomb, but not in the traditional sense. The vanilla/apricot seems to curb the intensity a bit, but it is still there. The hoppininess seems to mask the alcohol as well, which may be where this comes from.

M: A nice and easy pucker... Sorry, but it is bitter on the cheeks and tongue for quite awhile after the first sip and that, to me, is fabulous.

D: This is a very drinkable beer - not quite what I was expecting with a name like Hercules tied to it, but what do I know. I think the masked alcohol could be dangerous, so buy the 4-pack and not the bomber.

Grade: B+