Honey Ale - Narragansett Lovecraft Series | Narragansett Brewing Co. | Providence, RI | American Red/Amber Ale | 7% ABV

Served chilled from a 16 oz can and consumed straight from the can. Smell is metallic and of honey. It actually smells exactly like one of those Luden's Honey Lemon cough drops, which typically I would not look for in a beer. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium body. The body is fuller than I originally expected, as there is a lingering syrup resemblance. Taste is sweet. Very sweet. Too sweet. The honey flavor seems fake, and again reminds me of a cough drop. I was somewhat under the weather when I tried this beer, but alas it did not make me feel any better. Aftertaste is somewhat metallic and leaves a weird honey lemon flavoring taste. I felt like I needed to rinse out my mouth after each sip.

Clearly not a fan of this one. I have been told time and time again that I review only good beers, and need to post about some of the sub-par ones from time to time. This was not a good one. Narragansett has been gaining in popularity these past few years, and did very well with their release of the Del's Shandy last year. I actually enjoy that, even though I feel like the lemon flavoring in that feels a bit fake and the aftertaste is quite astringent when slightly warmed. Sadly, Narragansett missed here. 

65/100
$3/16 oz can
79/100 BA

Super Going | Grimm Artisanal Ales | Gose | Brooklyn, NY | 4.8% ABV

Purchased at Carmine Street Beers in the West Village. Served chilled from a 22 oz bomber and poured into an upright pint glass. Pours a hazy golden color with a thin white foam head that disappears after the first sip. Smell is heavily of orange and melon. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium to light body. Taste focuses on the orange and lemon zest, with hints of other tropical fruits. The Bavarian hops pair extremely well with the flavoring, and create a balanced beer. Honestly, this tastes at times more like a San Pelligrino Blood Orange Soda (or an Orangina on steroids). Finish has a slight hint of saltiness, as expected with the Gose style (but not too strong).

I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, and can see why it is rated so highly. I have tried several Gose beers at this point, and I can honestly say this has been my favorite thus far (Westbrook Gose just behind at 97/100). If you are in the NY area and find this, buy it immediately and pick up an extra for me!

98/100
93/100 BA

Farmer's Reserve Pluot | Almanac Farm to Barrel Series | American Wild Ale | San Francisco, CA | 7% ABV

Served chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a goblet. Pours an golden orange color with no head whatsoever. Smell is very sweet, with hints of apricots, plums (pluots), vinegary and white wine. Carbonation is moderate to light with a medium to light body. Taste is extremely tart. This is by far the sourest sour I have ever tried. It is a sweet and puckering type of sour, with very little funk that many of the comparable beers have. The emphasis is more on the fruit itself vs. the funkiness of the ale. I savored every single sip of this one.

A big thanks to Kat for this gift! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will be going to back Carmine Street Beers to pick up another (if they still have it!) I have come to love the Almanac sour beers and cannot wait to see what they come out with next.

98/100
$12/bottle
93/100 BA

DuganA IPA | Avery Brewing Company | Boulder, CO | American Double IPA | 8.5% ABV

Served chilled from a 22 oz bomber and poured into a goblet. Pours an amber orange color with a thick two finger white foam head. Smells are sweet and floral, citrusy and piney. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is of caramel malt, sweet sugar, and hints of citrus peel. Honestly, I really struggled to come up with anything with this review. Not too much to say on this one really...

This was a pretty basic double IPA. No real distinctive citrus flavor other than some orange, but overall a standard beer. I enjoyed the taste, but given the price point would not buy again unless it was $2-3/ 12 oz bottle.

89/100
$10/ 22 oz bomber
92/100 BA

On February 15th, I wrote in a review of Bourbon County Barleywine that I had set aside several bottles of the 2013, and was hoping to do a vertical (or rather a side by side). Here it is, a few months later.

To jog your memory, here is the review of the 2014 (fresh).

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine  | Chicago, IL  |  12.1% ABV.
 
Served semi-chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a goblet. Pours a dark brown to almost black color (with perhaps a hint of purple?) with a frothy 2 finger tan foam head. After about 30 seconds the head is completely gone (took some skill to get the picture the way I did!). Smells are of bourbon, dark fruits, yeast, vanilla and hints of tobacco. Carbonation is light with a very full body. Taste is sweet and malty, with hints of the vanilla and oak from the aging process. The barrel used here was originally a bourbon barrel, then used for Bourbon County Stout and then for the Bourbon County Barleywine. Through this 3 layer process, complex flavors, aromas and appearances are evident. Aftertaste is quite sweet, and the alcohol is well hidden.

The 2013 version was noticeably different. The sweetness characterized by the 2014 version was mostly gone. Rather, the focus was on the oak, tobacco, and dark fruits. Figs, raisins and plums were evident, with a slight hint of vanilla. The alcohol was much more noticeable, yet the finish a lot smoother. It was a fascinating beer, and I have another 8 or 9 bottles stored away. I still have plenty of the 2014, so next year I will be able to host a 3 year vertical tasting. I am interested to see how much more complex the 2013 gets with another year of proper aging. 

2014: 99/100
2013: 97/100
BA: 100/100