Nebraska Melange A Trois Belgian Style Ale aged in Chardonnay Barrels. Papillion, Nebraska. 10% ABV.

Served semi chilled from a 750 mL bottle and poured into a wine glass. Pours a beautiful crown gold color with a three finger white foam head. Smells are heavily of white wine and fresh white grapes. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium body. Taste is citrusy, bready and somewhat tart/funky. The wine really shines through, and really resembles a Trappist ale with a hint of white wine. 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, and was an incredible surprise when I held my bottle share. Being a big fan of Trappist beers, as well as barrel aged beers, this was a hit. Honestly, it was better than any Trappist beer I have ever had, and is the best Belgian style by the same token. Buy this if you can find it for a reasonable price. I have heard $25 is a steal for this, and some higher end places may have it go for as much as $40. 

99/100

I am excited to report that yesterday, the first home-brew was completed! We purchased a kit from Northern Brewer, and opted to brew a brown ale. See below for some of the pictures with explanations about the various steps. 

Overall it was a very fun experience, and my friends and I did a bottle share while we brewed. We sampled Nebraska's Melange a Trois and a 2012 Goose Island Big John. Both were huge hits and amazing beers. Look for my reviews on those sometime this week! Bottling will occur three weeks from today, and then bottle conditioning for an additional 1-2 weeks. The goal is to sample the first taste on December 1-stay tuned!

Cheers!
Scott

Uinta Labyrinth Black Ale. American Imperial Stout aged in rye barrels with licorice sticks added. Salt Lake City Utah, 13.2% ABV.

Served semi chilled from a 750 mL bottle and poured into snifters/tulip glasses. Pours a deep black color with a thin tan lace head. Smells are heavily of bourbon/rye with heavy roasted malts and a hint of licorice. Carbonation is relatively low with a very full body. Taste is like the smell; aged rye leads the way with lots of coffee, chocolate and roastiness. The licorice is very faint and I may not have known what it was had the bottle not specified. Perhaps some hints of dark fruits and vanilla as well. A very complex beer that finishes warming and bourbon-like (remind you of my last post?)

Overall this was an absolute treat, and a beer I am glad that I bought. I have never been a licorice person, but this sounded so interesting and the reviews were so high that I felt I should take the chance. I shared the bottle with my family and they all seemed to enjoy it as well. Definitely an after dinner drink and one that would pair nicely with some cheesecake or other sweet desserts.

97/100

Avery Pump[KY]n Porter brewed with Pumpkin & Spices and Aged in Bourbon Barrels. Boulder, CO. 17.22% ABV.

Served semi-chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a snifter. Pours a deep black color with a thin lace tan foam head. Smells are of bourbon, roasted malts, chocolate, pumpkin and brown sugar/nutmeg. Carbonation is light with a full body. Actually, this is the fullest bodied beer I have ever had. The consistency is almost syrupy, and there is a somewhat creaminess while still tasting crisp and refreshing. The fact that this is 17.22% ABV is astounding. Taste is much like the smell, with lots of bourbon and sweet pumpkin. Aftertaste is warming and bourbon-like.

Overall, this was one of the best beers I have ever had. It was a complete impulse buy at City Swiggers, and I am thrilled that I bought it. What a crazy good beer. Avery has rarely missed with their high ABV 12 oz beers, and I have reviewed Mephistopheles before and sampled a few others. What a great brewery!

99/100

Singlecut Beersmiths Shuggie Soulbender IPA. Astoria, NY American IPA 5.2% ABV.

Served on tap at the Singlecut Taproom in Astoria, Queens and poured into a pint glass. Pours a light copper to almost pinkish color (weird lighting) with a  thin white foam head. Smells are of fruits and hops. Very, very bitter but surprisingly light for the ABV. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium to light body. One of the lightest bodied IPAs out there. Aftertaste is sweet, but bitter.

I am a huge fan of Singlecut beers, and have yet to have one of their beers that I disliked. Shuggie was a huge hit last weekend at the showroom, and everyone was drinking it. If you ever come down to NYC, I will never pass up an opportunity to head out to Astoria for a tasting.

95/100

The equipment has arrived! Homebrewing to begin this weekend!

Verdi Imperial Stout. Birrificio Del Ducato. Roncole Verdi Di Busseto (PR) Italy. Russian Imperial Stout with chilis added. 8.2% ABV.

Served chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a short pint glass. Pours a deep black color with a one finger tan foam head. Smells are of roasted malts with coffee and chocolate. Carbonation is moderate to light with a full body. The first part of the taste is of roasted malts and feels light. Then I get a rush of chocolate and a hint of hot peppers. Next is chocolate again with coffee, and it finishes with a spicy pepper flavor. 

Overall this was an excellent beer, and definitely the best beer I've had from Italy. I had my friends at the bar try it, and it was a hit for everyone-even someone who claims to dislike stouts! Buy it if you can find it.

92/100
Enjoyed at Astoria Beer and Brew 

(Sorry for the dark picture-lighting at the bar wasn't too good)

Served chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a pony pint glass. Pours a straw golden to light copper color with a thin white foam head. Smells are of grapefruit, mango, pineapple and the citra hop. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium body. Taste is of tropical fruits, with a lot of grapefruit and bitter hops. Finishes clean with a blast of bitter citra hops. 

I have made no secret that the Citra hop is my favorite variety, and I have rarely had a Citra-heavy beer that I have not enjoyed. This was an excellent beer, and I would definitely order again. 

91/100
Enjoyed at Astoria Beer and Brew (21st Street in Queens) 

Westbrook White Thai. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. American Style Witbier. 5% ABV.

Served chilled from a 12 oz can and enjoyed straight from the can! Didn't pour any out so I didn't get the color (sorry). Smells are heavily coriander, with hints of lemon and ginger. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is of coriander, with a cracker-like malt backbone. This beer really does taste of Thai origin, with a lot of ginger and also like a Witbier with the hint of coriander and orange peel. Aftertaste is heavily coriander and ginger.

Overall a very good beer, and another great release from Westbrook. They are a favorite brewery of mine, and I have yet to have a bad beer from them. This is my second beer in the Thai style, and I liked this a lot more than The Bruery Trade Winds Tripel. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

88/100
$2/can

Sam Adams Kosmic Mother Funk. Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) Jamaica Plan, MA. American Wild Ale. 10% ABV.

Served chilled on tap at City Swiggers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Pours a dark purple to light brown color into a tulip glass with a one finger light tan foam head. Smells are of cherries and other dark fruits with an acidic smell. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is extremely tart with a yeasty backbone to it. This beer is really sour, though it doesn't taste like a typical American sour. It tastes more of the Belgian Flanders Oud Bruin style to me. Aftertaste is puckering and tart.

Overall a wonderful beer from Sam Adams. I had received some emails from Carmine Street and other places about the release of this beer a month or so ago, and unfortunately was unable to attend the launch. However, I was excited to see this on tap at City Swiggers, another one of my favorite beer spots in NYC. I would highly recommend this beer and was disappointed to see the score of the BA community (80). I thought much more highly about it. Try it if you can-not sure if they are bottling it yet.

93/100
$7 draught at City Swiggers