Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Imperial Stout | 11.2% ABV

Served semi-chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a tulip glass. Pours a deep black color with a two finger tan foam head. Smells are of espresso beans, cocoa and bourbon. Carbonation is moderate with a full body. Taste is coffee and chocolate up front, with hints of vanilla and oak in the middle and finishing with bourbon. 

The tasting of the 2015 was different than what I remembered. Personally, I thought the beer was a bit unbalanced. Parts of the tastes were very flavorful, with a huge amount of coffee and chocolate. Other parts were heavy on the bourbon. And a few sips tasted really watery. Obviously this was not the intent, an I could have had a "bad batch." Even a bad batch of KBS though sure beats most imperial stouts. I have 3 more bottles from 2015 plus one 2014 left, so perhaps I will revisit this one in the fall.

93/100 (This batch)
100/100 Beer Advocate

Almanac Farm to Barrel Dogpatch Sour | Almanac Beer Co | San Francisco, CA | American Wild Ale | 7.5% ABV

Served semi chilled from a from a 12.68oz bottle and poured into an oversize goblet. Pours  a reddish brown color with practically no head. Smell is sweet and sour, with hints of cherries and vinegar. Carbonation is moderate to light, with a medium to full body. Taste is of sour cherries, and is very, very tart. This is aged in wine barrels, and there are faint hints of grapes, but nothing overpowering. Cherries are the prominent flavor with the acidic tartness accompanying. 

I have been waiting to try an Almanac sour for a while now. I was thrilled to pick this one up at Carmine Street beers a few weeks ago. I'll admit the Almanac Gose disappointed me (didn't bother writing a review) so this was a nice redemption for the brewery. Also tried the Strawberry Reserve last night so look out for that review mid week as well.


95/100
BA: 94/100

Bottled November of 2010. The head and color were noticeably  different on this one. While the others were an orange-amber color, this one was more brown. The others had very frothy, almost soapy heads, while this one was smooth and creamy, and reminded me of a milk stout or Guinness head. The smell on this one was less than desirable, which made me wonder whether it had been stored properly over the past 4.5 years or perhaps the beer had just gone bad. I couldn't just dump it though, so I took a taste and held it my mouth for a while. The middle part of the taste was a bit funky, but it finished surprisingly well. As I took a few more sips the flavor really grew on me, and I was shocked at how creamy, malty, bready and chewy this beer became. It almost tasted like caramel, and was sweet and delicious. 


So after completing this vertical, what do I think is the best time to drink an Orval? In my opinion, between 1-2 years is the perfect time, though age does some good things for this beer. I would be very curious to see how a 2.5-3.5 year old beer would turn out, because some significant changes occurred between the 2010-2013 versions. This was my first vertical tasting, which I have been building up my cellar to do. Age can make a beer turn into something completely different from it's "fresh" version. However, when choosing what to cellar, one needs to carefully vet the beer to make sure it will hold up. Additionally, I always recommend that before cellaring any beer, make sure you try it fresh first. Shelf space can be limited, and before you buy out the store for a rare beer that is well-aged, make sure you like it first!

2014: 92/100
2013: 96/100
2010: 94/100
Beer advocate: 100/100

What a treat we have here. Two WORLD CLASS DIPAs in back to back posts. A big thank you to Kevin Scott for delivering this behemoth to me in NYC. I've been itching to try anything by Trillium since his first post, and was thrilled to see it listed in the top 3 New England breweries in Boston Magazine this past week. 


Trillium Brewing Company UPPERCASE Double IPA. Boston, MA 9% ABV


Served chilled from a 750 mL bomber and poured into an oversized goblet. Pours a hazy orange color with a one and a half finger white foam head. Smells are sweet and citrusy, with hints of pineapple and mango. The hop character is strong as well, and smells oily and resinous. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Very medium considering the 9%. Taste is crisp and refreshing, with the citrusy hops complementing the Mosaic hops well. There are also other hop varieties here, including Galaxy, Citra (my favorite) and Columbus (which I added to my personal home-brew yesterday evening). Grapefruit, mango and other citrusy flavors are evident in this hop-forward ale, yet still leads to an almost creamy and smooth beer. 

I was blown away by this beer. I would put this in a category with very few other IPAs. That top category would have to include Heady, Sip of Sunshine, Enjoy By, Maine Lunch, Grapefruit Sculpin and Green Flash West Coast Double (I'm sure I'm omitting a few but you get the point). Next time I am back in Boston I will load up on these beers.


100/100
99/100 Beer Advocate

Lawson's Liquids Sip of Sunshine IPA. Warren, Vermont 8% ABV.

Thanks to Cathy S. for this awesome treat!

Served chilled from a 16 oz can and poured into a tulip glass. Pours a hazy orange-amber color with a big three finger white foam head. Smell is sweet and citrusy, with hints of pineapple, mango and peach. Hop character is incredibly strong even in the aroma. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is a tropical medley, with the previously mentioned flavors shining through, and a hop bomb as well. The combination of piney flavors and citrusy hops are rarely practiced this well. I really can only think of Heady and UPPERCASE as others who have done it so well. Finish is crisp and refreshing, with a piney flavor lingering.

Honestly one of the best beers I have ever had. There is a reason this is rated so highly on BA and other websites. Such a well balanced DIPA that has it all.

100/100

100/100 BA