Beer Review 56: Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

Its beginning to get hot and with this new summer it's time to bring out the lighter drinking beer's. Calabaza Blanca by Jolly Pumpkin Brewery is just that, a Belgian style white ale aged in barrels with a mellow sour twist. This beer is just another great offering by the fine people at JP. Moreover, this fine brew is bottled in 750 ml bottles and clocks in with a very light 4.6% abv. Priced at $12.99 a bottle I feel that its priced just right for this year round offering. However, this beer is not your typical Belgian white style beer, this one needs to be savored in a tulip or goblet style glassware and with no more than a 8.6 oz serving. Being a great summer beer Calabaza Blanca pairs well with a wide array of sea food: fish(salmon), lobster, shrimp, and creamy pasta dishes that require other sea life. This is a very good beer and one that will make the summer day's a lot better, so grab a few stick them in the fridge and enjoy.

Color: A bright hazy golden straw. Big white frothy head appears after the pour... about 2 1/2 fingers worth. Lacing in minimal.

Nose: Yeast funk and a whole lot of barnyard smells. Wet hay and wood come to mind. Lemon zest and some coriander make an appearance along with some grassy notes.

Palate: Extremely well carbonated can be difficult to drink at times because the amount bubbles. The beers mellow tartness coats the mouth and then the tongue gets hints of lemon and orange peel.

Finish: A bit dry but clean and crisp. Plenty of texture, but not overly complex. A solid beer with a lot to like.

Rating: 92 out of 100

Beer Review 55: Terrapin Midnight Project Depth Charge

I am so stoked about tonight's review. I've been wanting to try this beer for almost a year now and I never thought I would since it was a one time release back in 2009 by Terrapin brewery in Georgia. Before I go any further with this review, I'd like to thank the person who made this possible.... Chris Pinto, my awesome trade partner form the south east. Chris thanks so much for this beer and all the other fantastic stuff you have sent my way. Depth Charge, is a milk stout brewed with Jittery Joe's coffee and lactose sugars to give this beer its amazing taste. Brewed to a very drinkable 7% abv, this beer is to be enjoyed as a dessert beer and with raspberry or chocolate cake. Furthermore, Depth Charge is was bottled in 22 0z bottles and was priced at a price not known to me, but whatever it was, it was sure worth the price. I'm not sure what would be the proper glassware would be for this beer, but I enjoyed mine out of a tulip and it tasted amazing. One final point about this beer. This is a milk/cream stout so it doesn't have much aging potential. Aging this beer for long periods of time may cause this beer to loose most of its coffee smells and flavors. However, I never had this fresh, and I still thought the coffee was evident, but if this beer has faded, it must have been even better fresh because Depth Charge as of June 2011, is still drinking like a champ.

Color: Dark brown with darker brown area's. Hardly any head came from a semi aggressive pour. Very little lacing.

Nose: Big time roasted malts and a coffee/espresso presence. Chocolate and mellow vanilla cream are . Very pleasant aromas.

Palate: Very smooth! drinkability is superb and the carbonation level is just perfect. The taste of espresso and chocolate coat the tongue, later followed the a milky cream texture from the vanilla.

Finish: Soft, short, not to complex, but very tasty and pleasant. One of my favorite milk stouts to date.

Rating: 94 out of 100

Beer Review 54: Port Brewery Mongo Double IPA

For those who don't know Port Brewery is pretty much the same thing as Lost Abbey. Both use the same brewery to brew their beers and distribute them. Tonight, since its been getting hot around here I'm gonna review Mongo double IPA from Port. This nice hoppy beer is quite amazing and thirst quenching. To me it's one of the better California IPA's on the market and one that should be savored by everyone. Furthermore, what makes this beer so good is the fact that its complex,balanced, and everything you want in a west coast IPA. Mongo, comes in 22 oz bottles and is priced very well at $6.49 per. Moreover, the 8.5 % abv that this beer is bottled at is so mellow and masked throughout the beer that the drinkability of this beer is superb. I love Mongo as a summer beer because it so flexible with what you can pair it with. Its great with burgers, dogs, and pizza. One last point on this beer; Mongo is best drank out of a tulip style glass.

Color: A hazy golden orange color. Form a 2 finger sized white foamy head and leaves behind a good amount of lacing.

Nose: A hop explosion filled with citrus scents and a mellow sweet malty backbone. Peaches, mango's, and apricot are all present and some pineapple lingers in the background.

Palate: A total treat. This beer is so drinkable its crazy. the tongue gets coated with plethora of hops and then its eased by the nice ripe fruit textures of the beer. That is all washed away by a gentle sweetness.

Finish: Complex and refreshing. An achievement in IPA. The hop body pairs well with the fruit and the malt. Very thirst satisfying.

Rating: 95 out off 100

Beer Review 53: Mikkeller Bourbon Barrel Aged Breakfast

Mikkeller! All beer lover's have heard the name, probably drank the beers, and yet wonder where is the brewery... well there isn't one. Mikkeller is a Danish brewer who brews his beer's in any brewery around the world. The man kinda just shows up at the door and says "Hey I got an idea for a beer, can I brew it here." When it come to today's review of Bourbon Barrel Aged Breakfast, Mikkeller chose to brew it at the Nogne brewery in Norway. I'll be honest, even though Mikkeller has a reputation for brewing awesome beer, most if his are swing or or miss for me. Not this one tough, this beer was fantastic, smooth, crisp, clean, and above all that enjoyable. Barrel Aged Breakfast is a home run and one of those you sit back and watch as it flies out of the park. Furthermore, this beer can be enjoyed for breakfast with a breakfast burrito or omelet, it can also be paired with a nice lamb dinner. Moreover, like most beers coming from Europe they tend to be a bit pricey and it is no different with the Mikkeller stuff. Barrel Aged Breakfast is priced at anywhere from $9.99 to $14.99 a 500 ml bottle depending on where you find it. This beer can be enjoyed out of any glassware so no need to get fancy, and since its only 7% abv, one can take down this beer in one sitting.

Color: A combination of really dark brown to black. A one finger sized tan head form and leaves behind some decent lacing.

Nose: Smooth. Coffee and oak hit first followed by hints of vanilla and bourbon. Roasted malts are mellow but present.

Palate: Very drinkable and enjoyable. The carbonation is solid and the flavors blend well together. The coffee coats the mouth and then its soothes away by semi sweet vanilla and the bourbon textures. Chocolate even makes an appearance here.

Finish: Clean, soft, and crisp. really well done. The flavors all mesh to create a wonderful texture to the beer and allow for a nice complexity. Would like it to be more robust, but still a solid stout,

Rating: 95 out of 100

Beer Review 52: Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

Jolly Pumpkin is one of the best breweries in the world when it comes to using wild yeast with their beers. I also find that their beers age wonderfully for many years as is the case for the beer I am reviewing today. Batch 213 Oro de Calabaza, from what I gather this beer is about 3 to 4 years old, and having had this beer fresh and now aged I have to say the difference is quite pronounced. The older batch is much more subtle and garners more complexity. Oro de Calabaza is a biere de garde style brew, which if translated literally means "gets better with age," and I must say this is true. At 8 percent abv this beer is very drinkable and well savored. Furthermore, the price on this beer is not bad at all, from $10.99 to $14.99 a 750 ml bottle this beer is a bargain. However, this beer needs a proper serving and the right glassware to enjoy it at its best. An 8.6 oz serving is just perfect for this beer, its neither to much or to little. Something I noticed is that when this beer warms to much its hard to drink so that is why its best not to over serve yourself. As for the proper glass, this beer is best served into a wide mouth tulip or over sized wine glass. Something else that makes this beer special is that it can be paired with an array of meals. From fish to poultry and a wide variety of cheese this beer makes an awesome companion. Jolly Pumpkin makes this beer available all year round so pick up a few bottles of this fine barrel aged beer and drink one now age one and notice the difference a few years down the line.

Color: A hazy bright golden color. Good amount of lacing is left behind from the frothy with head this beer forms.

Nose: Bready, nutty, faint yeast funk, and a beautiful bouquet of spices. Quite the nose.

Palate: Amazing drinkability! Perfectly carbonated and gentle on the tongue. The soft sour texture floats in your mouth and with it it brings a interesting wave of spices the that tingle the taste buds.

Finish: Balanced and crisp. Semi dry and quite complex.

Rating: 95 out of 100(aged)

91 out 100(fresh)

Beer Review 51: Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa

Looking back on all my beer reviews I realized I had not reviewed any Lost Abbey brews, so I took it upon myself to change that. Last night I popped open a bottle of this years brewery only release of Framboise de Amorosa, and man was it good. Usually I'm not a huge fan of Lost Abbey beer because most of their beer's tend to disappoint, but this one didn't, It was one of the better raspberry based beer's I have ever had. If you are a big fan of oak aged sour beers this one is for you, Framboise de Amorosa is a blend of sourness and sweetness that coexist beautifully. Bottled in 375 ml bottles and priced at $15.00 this beer is a bit pricey, but it worth the investment as this beer will age nicely for years to come. Furthermore, at 7% abv this beer is very drinkable as the alcohol is really well masked throughout. Moreover, I fully recommend enjoying this beer out of the proper glassware i.e. a tulip style glass or flute. Paring this beer with food may be tricky, but in my opinion this beer would be delicious with some dark chocolate or aged stinky cheeses. This is a good beer from what I consider a bit than better brewery, so seek it out when it's released you won't be disappointed.

Color: A reddish purple color...looks like a dark raspberry. It forms a nice off white finger and half head and leaves behind a decent amount of lacing.

Nose: What else...raspberries. Ripe fresh sweet raspberries. Also evident are hints of oak and yeast funk. Other red fruits appear faintly.

Palate: Well carbonated and tart/sour. Good drinkability. The mouth gets coated with raspberry flavors and then washed away by a gentle oak textures. The sourness of this beer is pleasant and enjoyable.

Finish: Long,sour, and a bit dry. Sour and then sweet, Not overly complex for a sour beer, but well crafted and executed.

Rating: 93 out of 100

Beer Review 50: Russian River Supplication

I happy to say This is my 50th beer review on this site. Thanks to those who follow and hope you stick around for another 50.  To celebrate number 50 I decided to review one of my favorite sours in the world and it comes from my favorite brewery in the world... Russian River Brewery. Supplication(batch 5),  is that beer and for you sour beer freaks out there, if you haven't had this beer you must seek it out, it is that good. Supplication like all Russian River sours come in the 375 ml bottle and corked and then caged. Priced like the other sours by RR Supplication is sold at $10.99-$16.99  depending on where you do your beer shopping. Furthermore, Supplication is best savored in a goblet or wine glass, this beer has so much complexity that the right glass makes this beer that much more enjoyable. Moreover, Supplication is one of those beers you can sit in the cellar for awhile and drink in the future, this will allow Supplication to gain more complexity. Do yourself a favor buy yourself plenty of this beer and drink some now and enjoy some in the future, this is an amazing beer from an amazing brewery.

Color: A hazy copper color with hints of brown at the core of this beer. A nice nickle sized head forms of the off white color. A good amount of lacing is left behind in the glass.

Nose: Complex and intense! Tart cherries hit first followed by hints off oak and wild yeast funk.

Rounding off the aroma of this beer are apples and a slight vinegar smell.

Palate: An amazing mouth feel. Sour/tart with a great level of carbonation.  The cherries coat the tongue and are then washed away by earthy tones and barnyard flavors. 

Finish: Wow! Dry and complex. An immaculate beer that offers plenty of texture and surprises. One of the better beers in the world.

Rating: 97 out 100

Beer Review 49: Nogone Porter

Out of Norway, this brewery has quietly produced some of the best beer in the world, with such hits like the the Dark Horizon stout line and Red Horizon, and many more this brewery deserves recognition for the high quality product it produces year in and year out. Nogne Porter, another of the amazing beer's they brew, this one by far is one of the best porter style beer's in the world. The drinkability of this beer is superb and amazing aromas are sublime as they run up the nasal passages. Furthermore, Nogne Porter is one of those beers you see on the shelve and you wonder about it because it seems expensive for what you get. At $8.99-$9.99 a 500 ml sz bottle its not much beverage to entice you to buy it, but you should. You pay for quality and this my fellow beer drinkers is good high end quality. Moreover, this beer is quite versatile when it comes to pairing it with a meal. Its light enough to enjoy with summer BBQ and heavy enough to enjoy with a steak dinner. Nogne Porter is best enjoyed out of a pint glass or an over sized snifter depending on how much of it you wanna serve your self. This beer is one of the best porters out there and if you are a fan of the style I suggest you you pick some up. Its available year round so it should be easy.

Color: Dark brown.  About a two fingers worth of tan head forms after the pour. Lacing if fine nothing drastic.

Nose: Explosive! Roasted coffee beans and malts. Dried fruits and toasted coconut that is then followed by some mellow toffee and hazelnut.

Palate: Creamy and full of flavor. The tongue is hit with waves of different flavors. Coffee and roasted nuts and malts. Good complexity.

Finish: Soft and flavorful. a plethora of flavors make themselves evident. A great porter may be one of the best.

Rating: 94 out of 100

Beer Review 48: Russian River Salvation

Russian River brewery is my favorite brewery in the world; top to bottom every beer they make is amazing and the craftsmanship and hard work that goes into crafting these beer's is evident in every sip you take. Tonight I'm reviewing batch 10 Salvation, and boy is it a treat. This beer is a Belgian dark ale that is refermented in the bottle to give it its carbonation and a long cellar life, so if you would like to age this beer for awhile you can. Salvation is bottled in 375 ml bottles and its priced at $5.99 and I've seen it as high as $7.99 depending on where you buy your beer. Furthermore, this brew comes in at a smooth 9% abv which is so well masked through out the whole beer. In my opinion, this beer is best savored out of a goblet or wide mouth tulip, this will allow for this beer to open up and show its complexity and wonderful taste profile. Lastly, this beer is an excellent beer to pair with food especially cheeses of the stinky variety. Salvation is a rotational beer so keep your eyes peeled when it hits the shelves... buy one and cellar one for the future. Cheers!

Color: A dark brownish raisin color. The pour allows for an of white head to form of about two fingers. A good amount of lacing is left on the glass.

Nose: Lost of earth tones. Mild woodiness with hints of tobacco and raisins. Bitter hints of molasses and dried fruit are present.

Palate: Feels great on the mouth. the carbonation is maybe a bit much but the beer is very drinkable. The tongue is coated with layers of tobacco and raisins. The malt body becomes evident at this point and it provided a gentle roastiness. A full bodied beer.

Finish: Solid and complex. An array of flavors and texture. Another solid offering from Vinne at Russian River.

Rating: 94 out of 100

Beer Review 47: Bells Special Double Cream Stout

Special Double Cream Stout by Bell's brewery is one of my favorite cream stouts on the market. Its drinkability is amazing and it delivers so much flavor that you just can't help drinking more than one in one sitting. Brewed with a blend of ten different malts this beer takes on a creamy,lushes, full bodied beer. For those who aren't familiar with Bell's brewery, they are the same people who put out beers like the amazing Hopslam, Expedition stout, Oberon, and many more, but this beer and Hopslam are by far my favorite of the bunch. Moreover, Special Double Cream Stout is packaged in 6 packs and its priced at a cheap $10.99 a six pack, a true bargin for a beer that will amaze. Furthermore, the abv on this beer is right on, at 6.1%  this beer drinks great without hints of any booze. What's really cool about this stout as well is that it drinks well out of any glass: pint, snifter, or out of bottle. This cream stout is great to pair with most meals and makes an amazing dessert beer if you don't want coffee. I really suggest you get your hands on this beer when you can.... it is a seasonal release so keep your eyes peeled.

Color: Looks like coffee... dark coffee. Nickel thick tan head that recedes quickly to a dime thin head. Little lacing left behind.

Nose: A bouquet of roasted malts that deliver a sweetness to the nasal passages. Quite evident also is a subtle creaminess and sweet milk chocolate. Some caramel but its a bit faint.

Palate: Soft and drinkable. The carbonation is just right. I would like to see a bit more character here and some more complexity, but still solid. The creaminess of this beer subdues a bit on the tongue and the coffee flavors come to the forefront.

Finish. Just north of ok. If it finished the way it smelled it would be a home run, but instead its a hard hit double that just missed being a triple.

Rating: 92 out of 100