Beer Review 38: Cisco Cherry Woods

Like some of the beer's I have reviewed on this site, Cherry Woods was my first of any of the Cisco brews. I want to thank my beer buddy Michael Nielsen in New Jersey for hooking me up with this fantastic sour. Before this beer I didn't know this brewery existed, and after doing a little research on them and trying more of their beers, they are truly a good brewery.  Cherry Woods is a beer in a line of sours from what they call the "woods" series. This nice mellow sour is bottled in 750 ml bottles and is corked like all the Russian River Beers. Furthermore, Cherry Woods is priced quite well at $16.99 a bottle, so spend the money and grab yourself a few. At a 4.7 % abv, this beer is a gentle and very drinkable beer that is bet enjoyed out of a tulip glass. Like most sours, I prefer to enjoy them on their own and not pair them with any food, but if you are so inclined to have a snack or a meal with it, cheese would be appropriate and some fine roasted pork with some nice spice seasoning.

Color: Orange/Reddish coloring. Very little lacing and very well carbonated. Hardly an head.

Nose: Mellow cheery up front with gentle yeast funk in the background. Hints of wood appear slowly along with tart fruit.

Palate: Light bodied with plenty of flavor. Cherry flavors explode but don't overwhelm and the the tartness is balanced with the earth woody tones that make an appearance. 

Finish: Smooth and a bit dry. The sourness is pleasant and the fruit flavors really mellow out. A good solid sour with plenty to offer, but not in the great sour bracket.

Rating: 93 out of 100

Beer Review 37: Troegs Nugget Nectar

Usually I'm not a fan of red ales/ amber ales, but I kept hearing how good this imperial amber ale was, so I made it a point to score a few bottles and see if the beer was worth the hype. I wanna thank Scott in Buffalo, New York and Thorpe429 in Virginia for hooking me up with this beer. Nugget Nectar is all that and more, its somewhere between a double ipa and a saison. It has all the hop of an ipa and the smoothness of a saison. Furthermore, Nugget Nectar smells great and drinks even better, truly an amazing beer coming out of Pennsylvania. Moreover, this beer is a seasonal beer, so its not available when you want it, so if your a fan of this type of beer, line up and get some. West coast people, you like me though can't buy this out here so if you have friends willing to ship you a six pack... take them up on it. Also, what makes Nugget Nectar amazing is that its so well balanced between the hop body, the abv which stands at 7.5% and the malt body; truly a great beer. Nugget Nectar is also priced pretty well for a limited seasonal release, at $12.99-$14.99 a six pack of 12 oz bottles. This beer is also a beer that can be enjoyed with a variety of meals and out of any glass including the bottle.  Do not pass up a chance at trying this beer, its truly one of the top 150 beers out there.

Color: Like the type of beer, it pours an amber color with hints of orange. This beer is well carbonated and leaves behind some decent lacing. A dime thick head sits a top of this beer.

Nose: A wonderful hop bouquet. Floral and light citrus. Some orange and lemon appear in the background.

Palate: Excellent mouth feel! Balanced and with some good bite. I get some caramel blended in with the nice hop body. Mellow citrus come in waves.

Finish: Short but full of flavor. Not complex but nicely layered with all its components. Great all around beer!

Rating: 94 out 100

Bourbon Review 2: Pappy Van Winkle 15 year

Its been a while since I last reviewed a bourbon and that's because I've been to busy enjoying a few bottles of it and making sure they get the right amount of attention. For all those who love bourbon and consider them selves connoisseurs of American whisky, one name always comes to mind, and that's Pappy Van Winkle. For as long as we can remember Van Winkle bourbon has always been associated with such words as: graceful, amazing, emaculate, sublime, great, and the list goes on and on and deservingly so. Tonight's review is a Van Winkle bourbon.... the 15 year old the be exact. This whisky is truly an achievement in distilling bourbon, its full of flavor and complexity. It bewilders the nose with an assortment of scents and leaves the palate covered in velvety sweetness and warmth.... only wow! can really justify the Van Winkle 15. Furthermore, the Van Winkle line of bourbons are very limited, they are usually released in November and sell out way before Christmas, so if you want one you better keep your eyes open. Moreover, because of their fine reputation and limited quantities, these bourbons cost a pretty penny. You are most likely to find them ranging from $ 39.99 for their 10 year to almost $200.00 dollars for the really exclusive 23 year, but for the 15  year old you are looking from $ 45.99 to $ 59.99 depending on where you buy your spirits. Also very important, is the proper glassware for your fine bourbon, I find that an over sized snifter does best for the elegant whisky. Lastly, the Van Winkle 15 is best enjoyed on a cool evening and after dinner as the warmth of the 53.5 % abv(107 proof) can be a bit much to handle with dinner, even thought I do find that with some strong cheese and cashews this bourbon is quite delicious. An other option is to have a cigar with this drink as I like to do.

Color: A golden honey brown. A good amount of lacing is left when twirled in a snifter.

Nose: A plethora of smells emanate from the glass: Ripe apple, vanilla, semi sweet caramel,  hints of cherry and light smoke. In the background gentle wood and molasses.

Palate: Warm and semi-sweet. The apples reappear along with gentle waves of vanilla and banana. Also making an appearance are the wood texture and smokiness. 

Finish: Spectacular! warm and long with elegant texture and mouth presence. It goes down like warm liquid caramel. An excellent achievement in bourbon making!

Rating: 96 out 100

Can't wait to try the 20 year!

Beer Review 36: Alpine Pure Hoppiness

Being from the California I have been privileged to try many of the IPA's made by all the major micro breweries out here, but after having Alpines Pure Hoppiness I must say I have now had the best west coast IPA. Yes sir! Better than Pliny the Elder,Blind Pig, Stone Ruination, and Sculpin, This beer is truly amazing! Hoppy while still being balanced with the citrus and sweet maltiness. Pure Hoppiness is truly an accomplishment in beer making, much love to the brewer's over at Alpine brewery for this offering. Furthermore, This IPA Is hard to find if you live outside of California, its even hard to find if you live north of Orange County like I do, so if you find some grab some and drink up. Pure Hoppiness is bottled at 8% abv which is awesome for a double IPA, and its packaged in 22 oz bottles. The price tag on this beer is a big on the high end for a IPA, but totally worth paying the $7.99 for it or as much as the 10 I've seen in some places. Moreover, make sure to enjoy this beer in a tulip or snifter, you will enjoy this brew a lot better. Lastly, this beer makes a great year round offering and pairs well with pizza and burgers, so it has plenty versatility.

Color: It glows a honey orange with a bit of haziness. Its beautifully carbonated for an IPA and it develops a nice head as you pour it into a your glass.

Nose: A gorgeous bouquet of fresh hops and dry hop hit the senses first followed by ripe apricots, peaches, and grape fruit. Mellow wet forrest smells appear near the end of your nosing.

Palate: An amazing mouth feel. Plenty of stuff going on on the tongue: you get hit with the dry hop followed by some moist pine and sweet fruit. Truly complex and bursting with flavor.

Finish: Long and spectacular! layered and layered to perfection. Balanced, yet overwhelmingly hoped. Just blows you away. An IPA lover dream beer.

Rating: 96 out of 100

Beer Review 35: Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

After enjoying this beer twice this weekend I have decided to review it. Indian Brown Ale by Dogfish is a blend of an English brown ale and an IPA that is brewed with barley and caramelized sugar and later hopped. The drink ability of this beer is so amazing and superb, it really makes me with that this beer was available in CA. I want to thank both Anand and my Bill Rabb for allowing to taste this beer. Indian Brown Ale can be found mostly year round in most states that get Dogfish products and can be purchased 12 oz bottles individually at $2.50 a bottle or in a 6 pack at $12.99. Furthermore, this beer is good out of the bottle or in any pint glass you have available. Moreover, this brew is bottles at a nice drinkable 7.2% abv. Indian Brown Ale is a great year round beer that will pair nicely with any dinner or lunch plate, so enjoy responsibly. 

Color: Dark brown with hints of amber on the edges of the beer. Good carbonation and a nickel size head. Minimal lacing.

Nose: Malty bread flavors. Nutty and light sugary sweetness followed by light hops and caramel.

Palate: Medium bodied with a sweet tongue feel. As you hold the beer in your mouth the hops come to life a then are balanced out by the caramel textures.

Finish: Nothing special, but it satisfies the craving. Toasty flavor come through here along with a gentle hop presence. Not much complexity in this beer but, worth the drink.

Rating: 89 out of 100 

Beer Review 34: Russian River Sanctification

I decided to crack this beer open tonight After the Heat beat the Lakers, so in other words a treat for me after having to deal with 5 straight loses from Heatles and crew. Sanctification starts off as a blonde style brew before the fine brewer's at Russian River Brewery introduce this beer to "Brett" or in other words, the wild yeast strain known as Brettanomyces. Moreover, I believe Sanctification is the only sour beer they make that is not barrel aged. This beer is so good though. It delivers plenty of flavor and complexity, combined with all the great sour attributes that come along with being a Russian River beer. Another great thing about this beer is its price, at $8.99 to $9.99, its one of the most affordable sours made by Russian River and also any other brewery. Let me also say that's California prices because I have been told this beer sells for upwards of 12 dollars on the east coast. Bottled at a nice 6.75 % abv and in 375 ml bottles this beer really is a must get. One can easily take a whole bottle down or share it with one other person seeing that the recommended serving size for Sanctification is 6.4 oz. Like always, Sours deserve the proper glassware so they can be enjoyed fully, and this one is no exception, so pour this beer into a tulip like glass or goblet. Lastly, Sanctification is a good year round beer, but it definitely be a great summer month favorite. Find this beer when available, and buy yourself a few because  its only available during the first 6 months of the year. Side not: this beer is also great to age up to 3 years.

Color: A nice Hazy golden color. Reminiscent of hay stacks. Very well carbonated, forms a Nickel size head and leaves behind a nice lacing.

Nose: Light yeast fun from the Brett. Bready scents hit the nose followed by hints of lemon and grassy elements. Hints of light mellow hop appear after a good wiff.

Palate: Semi dry and medium bodied. The gentle sourness coats the tongue and then gives way to sour apples and lemon. 

Finish: Again Semi dry and of medium length.  Sanctification leaves behind traces of fruit, yeast funk and earth tones. Layered with flavor and personality. 

Rating: 94 out of 100

Beer Review 33: Southern Tier Creme Brulee

Ever since I heard of Southern Tier Brewery in New York, I was intrigued by their Black Water Series. This collection of beers are imperial stouts brewed with high quality ingredients and craftsmanship. Creme Brulee is the second of the 5 I have tried, so thanks to Corey Evans for hooking me up with this beer.... Cheers!!! What  love about this beer is its character and layered elements. It drinks so well for a beer with a high abv(10%) and the sweetness of this beer isn't offensive like some other over the top milk/cream stouts.  Furthermore, this beer is priced just perfectly, at $8.99-$9.99 for a 22 oz bottle.  I really recommend drinking this beer out of a snifter, even though a pint glass will do. Creme Brulee is meant to be savored and drank a bit cold, so serving yourself a huge serving may cause this beer to taste nasty toward the end. Moreover, the proper serving size for this beer is 6 oz.  Lastly, this beer is a summer release by Southern Tier, so don't expect to find it on the shelves after October. This beer is a good after dinner beer and with all the nice vanilla and coffee flavors in this beer, it definitely makes it a dessert option.

Color: Dark,dark, dark brown. Light carbonation, hardly any head, leaves behind minimal lacing.

Nose: Big vanilla flavors followed by hints of rich caramel and molasses. Somewhere in the background you get hints of cream/milk and mellow coffee.

Palate: Medium bodied with explosive flavor. Caramel and vanilla hit the mouth first and toward the back of the tongue you get coffee and malty goodness

Finish: Some dryness and loss of complexity. This beer is all A's until you get to this point. The sweetness kinda goes away all the flavor seems to have disappeared. Kinda of a let down, but still better than most stouts on the market.

Rating: 90 out of 100

Beer Review 32: Deschutes The Dissident 2010

I have been dying to try this beer for the longest time; Ever since Deschutes announced it was gonna be released in 2008. However, I couldn't find any back then, so I struck out and had to wait two years for The Dissident to be released again. To my disappointment, again this beer eluded me, but my buddy Bill Rabb in Washington came to my rescue and secured me 4 bottles of this amazing beer. So, cheer's buddy this review is with you in mind. The Dissident is brewed in the Flanders Oud Bruin tradition, meaning new and old brown ales are blended together and aged in oak barrels.  Furthermore, the fine brewer's at Deschutes took this beer a step further by adding sour cherries to the beer and aging it 2 years in oak before bottling it. In brewing this beer, the people over at Deschutes had to isolate The Dissident in order not to infect the other beer's in the brewery. Your asking yourself right now.... beer... infected, well yes. The Dissident is also brewed with wild yeast and bacteria, these elements give this unique beer its sour/tart mouth feel and allow this beer to age for long periods of time. Moreover, here are some facts about this beer: It's bottled at a 10.5 % abv and packaged in 22 oz wax capped bottles, it runs anywhere from $12.99- $15.99 a bottle, and the proper serving size for this beer is 6 oz in a tulip or goblet glass. Lastly, this beer has lots of wine like qualities making cheese an excellent food pairing with this beer. So, go out their grab yourself a few of these bottles and enjoy some now and save some for down the road because the next batch won't be coming out till 2012.

Color: A vibrant copper colored beer with some haziness at the core. Very nicely carbonated, leaves behind minimal lacing, and it form a finger thick withe head that disappears at a steady pace.

Nose: Big sour cherry smell followed by earthy tones and yeast funk. at the core of this beer hints of oak present themselves along with light nutmeg.

Palate:  Mellow sourness immediately makes it self present. The cherries float on the tongue accompanied by what feels like apples and easter like textures.

Finish: Tart and long. Full of an array of flavors and craftmanship. The alcohol is so well masked in this beer that you can barely notice it on the finish. An excellent example of this style of brewing by the folks at Deschutes. Well done!

Rating: 93 out of 100