Sierra Nevada and Boulevard Brewing Company collaboration: Terra Incognita. Kansas City, MO. American Wild Ale blend of 13% Fresh Ale, 32% Bourbon Aged Ale and 55% Wine Barrel Aged Ale. 9.8% ABV.
Served chilled from a 750 mL bomber and poured into a wine glass. Pours a reddish-brown color with a thin tan foam head. (Sorry for the picture quality-phone issues and by the time I saw the picture the beer was gone!) Smells are tart, bourbon and somewhat acidic. Carbonation is light with a medium body. Taste is of bourbon, malt, white wine and a slight tartness (there is tart yeast added). Aftertaste is somewhat malty.
Overall a very nice collaboration between two great breweries. I didn't get the "sour" aspect of it until the beer had warmed up and I took my last sip, but I really did enjoy it. Such an interesting mix of ales too! Well balanced, flavorful and very complex. Great job Sierra Nevada and Boulevard!
91/100
$15/750 mL bomber
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Southern Tier: Tier de Garde. Belgian Style IPA with grapefruit. Lakewood, NY. 8.1% ABV.
Served chilled from a 22 oz bottle and poured into a goblet. Pours a murky copper to light amber color with a one finger white foam head. Smells are of wheat, yeast, and grapefruit. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is heavily grapefruit, which a slight bitter aftertaste. This beer was really good. I love Southern Tier, Belgian beers and IPAs, so this was a wonderful combination. I would highly recommend to anyone who can find it. Sorry for the lack of reviews, but recently I was back in MA and sampled many very good beers. Look for Uinta Labyrinth, Jacks Abby Hopstitution, Goose Island Madame Rose 2012 (bottle vs draft) and a few others! 92/100 $10/22 oz bomber On a Columbus Day weekend trip back to Medfield, I made sure to stop into Palumbo Liquors. Always a great store to buy wine and spirits, but I've been following Rachael Palumbo's new blog (http://pourmea3rd.blogspot.com) and had to come check out their budding craft beer selection. I was incredibly impressed.
The selection was wide, and they had a significant amount of local selections. Plenty of Jack's Abby, CBC, Pretty Things, Wachusett, Clown Shoes and even Wormtown! The non-New England craft was great as well, with Green Flash, Stone, Lagunitas and lots of Goose Island (see the picture below!) The pricing was very good on their craft items, and I was thrilled to be able to pick up a few bottles. I bought a Goose Island Madame Rose, Jack's Abby Barrel-Aged Framinghammer, and a Clown Shoes Space cake (I've reviewed the first two in early this summer but look for the Space Cake soon!) The Palumbo's have owned the shop since Rachael's grandfather started it up in 1946, and she is the third generation to work there. Look for the craft beer selection to continue to expand, and be sure to follow them on Facebook and bookmark their website! Cheers! Scott Two Roads Lil' Heaven Session IPA. Stratford, CT. 4.8% ABV. Served chilled in a 12 oz can and enjoyed straight from the can. Smells are citrusy, piney and really hoppy. Taste is sweet, but bitter, hoppy and light. Carbonation is moderate to high with a medium body. This beer has a lingering bitterness, with hints of grapefruit and lemon. If I could make one comparison, I would say this is a Heady Topper lite. It has striking similarities with half the alcohol. Bravo Two Roads. I can't wait to try more of your stuff. Thanks to Mike P for the tip (and congrats on the wedding!) 95/100 $2.29/can Founders Double Trouble. DIPA. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 9.4% ABV. First time live blogging. Coming to you live from Amtrak. Train was a half hour late but I got my good beer for the ride. Turned on the DVD player, going to watch some Taxi and Tommy Boy and I'll be in Beantown in no time. Served chilled from a 12 oz bottle. Smells of caramel malt and alcohol. Taste has hints of lemon, grapefruit and a ton of hops. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Surprisingly light tho for a 9.4% ABV beer. Aftertaste is pretty bitter. Overall this Founders beer has continued to grow on me. Great for a train ride home! Look for some awesome upcoming reviews. 95/100 $4/bottle at Penn Station Oskar Blues Old Chub Nitro Scotch Ale. Lyons, CO 8% ABV.
Served chilled in a 16 oz can and poured into a Guinness pint glass. Pours a dark brown to black color with a Guinness-esq white thick foam head. Smells are of whiskey and caramel malts. Carbonation is light with a full body. This beer is creamy and thick. Taste is of scotch with a hint of roasted malts. Aftertaste is not great. Overall I was extremely disappointed with this. I'll admit I dumped the second half of the glass out. Taste was somewhat metallic and the aftertaste was horrible. I wanted to drink more of it just to get rid of the aftertaste, and then I stopped liking the regular taste. Normally I love Oskar Blues but not this time... 70/100 $2.75/can Surprise! My first non-beer post. I bought a bottle of Booker's Small Batch Bourbon at the local wine and spirits shop. The bourbon is made by Jim Beam and is one of the highest quality bourbon's that they make.
The bourbon is incredibly smooth, and smells of vanilla and oak. The taste is similar, with a smooth oaky and smoky flavor. Aftertaste is lingering smoky. This stuff is very strong, and is 128 proof, which is on the higher end of the ABV spectrum (64%). However, it is a perfect sipping bourbon. I hope to continue to expand my website to include spirits and non-beer drinks as well. I hope to include some new spirits in the coming months as well! Cheers, Scott Hill Farmstead Grassroots Brewing Convivial Suarez. Farmhouse/Saison brewed with Hibiscus and lemon. Greensboro Bend, Vermont. 6% ABV.
For nearly three years I have been searching for Hill Farmstead beers, and was beginning to give up hope. I had heard that one of the only surefire ways to get the beers was to actually go up to the brewery in Vermont. I have been considering a trip for a while to get up to Vermont to visit HF, the Alchemist and other breweries, but that is another story. I was at Upright Brew House of Friday night, my favorite craft beer bar in NYC, when I was shocked to find this on the menu. My group had tried a beer from their tap list before requesting the bottle list, and I did my best to convince the group to go in on this. When we walked over to the bar, Jay had already pulled the bottle out of the fridge and said he thought this is what we'd order. Amazing! Served chilled from a 750 mL bottle and poured into a tulip glass. Pours a pinkish rose color with a pink foam head. Smells are of hibiscus, lemon, and earthiness. Carbonation is moderate with a medium to light body. Taste is of hibiscus, berries, yeast and a tart/funkiness. Aftertaste finishes very crisp with a slight funk as well. Overall this beer is absolutely delicious and amazing, and got rave reviews from the group. This was an incredible treat to be able to order this, and once again Upright Brew House reaffirms its place atop my list of favorite craft beer bars in the city. Though I have tried to find Hill Farmstead beers for so long, this still lived up to my expectations, and cannot wait to try more. If you ever have the opportunity to get your hands on any of their stuff, buy it immediately. 99/100 $30/750 mL bottle at Upright Brew House My apologies for the lack of a post yesterday. First day since the website began that I have failed to submit a post. Good run though! I still want to try to post every day but may dial it back to 5 days a week. We shall see. Continue to like the Facebook page for updates!
I wanted to let my readers know about an upcoming beer festival. Every 3 months, an event is held at the Lexington Armory here in NYC, and features 75 breweries and 150 beers. There are various levels of tickets, including a special Connoisseur's Lounge with aged beers and food pairings. The VIP level lets you get in an hour before the general admission (and is absolutely worth the $15 extra....) Here is a link to the website, and you can purchase tickets right from here. http://nyccraftbeerfest.com The event will be on October 31 and November 1, and promises to be a good time. I will be attending Session 3, the November 1 evening session. Hope to see some of you there! Cheers, Scott Victory Moon Glow Weizenbock. Downingtown, PA. 8.7% ABV.
Served chilled from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a pint glass. Pours an amber color with a two and a half finger off white foam head. Smells are of carmel, yeast, booze and banana. Carbonation is moderate with a medium body. Taste is of citrus, tropical fruits, caramel malt and lots of alcohol. This beer is pretty strong for 8.7%. Aftertaste is somewhat bitter. Overall a nice beer from Victory. I wasn't expecting to like this given the relationship to wheat beers, but this was a nice surprise. 92/100 $3/bottle |
About MeScott is a craft beer lover living in NYC who enjoys sampling new beers and educating friends and family on the diverse and exciting world of beer. Archives
February 2016
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