Beer Review 31: Dogfish Head Namaste

After hearing so many good things about this beer, I was finally was able to track one down in Illinois this past December when I was there. I shipped it back out and finally got around to drinking it last night. Namaste is a Belgian style wit beer, which happens to be my second favorite beer style. Brewed with a nice amount of organic oranges, coriander, and lemon grass this beer really shines. This ale is one of the newer offerings by the creative minds at Dogfish, first released in 2009,this beer was brewed to help out a brewery in Belgium after that brewery lost 1/3 of their production beer due to an incident at the brewery. Furthermore, this beer is amazing! One of the best Belgian style wit I have ever tried. It drinks incredibly smooth, and would make an incredible summer beer. Bottled in 750 ml bottles and at a nice 5 % abv, Namaste makes any wit beer fan happy. This beer is seasonal and not sold everywhere, so if you do see it and you are a fan of this style grab a few; it not that expensive as it sells from anywhere from $8.99 to $10.99 depending on where you find it. In addition, this beer doesn't need  a special beer glass, so feel free to enjoy it out of any glass you feel is appropriate. Lastly, this beer will pair well with any sort of poultry dish or roasted pork.

Color: A hazy golden straw color. Big white head of at least 3 fingers. This beer is well carbonates and leaves behind minimal lacing.

Nose: Big on the orange... sweet juicy oranges. Also evident is lemon grass which is later complimented by the coriander. Traces of wheat as well

Palate: soft and gentle. A light bodied beer with plenty of character and presence. The lemon grass is big on the tongue and the the orange taste floats in the background.

Finish: Crisp and refreshing. Goes down smooth and with a nice body of flavors. Very well done

Rating: 93 out of 100   

Beer Review 30: Founders Kbs

Founder's is one of those breweries which most people don't know about, located in Michigan this midwest brewery makes and produces some of the best beer in the country. Kbs, short for Kentucky Breakfast Stout is an Imperial stout that is aged in bourbon barrels for more than year. Furthermore, this beer is brewed with a nice amount of chocolate and coffee, which are very evident in this beer all the way through. You can't find Founder's KBS or any other of their products west of the Mississippi, but if you have friends who live east of the Mississippi have them ship you out some, you'll love it. Moreover, KBS is packaged in 12 oz four packs which sell for about twenty dollars. In addition, KBS is not a beer for the faint of heart,bottled at 11.2% abv, this beer really packs a punch. This is an amazing stout that should be enjoyed alone, without any food or cigar or anything else you are thinking about. The right glass will also enhance the taste of this beer; a snifter would do this beer justice as would a British style pint glass will work just fine to. Lastly, I want to say that this beer is is the second best stout I have had in my life. The Abyss by Deschutes is still my favorite, but this one really closed the gap.

Color: Solid black. Thin dime head the shade of tan. Minimal lacing with light carbonation.

Nose: Waves of coffee and chocolate hit the nose and you just want to keep smelling. Traces of vanilla and mellow molasses float in the background. Also present are light woody texture that add character to the nose.

Palate: Full bodied,thick and rich.... just like a yummy stout should be. Coffee and chocolate swirl on the tongue and the sweetness of the vanilla tingle your taste buds.

Finish: Long and thick... quite complex and beautifully layered with flavor. The bourbon influence is really present here.

Rating: 97 out of 100

Beer Review 29: Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

Yet another beer review, and it's another Dogfish Head beer. This time its Raison D'Extra. This beer has been retired by the folks over at Dogfish,so good luck finding it. I want to Thank Michael Nielson from Massachusetts for hooking me up with this beer, so good looking out man. I want to start off by saying that the Raison I had was from 2007 which I believe was the last year it was brewed, but something tells me there may be a 2008 version too. Either way, this beer is the super charged version of the Raison D'Etre that I reviewed earlier. D'Extra is a Belgian style brown ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of green raisins and Belgian sugars. Furthermore, unlike its little brother, D'Extra is bottled at a robust 18% abv and packaged in a 12 oz bottle. The price tag varies on this beer, when it first came out it was priced at $10.99 a bottle now I've seen it go anywhere from $12.99 to $15.99 a bottle. In addition to all the info I have given you so far, its also important to drink this beer from the proper glassware. A snifter and only a snifter this beer. Raison's complexity and high abv require such a glass so you can enjoy it in its entirety. Moreover, this beer does require aging, even the 2007 that I drank was still drinking hot, so at least 3 to 6 years of cellar time for this beer to reach its full potential. Lastly, I recommend drinking this beer on its own, don't bother pairing it up with a meal or snacks.... D'Extra is not like D'Etre which you can pair with a nice steak.

Color: Hazy brown, Definitely no lacing and hardly any head. Some carbonation.

Nose: Plenty of sugar and heavy raisin. Some light malty scents in the background with some light yeast as well.

Palate: Drinks hot! the alcohol is well masked, you get hints of it, but not in a bad way. Definitely a full bodied beer that packs a punch. You get some sweetness from the sugar on your entire tounge.

Finish: Long and warm. not to complex or layered. malty and fruity.

Rating: 90 out of 100. would have given it more, but lacks complexity.

Beer Review 28: Dogfish Head Red and White

 Last night I decided to drink the second of my three red and whites by Dogfish Head, and I must say after a little bit of aging this beer got better from the first time I tried it back in the spring of 2010. The beer has amazing taste and a great mouth feel, especially for a beer that is bottled at 10% abv. In addition, this beer is a seasonal release by dogfish and can only be found packaged in 750 ml bottles, so load up when it hits shelves early in 2011. Furthermore, this beer requires the proper glassware so it can be enjoyed to its fullest. A snifter or if you have a dogfish signature glass will do the trick for this beer so enjoy and sip. Moreover, Red and White is a Belgian wit beer brewed with pinot noir concentrate and aged in two kinds of barrels: pint noir barrels and oak barrels. Finally, this beer makes a great dinner beer when paired with fish or shelled fish, but I really enjoy this beer on it own or paired with some orange dark chocolate. Also this beer isn't cheap.... Red and White run's anywhere from $11.99 to $13.99 a bottle.

Color: Orange with some Autum red. Very Hazy and well carbonated. Form a nice white foamy head the leaves behind some nice lacing.

Nose: Explodes on the senses! Hints of coriander and citrus.... mostly orange peel and tangerine. soft raspberry and cranberry. Some trace of the oak aging in the background.

Palate: Full bodied and complex. Its like drinking a a Belgian Wit beer only on steroids and with added layers of flavor. For a beer with a high abv it really has a soft smooth mouth feel.

Finish: Long and textured. Some mellow sweetness and wheat textures at the back end. very drinkable and refreshing.

Rating: 92 out of 100

Beer Review 27: Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

With one of the better names in the brewing industry, Jolly Pumpkin also produces some of the best beer's in the country. The artwork on their labels are crazy awesome and the Spanish style names even better. La Roja( the red one) is the beer review for tonight, and wow! This beer was great! La Roja is an American Wild Ale brewed in the Flanders tradition. If you like barrel aged beer's you can cellar and those lovely sour/tart notes in your beer, you will not be disappointed by this brew. Furthermore, to me this beer is a great bargain; at anywhere from $11.99 to $14.99 a 750 ml bottle you get more bang for your buck then buying Russian River sours. In addition, La Roja is bottled at nice 7.20% abv which makes this beer so drinkable and delicious. With this beer you really need to use the proper glassware. I would definitely suggest you use a tulip like the one in the picture; if you don't have one either a snifter or goblet will do fine. Serving size for this beer is anywhere from 6 to 8 oz so don't put the whole  thing down at once. Lastly, this beer pair's well with spicy cheese: some jalapeno jack would be great even some Gorgonzola would pair nicely. This beer is meant to be savored, so sip and enjoy the wonderful craftsmanship of the master brewer's at Jolly Pumpkin. 

Color: A deep dark red. Hints of mahogany. When poured correctly this beer forms a nice to finger head that is a nice foamy white. The beer is well carbonated too.

Nose: sour fruit notes. Green apples some light kiwi, dark cherry and cranberries. Lots of wine like qualities. Soft wood at the back end.

Palate: Amazing! The gentle sourness dances on the tongue. Tart fruit splashes on the inside of your mouth. Medium bodied beer with plenty of texture and complexity.

Finish: Long and explosive. Think Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. Explodes,seduces, and amazes. One of the better sours on the market today. On par with any of the Russian River beers.

Rating: 97 out of 100