Stone Ruin Ten IPA: Review

Stone Brewing Company

Escondido, San Diego County, California

Stonebrewing.com/RuinTen

10.8% abv
110 IBUs

Drink by: 9-16-13

1pt 6oz bottle

$6.99 a bottle

Appearance: amber-honey body with a one finger bone white head

Aroma: grapefruit peel with a malty backbone

Flavors: touch of caramel malts, soda cracker and grains and then wham!!! It is like I am chewing on a white grapefruit rind; the grapefruit taste and piney bite are powerful and the alcohol warmth just adds to this IPA bomb. 

Mouthfeel: medium-full body; low carbonation; big time bitterness; alcohol warmth; the grapefruit note lingers on the palate until you are tired of tasting grapefruit; this is the mouthfeel I expect out of a DIPA and one that is called Ruin Ten

To the Point: yes, this will ruin your palate; I never thought Ruination ‘ruined’ my palate but, Ruin Ten – yes.  Not many full-bodied cigars will pair well with this.  Look for an earthy cigar.  I smoked a Romeo y Juilieta Habana Reserve and it was a great pairing with this IPA Bomb.  If you smoke a spicy cigar forget it. 

The faint of heart, the weak, meek, need not bother with this one.  

Three Philosophers: Review

Ommegang Brewery

Cooperstown, New York, USA

Ommegang.com

98% Ale; 2% Ale with Cherries added

Belgian-style Quad

9.7% abv

1pt 9.4oz bottle

$10.99 a bottle

I have not had this Ale since the old white label. From what I can remember is that I really liked this Quad.  They recommend ‘to not disturb the yeast sediment,’ when pouring.   

Appearance: brownish-copper color body with a two finger light tan head that leaves some sticky lacing; sheets of lacing with each sip that leaves spotty lacing on the glass

Aroma: rich sweet malts; dry dark fruits; touch of cherry; Belgian yeast

Flavors: follows the nose with the rich sweet malts; dark sweet fruits – sweetened raisins; touch of cherry to cut the sweetness; earthy yeast; hint of nuts – pecan meat and shell; nice alcohol spice – not boozy to me;

Mouthfeel: slight creamy feel; light syrupy feel; thick chewing brown bread; firm carbonation; sweet but not overbearing; light bitterness; nice complexity; moderate alcohol warmth; this is a sipper

Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA: Review

Laughing Dog Brewing

Ponderay, Idaho, USA

laughingdogbrewing.com

Style: Imperial IPA

22oz bottle

10% abv

Free sample from The Super Fine Wine and Liquor in Canton

Appearance: amber blood orange body with a one finger, if that, bone white head and little to no lacing

Aroma: citrus and grassy hops, little fruity – mango like, very aromatic, lightly toasted grains, steady sweetness almost honey like

Flavors: rich caramel malts; floral honey; toasted sweet grains; a solid combination of grapefruit, little pine, and sweet pink peppercorn;  the mix of sweet yet bitter is fine

Mouthfeel: fine fizzy carbonation feel, almost creamy, sticky hops, nice bitterness, balanced with an earthy sweetness, nice alcohol warmth, pink peppercorn and red grapefruit on the finish, full-medium body,  

To the Point: this is a very nice Imperial IPA; it gets better as it warms up; this is a must try; and I am personally feeling the 10%

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel: Review

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Newbelgium.com

Collaboration with Dieu du Ciel

Lips of Faith Series

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel

Ale Brewed with Feijoa and Hibiscus

1pt 6oz bottle

9% abv

Appearance: misty amber golden body with a one finger white head that some lacing on the glass.

Aroma: now that is unique; white wine like for sure; I don’t know what Feijoa fruit smells like but, the fruity smell is sweet yet tart; swirl of floral; very aromatic; if Faith’s lips smelled like this when I kiss her – I would be a happy man;

Flavors: Yes, flavored lipstick; very fruity – once again it must be the Feijoa fruit; tropical sweetness with a tart note on the finish; pineapple, mango, guava, white grapes, apple, peach; the tartness reminds me of a green apple and cranberry mix; there is also a touch of dusty white pepper on the finish; white wine like of the flavor as well;

Mouthfeel: sweet upfront; tart on the mid and finish; linger tart notes with a lip smacking sweetness; low carbonation with a very fine fizz to the feel; the tart feel seems to clash with the sweet fruit on the aftertaste; semi-dry on the finish; the alcohol really did not come into play;

To the Point: not everybody; first couple of sips I did not like it and my wife liked it on her first couple of sips; halfway thru – I am starting to like this and she did not like it; if I was blindfolded and tasting this I would guess it was a white wine; the only give away would be the body weight is a little heavier than a white wine; if this was a flavored lip stick – I sure would like to kiss Faith’s Lips. 

New Belgium Rampant Imperial IPA: Review

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Newbelgium.com

Imperial India Pale Ale

8.5% abv

1pt 6oz bottle

$4.99

Appearance: fairly clear orange body with a one finger (if that) white head that leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: very aromatic; citrus – pink grapefruit and orange; hint of pine; touch of malts

Flavors: aromatic tropical flavors with a nice touch of herbal; grapefruit salad with a piece of pineapple and orange; some dusty malts

Mouthfeel: bitter grapefruit; pine; sweet grapefruit; fine fizzy carbonation; slight alcohol warmth on the finish; bitter tropical notes linger on the aftertaste

To the Point: a pleasing Imperial IPA; nice tasty bitter/aromatic hops; 

Hoppy Bock Lager and Surrogates Bone Crusher Cigar: Review

Hoppy Bock Lager

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Newbelgium.com

Hop Kitchen

Style: Maibock

1pt 6oz bottle

6.9% abv

$4.99 a bottle

Left over from spring time – I put some bottles in the cellar and they never made it the beer fridge back then.  Maibock is a spring seasonal brew.  I always joke that it the leftover Oktoberfest beer that they did not sell and they just repackage it. 

Anyways, this is not a true Maibock; it is a blend obviously.  This is what I like about the beer industry today.  The craft brewers are willing to try anything to be different. 

Appearance: golden body with a big white as snow head – easy 2 finger; good lacing – took me by surprise on the appearance – bocks are usually dark

Aroma: crisp fresh hops with a sweet malty back drop

Flavors: you get the feel for the Bock style; a little bit of toasted malts, a little nut, and then the hops kick in and you are left thinking this is not a bock beer; nice grassy hops;

Mouthfeel: a little sweet – a little bitter; semi-dry yet refreshing; smooth feel; light carbonation; pleasing to drink

To the Point: to me this is a surprise; I was not expecting myself to like this one; guess what? … I like it.  I would buy more.  I like the fresh crisp hops with that malty back drop that is on the aroma and the palate.  Don’t overthink this beer just enjoy it. 

The Cigar

Surrogates Bone Crusher

Size: 5.25 x 54

Profile: full dark roasted coffee; rich compost with toasted fall leaves; a nice full earthy style; light to moderate spice; the mid-point has a musty white peppery note; very meaty and heavy on the palate and the sinuses; somewhat bitter on the mouthfeel

The Pairing

This ended up being a good pairing.  The hops in the beer are not overly bitter so it worked with the slight bitter style of the cigar.  An IPA bomb and the Bone Crusher would kill your palate for a day or two.  The toasted malts and nuts of the ale mixed well with the earthy style of the cigar.  The grassy hops of the ale blended in with the spice and white peppery notes of the cigar. 

These two played well together.  I am sure glad I did not try this cigar at the cigar store – for water is not enough to drink with this bold cigar.  I’ll bet this cigar would be great with the right red wine.  

Right Brain CEO Stout: Review

Right Brain Brewery

Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Rightbrainbrewery.com

5.5% abv

1pt 6oz bottle

$7.50

On the bottle: “…French Roasted Brazilian Beija Flor coffee beans by Great Northern Roasting Company.”

Appearance: black body with a one finger toasted tan head

Aroma: rich coffee bean; tasted malts

Flavors: dark roasted coffee; 85% dark chocolate like; tasty toasted malts;

Mouthfeel: smooth; roasted notes; let me call it semi-thick, not syrupy; dark chocolate bitterness on the finish and aftertaste;

To the Point: a very nice coffee stout; priced right at $7.50 for this size bottle;  

  

Odd Side Bean Flicker: Review

Odd Side Bean Flicker

Odd Side Ales

Grand Haven, Michigan, USA

Oddsideales.com

Satisfying stimulation of sessionable self exploration!

Blonde Ale made with coffee

4.5% abv

My wife and I tried a couple of these last week.  She liked it and I was just plain ol’ dumbfounded.  (Ignorance is bliss)  This ale has the coffee profile that would fit a porter or a stout but has a golden ale backbone.  It just seemed really strange to me.

Appearance: golden body with a one finger white head, that lays down to a thin film in no time; not much on the lacing; plenty of carbonation bubbles rising to the top;

Aroma: a little coffee bean and then a light golden ale note and then more coffee; each time I get a whiff of golden ale the hazelnut coffee with light cream overrides everything; then the next sniff a vanilla caramel popcorn coffee; then back to hazelnut; if this was a dark porter my mind would not be confused but, the body of this ale is golden; just picked up a Bailey’s and coffee note

Flavors/Mouthfeel: changes with every sip I take just like the aroma; each time I think I get a hint of fresh golden grains that remind me that I am drinking a Golden Ale wham! Coffee and then hazelnut coffee with light cream then coffee again – well just read the aroma notes and that is what it tastes like; plenty of carbonation on the feel just like a Golden Ale; a light golden ale feel and a medium body coffee feel;

To the Point: on the bottle it says, ‘Satisfying stimulation of self exploration’ … oops … I left out ‘sessionable’ self exploration.  I always hope that self-exploration is satisfying and stimulating but sessionable?  OOhhh, I get it … my perception of beer is the ‘self-exploration’.  Bean Flicker is challenging my beer perception with this Blonde ale that is made with coffee.  And in my ‘self-exploration’ during this second bottle of Bean Flicker my hard view of the first bottle softened a bit and I started to like this ale a little bit more. 

I just don’t think I can drink two of these Bean Flickers back to back.  So much for, ‘sessionable self exploration’.  I guess I am a one and done kind of guy. 

Okay, I got myself up to do this ‘sessionable self exploration,’ that Odd Side Ales talk about here.  I poured myself a second glass to see if I can reach this concept of ‘Satisfying stimulation.’ 

Yeah, the first one was just fine – having a second one was like having a second helping of apple pie – I should have just left it at one and done.  

uBER PILS and CAO Flathead 554 Cigar: Review

Blue Mountain Barrel House

Arrington, Nelson County, Virginia, USA

Bluemountainbarrel.com

Imperial Pilsener

1pt 9.4oz bottle

$7.99

7.6% abv

40 IBUs

Appearance: deep rich golden body with a big snow cone shaped white head that stays around forever and a day; just globs of lacing hanging on the glass

Aroma: dusty grains; crisp; clean overall; light touch of hops

Flavors/Mouthfeel: crisp grains; nice moderate body for a pilsner; light sweet malts; no it is not your typical 17 IBU pilsner; light pleasing noble hops adds great balance without pushing the bitterness; nice light bitterness on the aftertaste

To the Point: a very pleasing Double Pilsner; a great value at $7.99; this is not an overly sweet pilsner that tastes like boiled corn; the 40 IBU seems to be pretty spot on; I’ll buy more

This Pilsener is called an Imperial Pilsener and it is also listed as a Double Pilsener.  I wish there were a few standard with the name ‘Imperial’ – for example: the ale should have a 10% abv or higher.  Calling this a Double Pilsner is closer to the truth.  A 4% ale and then doubled would be 8% and this one is only 7.6%. 

So, to me the name ‘uBER’ (super) and the labeling ‘An Imperial Pilsener’ seem to be a little misleading to me. Can you agree that 10% abv or higher is ‘super’. Call it ‘Double Pils’ – it’s only 7.6% – I don’t have a problem. 

Non-the-less; this is a very fine tasting Pilsener or is it Pilsner.  

Cigar Paring

CAO Flathead 554

This boxed press cigar is new on the market. This new line is named after car parts: Flathead, Piston, Big Block – get it.  This cigar looks like a big chunk of dark chocolate.    

Flavor Profile: very tasty earthy profile; medium roast coffee with shot of chocolate; by the mid-point a hint of spice;

Perfect burn; plenty of smoke; easy draw; pretty gray ash;

This cigar paired perfectly with the Barrel House uBER PILS.  This pilsner had enough body to match up with this tasty cigar.  The earthy profile of the cigar mingled well with the crisp grains of the pilsner.  

Odd Side Simcoe Sensation Session Ale: Review

Odd Side Ales

Grand Haven, Michigan, USA

Oddsideales.com 

4.5% abv

$11.99 a six pack

Appearance: misty golden body with a one finger white head with layers of sticky lacing

Aroma: very aromatic on the hops; earthy floral with a nice touch of pine

Flavors: sweet floral tones; nice touch of pine; earthy grains

Mouthfeel: nice bitterness; hint of sweet; medium body session ale;

To the Point: a very good Session American Pale Ale; I bought a 12 pack to have around the campfire this summer and I really enjoyed this ale; 

Hofbrau Original in Frankenmuth Michigan

When I go to Grindstone City, my summer place in the Tip of the Thumb in Michigan, I like to visit Frankenmuth and have a beer.  One thing that I have noticed is that the Hofbrau Original tastes different in each place of business here in Frankenmuth.  I like to stop by the bar in Zehnder's to watch the Tiger Baseball game and have a Hofbrau of tap. The Hofbrau here is always nice and chilled and tastes fairly clean.  Look at that chilled mug below.

If I don't have a Tigers baseball game to watch I love to stop at the Fischer Platz next to the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and have a sausage and beer.

The Hofbrau Original tastes like Hofbrau.  It has that right German beer taste.  The beer is not as chilled as it is served across the street at Zehnder's.  The beer is served in plastic cups because the Platz is outdoors.

If the weather is rainy I like to pull up to the bar inside of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant.  The Hofbrau Original here is served nice and chilled but, I still pick up some of the grassy taste that Hofbrau has.  

Now, the place I have a big problem with is the Bavarian Inn Lorelei Lounge at the Hotel.  

The Hofbrau Original is always skunky - and I mean always.  For two or three years I have told them that their Hofbrau on tap is nasty, skunky, or flat and bitter - dirty bitter.    

The outdoor patio at the Lodge is a great place to enjoy a beer.
Also, catch the great entertainment at night time.

I love to visit the Lorelei Lounge to listen to Marty Viers.  But, don't get the Hofbrau Original on tap and if you do - I told you it tastes skunky.