Sunday, December 13, 2015

Devils Tale Review

Coronado Brewing & Devils Backbone Brewing
Coronado, California


India Pale Ale
7.5% abv
1pt 6oz bottle
$8.99 a bottle

Appearance: tangerine colored body with a one finger bone white head that leaves some lacing

Aroma: citrus biscuit mix on the nose; just enough hops on top of a firm malty tone


Flavors: muddled tropical notes; moderate grapefruit; old pineapple; splash of orange meat; grassy on the back; earthy biscuit swirls around; sweet grapefruit on the mid and some bitter grapefruit on the back and aftertaste;

Mouthfeel: medium body IPA; decent carbonation – medium; tangy hops mix nicely with some sweet malts; moderate bitterness on the back and aftertaste – some grapefruit with a twist of pine;

To the Point: decent IPA; this would be good with a standard burger; 


Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Flight of the Angry Beast Review

Clown Shoes
Ipswich, Massachusetts


10.75% abv
1pt 6oz bottle
$14.99 a bottle
Imperial stout and Barleywine ale aged in bourbon and scotch barrels


Appearance: black coffee body with just a rim shot of head; syrupy legs drip on the glass with each sip; a nice little ¼ inch dark tan head that dissipates to nothing in a split second when I poured my other glasses from this big bottle


Aroma: the barleywine nose is front and center with all the barrel aging notes intermingling; if you don’t like bourbon or scotch you won’t go for this aroma; if you do – like me – you will thoroughly enjoy the nose; you can play a guessing game with this aroma – “what do you detect?” – big rich dark malts dominate; slight smoky note; honey; vanilla;

Flavors: yes it is boozy; sweet notes from the barleywine shine; same for the bourbon and scotch; honey; vanilla; coconut; pink peppercorn; dark roasted grains; medium dark roast coffee; dark caramel; 90% dark chocolate like feel and dry bitterness; as the stout open up and warms up a hint of oak; this reminds me of Glenmorangie 18 year old Single Malt Scotch only with dark roasted malts in the mix;


Mouthfeel: a slight syrupy feel coats the palate; sweetness; rich malts dominate; dry bitterness on the back; low-no carbonation gives it a creamy feel followed by the syrupy feel; heavy body; a true sipper;


To the Point: Get your own glass – now – I mean NOW – this is really top notch stuff here