Review: Rodenbach Grand Cru

Ever since I found out that Michael Jackson's (no, not the one that liked to diddle little boys) favorite beer was Rodenbach Grand Cru I have been trying to get my hands on it. I realize that it's supposed to be widely available, but WV has terrible import distribution. Sorry WV distributors, I don't care about your newly distributed Heineken and Stella cans. In my desperation, I ended up ordering some Rodenbach online.

This beer is a Flanders red ale and comes in at  6% ABV. If you're not familiar with this style, it originated from West Flanders in Belgium. These beers are known for their fruity, sour, and tart flavors. They are also typically aged in oak barrels and blended with old and young beers.

Rodenbach Grand Cru

Presentation: 750ml bottle poured into a tulip. I have never seen a cork this tiny. It was almost too easy to pull off, which makes me think that oxidation would be an issue.

Appearance: It pours a very dark red color that is almost cola-like. There was a two finger tan head that slowly dwindled with little lacing sticking to the glass. Nothing really out of the ordinary here.

Aroma: This isn't all that complex, but there is a noticeable funk (think wet hay) that is present after a fresh pour, but fades into the background as the head dissipates. There is also quite a bit of tartness and vinegar. The vinegar is actually fairly strong too. I would have liked a bit more complexity, but this still has a decent aroma.

Taste: Oh yeah, this is sour. Sour cherries hit you immediately with each sip. As it sits on your tongue a great bouquet makes its appearance. After the sourness you get a great cornucopia of caramel, vanilla, lemon, raspberry, and vinegar. There is a faint amount of oak too. The sourness just sticks to your tongue and is still present long after each sip.

Mouthfeel: Thin body with tons of carbonation. This is so easy to drink. Pretty on par for the style.

Overall: Frankly, I feel like an idiot for waiting this long to try it. How on earth is this only around $10?! I will definitely revisit this one. I'd like to see how this ages too.

4.5/5
-Aroma is too weak.

Jeff

Review: Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza and Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

Everybody's two favorite things from Michigan: The Spanish language, Belgian ales, and pumpkins! Well, I guess that's certainly true for Jolly Pumpkin fans. What do pumpkins and Spanish have to do with Michigan other than the fact that Jolly Pumpkin operates there? Well, I'm not quite sure. It didn't make much more sense to my Mexican friend either, which is probably why he opted for a bottle of Sofie instead of anything from Jolly Pumpkin while we were at Jungle Jim's in Cincy.

Commercial description:

Oro de Calabaza - Brewed in the Franco-Belgian tradition of strong golden ales.  Spicy and peppery with a gentle hop bouquet and the beguiling influence of wild yeast. 8% ABV

La Roja – An artisan amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition.  Deep amber with earthy caramel, spice, and sour fruit notes developed through natural barrel aging.  Unfiltered, unpasteurized and blended from barrels ranging in age from two to ten months. 7.2% ABV

Oro de Calabaza

Presentation. 750 ml bottle poured into a tulip. Batch 934 bottle on 2/28/2012. This one is a gusher! I had to immediately pour this before foam exploded everywhere. 

Appearance: Yellow/orange color with a 1 inch head. There was absolutely no lacing left behind. 

Aroma: The aroma on this is spectacular. The funkiness of the Brett is balanced well with citrus. There's definitely a band-aid/barnyard funk from the Brett with tart apple, cherry, and lemon. There's also a bit of damp oak to tie everything together. 

Taste: The taste pretty much mirrors everything in the aroma and adds even more. Up front there's a bit of funk from the Brett with some nice tart apple with lemon and grape. As the beer sits on the tongue you begin to notice the oak with a bit of mustiness, grass, and spice. There's also a very slight medicinal quality to it. Only as it warms do you notice any alcohol warmth. 

Mouthfeel: Thin body with quite a bit of carbonation. Really crisp and dry. 

Overall: Jolly Pumpkin has the biere de garde down. I hope to track down Biere de Mars to compare with this beer. I really do not understand why this beer is not more highly regarded than what it already is. It is dangerously easy to drink at 8% too. How many biere de gardes have been oak aged? The mild tartness just sets this over the top. Personally, this seems like a steal at $12.

5/5

La Roja

Presentation: 750ml bottle poured into a tulip. Blend 8 and bottled on 4/12/2012 

Appearance: The first pour yielded a nice dark amber/orange color with an off white head. The second pour was a much darker amber, which is probably due to the yeast that settled. There was only a minimal amount of lacing too. 

Aroma: Oh yeah, this has some funk. The Brett definitely imparts an aroma of old wet blanket and leather. Under the funk is a bit of spice, oak, caramel, and sourness. The funk and the oak really makes this come together. 

Taste: This is definitely close to a Flanders Oud Bruin. Of course, being an American brewery, they have to create their own unique take of it. This has a bit of tart cherry, lemon, vinegar, Brett funk with a slight phenolic quality. Personally, this seems a bit more sour than most in the Flanders tradition. I usually love oak aged beers, but I'm unsure about its part in this beer. All things considered, this is pretty smooth and easy drinking for a tart/sour beer. At first, I didn't really enjoy the taste, but it really opens up as it warms. It's definitely apparent that there is a bit more of a lactic quality when it warms. The alcohol only becomes slightly noticeable too. 

Mouthfeel: Thin body and only slightly carbonated, which is definitely in line with the Flanders tradition.

Overall: This is damn good, but this pales in comparison to other beers in the Flanders tradition. The aroma is incredible, but the oak in the taste is a bit of a distraction. Now don't get me wrong through. The taste is great, but the oak is a slightly ruins it. I can't help but wonder what this would turn into with some age as the oak fades.

4.5/5

-The bouquet didn't completely come together in the taste.

Review: Three Floyds Black Sun Stout

Let us all have a moment of silence for my last Three Floyds beer. I can't believe it's already gone. Actually, I can. I can't keep my hands off hyped beers. I have IPAs that are close to falling off due to age and here I am opening a stout that could last longer. First world beer problems I suppose. Anyway, Black Sun is an Irish dry stout and comes in at 6.5% ABV. This alcohol level was certainly a nice change of pace.

Commercial description: "6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs - Black Sun has a nose of coffee, roasted malts and piney hops. This medium bodied stout has a broad depth of maltiness and a clean dry finish."

Three Floyds Black Sun Stout

Presentation: 22oz bomber poured into a pint glass.

 

Appearance: It pours pitch black with a half inch head. The lacing was very spotty and vein-like. 

Aroma: This is certainly interesting for an Irish dry stout. There is strong presence of hops and pine with chocolate, coffee, malt, and dark fruit. The dark fruit and pine definitely makes this an interesting take on this style. 

Taste: This is oddly similar to a black IPA. It doesn't quite have the bitterness, but the hop flavor is there. This is very hop forward for an Irish dry stout. Upfront there is tons of pine with coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt. The pine flavor slowly fades as the coffee begins to compliment notes of caramel/toffee and a bit of dark fruit. I have to admit that I didn't think too much of this while drinking my first glass of this. The pine just didn't work for me at all. However, as this warmed up and the flavors really began to show and I could see what FFF is attempting. 

Mouthfeel: Honestly, this is too thin. The bottle states that it's medium body, but it's a shade below that. The carbonation is spot on for the style. There's just enough to bite the tongue. 

Overall: Initially, I was pretty disappointed with this due to the pine. However, I began to fall for it as it warmed. I still knock it for the mouthfeel, which kind of ruins it for me.

4/5

-Lack of body

-Jeff

Review: Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA and Alpha Dog Imperial IPA

Time to finally dip into the Laughing Dog beers that finally arrived here in WV. Both brews received an 86 on Beer Advocate, which grants them the label of "good". Sneaky Pete weighs in at a whopping 10% ABV and 89 IBUs and Alpha Dog comes in at 8% ABV and 127 IBUs.

Commercial Descriptions:

"Sneaky Pete is a blend of five hop types: Simcoe, Glacier, Centennial, Vanguard and Hallertuaer, with Simcoe playing the dominate role at 30%. In addition, three separate malts were used: Honey Malt, Rye Malt, and Munich Malt. The brew has a copious aroma of white grapefruit, citrus overtones, a complex rich middle and long flavors in the finish; a real beauty. Finished with wild clover honey."

Alpha Dog: "A True Hop Bomb Brewed plenty of Columbus and Mt Hood Hops for a Piney hop character. Premium Pale, Honey and Munich Malt make this beer a little less malty but packing plenty of hop punch."

Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA

Presentation: 12 oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance: It has a very dark amber color with a small off white head. There was only a minimal amount of lacing. 

Aroma: Very fragrant pine, peach, and citrus notes. The citrus comprised mostly of grapefruit and orange aromas. There was also a noticeable amount of caramel malt in the background too. 

Taste: Orange and hop bitterness up front that slowly segues into pine and caramel malt. This is fairly bitter, but there is a pretty significant malt backbone to it too. It provides quite a bit of residual sweetness and bread-like character. This is definitely a sipper too. The spiciness of the alcohol is pretty apparent and it's incredibly warming. You can feel the alcohol burn slowly trickle down your chest after each sip. 

Mouthfeel: Boy this is much heavier than expected. It sure is thick for an IPA. There's a low amount of carbonation too, which doesn't help the texture much. 

Overall: This would be a spectacular IIPA if it wasn't for the extreme warming of the alcohol and the heavy body. It's as if Laughing Dog wants you to take a challenge with this beer. However, all things considered, this is a pretty enjoyable brew. The aroma is great and the taste is pretty solid. 

4/5

-Too much alcohol presence

-Heavy body

Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA

 Presentation: 22 oz bomber poured into a tulip.

Appearance: Light orange/yellow color with a big fluffy white head. The lacing on this is ridiculous. There's a beautiful film that sticks to the glass after each sip. 

Aroma: Plenty of pine and grassy notes upfront with a nice amount of grapefruit, orange, and sweet malt. This isn't incredibly complex, but it's good nonetheless.

Taste: Hops, pine, and bitterness up front. The hops and pine certainly hit you hard, but not quite as much as one would think from a beer at 127 IBUs. As it sits on your tongue you begin to notice the citrus (grapefruit and orange) and sweet malt. I looked at previous reviews of this beer and the biggest criticism that many had was that the malt backbone was too big on this. Honestly, it's not that big. It's really only noticeable with the sweetness and it compliments a faint honey note too. At 8.5% ABV the alcohol isn't that present. There's only a slightly warming character and it brings a minor spice character. This could have been a bit more complex, but it's pretty good as is. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. This also finishes pretty dry. 

Overall: Not as sloppy as other reviews have hinted at. Yes, this is a pretty sweet IIPA, but it helps counteract the bitterness. Actually, this is a really enjoyable beer because of the sweetness. Personally, the biggest issue with huge IPAs is that they focus far too much on residual bitterness. It makes a beer one long droning note. This beer is not that. It has both bitterness and sweetness. Additionally, the appearance and lacing is great and the alcohol is well hidden. Other than more hop character, what else is there to be wanted in an imperial IPA?

4.5/5

-Could benefit from more hop presence and complexity

-Jeff

Review: Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA

Before I even start, I want to thank my good friend Rachel for picking this up for me! I owe you big time! Considering how much I loved Blackheart, my expectations for Dreadnaught were sky high. It is one of the most highly regarded Three Floyds beers and ranks 39th on Beer Advocate's top beers in the world. Considering I don't trade beer, I think it's safe to say that being able to drink this here in West Virginia is a great privilege. Well, let's see if this beer lives up to the hype.

Commercial description: "9.5% ABV 99 IBUs - A hophead’s dream beer. This Imperial India Pale Ale has an opening salvo of mango, peach and citrus hop aromas that sit atop a pronounced caramel malt backbone. Although Dreadnaught is a strong and intensely hoppy ale, its complex flavor is both smooth and memorable."

 Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA

Presentation: 22 oz bomber poured into a tulip. Once again, Three Floyds makes some great labels.

Appearance: It has an orange/yellow color with a 1" head that lingers for a few minutes. Sadly, this didn't stick to the glass much. 

Aroma: Oh my god is this insanely good. Pine, resin, citrus (grapefruit, lemon. I also notice a bit of pear and honey. Sugary/caramel sweetness from the malt. This is damn near perfect for an imperial IPA.

Taste: There is a ridiculous amount of citrus and hop bitterness up front. Grapefruit, mango, and lemon work magnificently with the pine/resinous taste of the hops. Boy does the pine stick on your tongue though. It's there long after each sip. This isn't as bitter as one would expected from a beer at 99 IBUs, but it certainly packs a punch. The bitterness is cut down from the caramel and malt. I usually hate IPAs with a malt backbone, but this works flawlessly. I read previous reviews where the alcohol was hidden. I'm pretty sure that these people have stunned taste buds. The alcohol is there and it's not hiding at all. It brings both spiciness and warmth. However, it doesn't really distract you from the rest of the bouquet.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body with just enough carbonation to make it bite the tongue. There's also a slight creamy characteristic too, oddly enough. 

Overall: Is this worth the hype? Well, I'm not quite sure, but this is damn good. This is definitely one of the better IIPAs I've ever had.Three Floyds definitely knows what they're doing here.

5/5

-Jeff

Review: Corsendonk Christmas Ale

What better time is there to drink a Christmas beer than in the sweltering heat of July? It's just so hard not to feel festive during the summer. It's about that time where you'd cut off an arm (does it really matter if it's your own arm or from somebody else?) for just one sub-90 degree day. Well, a few days ago I opened my fridge to grab a beer and relax for the evening and there sat Corsendonk Christmas Ale. What better way to ignore the heat than to pretend it's Christmas? I cracked it open and soon realized this is a bittersweet moment; I deserve a high five for picking up this wonderful beer, but a swift kick in the ass for opening a 8.5% ABV beer on a 100 degree day.

Christmas Ale is one of Corsendonk's staples. It is their highest rated beer on Beer Advocate with an overall score of 92. It's a Belgian strong dark ale, which is by far one of my favorite styles of beer so I had pretty high expectations before opening it up. The label on this beer is atrocious by the way. It looks as if they hired a 7 year old to create it. If I had a child of my own and they brought it home from art class, I'd be embarrassed to hang it on my fridge. Thankfully, the beer more than makes up for their label blunder.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Presentation: 2011 vintage 250ml bottle poured into an Orval chalice. 

 

Appearance:It's a very dark amber/purple color with a billowy tan head. The lacing freckled the glass. 

Aroma: Tons of dark fruit (plum, dates, raisin, etc). There's complimentary brown sugar, yeast, and malt. This is simply great. This is what you look for in a Belgian strong dark ale. 

Taste: Alright, this is ridiculously good. The dark fruit explodes up front and the brown sugar sweetness is a great compliment. The brown sugar definitely carries throughout the entire taste, while the dark fruit kind of drops off. There's mild hop bitterness and only a slight warming quality from the alcohol. The alcohol is extremely well hidden for a beer at 8.5%. There's also a slight medicinal quality to it, but it's hardly a distraction. 

Mouthfeel: It has a medium to heavy body with tons of carbonation. There is definitely a creamy quality to it and the carbonation bites the tongue. 

Overall: This isn't quite up there with Allagash Odyssey or Gulden Draak, but damn is this a good beer. The dark fruit and brown sugar pop and the alcohol is well hidden. I simply cannot find anything to fault this beer for. This seems like a steal at only $4 a bottle.

-Jeff

Review: Green Flash West Coast IPA and Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Time to catch up on some beers that I reviewed last week. I've been meaning to throw these up here, but more beer drinking got in the way. Woe is me, right? In this particular review I'm gonna tackle Green Flash's West Coast IPA and Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe IPA. I decided to pair these because both utilize Simcoe hops. However, Green Flash uses a Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, and Cascade hop blend, while Weyerbacher only used simcoe hops. West Coast IPA comes in at 7.3% ABV and 95 IBUs and Double Simcoe IPA with 9.0% ABV and an incredible 153 IBUs.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Presentation: 12 oz. bottle poured into a Stone pint glass.

 

Appearance: Light orange color with a huge off white head that very slowly dissipated. Some very nice chunky lacing stuck to the glass after each drink. 

Aroma: Sugary floral aroma with pine from the Cascade and Centennial hops. There's also plenty of orange, lemon, and grapefruit, which are distinctive of Simcoe hops. The Columbus hops provide a blast of resinous aroma. This bouquet is simply spectacular and everything one could want in the aroma of an IPA. 

Taste: Tons of piny hops with some citrus (lemon, orange, and grapefruit) to compliment the bitterness. The pine is the star here though. This is as unbalanced as an IPA can get and it's great. This is a pine bomb with enough citrus to make it actually work. The bitterness smacks you in the face at the first sip and just keeps going. 

Mouthfeel: Medium to thin body with moderate prickly carbonation. It's fairly crisp and finishes pretty dry.

Overall: This is just great. By far one of my favorite IPAs. The West Coast has the IPA game down. I usually dislike unbalanced IPAs, but Green Flash manages to make it work. There is just enough citrus to keep things interesting and prevent it from becoming one long hop note, which plagues so many IPAs (I'm looking at you, White Rajah).

5/5

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Presentation: 12oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

 

Appearance: It has a rust color with a fluffy tan head that very slowly dissipates. The rust appearance is definitely a little out of the ordinary for an imperial IPA. There was also some very nice lacing left behind. 

Aroma: The simcoe hops in this are great. The best way to describe this is a juicy pine. There's pine, resin, dark fruit, orange, grapefruit, spice, and a bit of malt. There is so much more to this than I expected from one hop. The juiciness that the simcoe hops impart is spectacular. 

T: Wow, this is not nearly as bitter as I expected it to be. This is more like 53 IBUs, than 153. It has a best buy date of October 2012 so I guess it's just the intended character of this beer. Nonetheless, there is quite a bit of pine and sweet citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon), which is obviously from the simcoe hops. There's also a prominent malt backbone with a bit of toffee/caramel. I can't quite tell if the caramel was intended or this beer was beginning to become oxidized. It's also pretty warming at 9%, but the alcohol is actually hidden pretty well for such a strong beer. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body with quite a bit of prickly carbonation. This is pretty crisp, but there's a sticky, syrupy feeling to it too somehow. It's not the most pleasant mouthfeel for a beer.

Overall: This was pretty good, but this is not nearly bitter enough for me. I don't know that I've had an imperial IPA with this much of a malt presence. I loved the aroma and the juicy/citrus flavor, but the lack of bitterness and syrupy texture is an issue for me. This is definitely proof that IBUs can be misleading.

4/5

-Lacked bitterness

-Mouthfeel was less than desirable.

-Jeff

West Virginia adds Laughing Dog!

The day is finally here! We have another brewery that has a fetish with dogs! Wait a second... Lemme try that again. After months and months of speculation as to when Laughing Dog would make its way here, we finally have something concrete! I strolled into Bottle and Wedge (Huntington, WV) today on a whim and there sat on the shelves three different varieties (Alpha Dog Imperial IPA, Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA, and DogZilla Black IPA). I'll allow for a moment of celebration for IPA fans.

Laughing Dog hails all the way from Ponderay, Idaho. No, Idaho isn't exactly a hotbed for craft beer and Laughing Dog isn't all that well known. However, they do have a reputation for putting out decent imperial style beers. My personal opinion on them is still up in the air though. I haven't tried any of what I picked up today and I'm still holding onto The Dogfather for some unknown reason. I really have to stop buying IPAs so I can catch up on my other brews... Nonetheless, I'll probably dig into a couple of these tonight and throw up a review in the next day or so.






As a side note, I haven't heard any real news on any other breweries making their way here. I recently contacted both Avery and Green Flash. I never heard back from Green Flash, but Avery stated that they are looking to expand, but only after they finish the construction of their new brewery. They said the earliest that WV would have an opportunity to carry their brews would be October of next year. Who the hell knows what is going on with Bell's and Troegs. Ommegang don't know how to pick up a phone or respond to e-mails and I'm convinced that both Capitol Beverage and Shelton Brothers are conspiring to kill the craft beer industry. Neither will answer e-mails and news broke not too long ago that Shelton Brothers is cutting back their Cantillon distribution. Let's make hard to find beer even more scarce! I've been thinking about all of this recently and the more I think about it, the more I believe that WV needs a dedicated craft beer distributor. However, that just makes too much damn sense for that to even work here. Okay, rant over. I'm gonna try and catch up on posting some reviews later today. I have reviews on everything from Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA to a mini vertical of Goose Island Pere Jacques.

- Jeff

Stone 10.10.10 Vertical Epic Ale

Time to venture into Stone's Vertical series with 10.10.10. I'm sure you're thinking, "Why the hell is somebody just now reviewing this beer and without a true vertical?" You know, that's a great question. Why did I buy this? I picked this up at Jungle Jim's just outside of Cincy during a huge shopping spree and I'm pretty sure I temporarily lost my mind in all of my madness. I swear that I'm the world's worst impulse shopper when it comes to beer.

This is supposedly quite a bit different from the rest in the series because of the addition of chamomile flowers, triticale, and Belgian amber candi sugar. How different is it? Well, I'm not quite sure because I don't have any experience with the rest of the Verticals. I'll just take Stone's word for it. "Fermented with the legendary Ardennes strain of Belgian yeast, 10.10.10 is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with pale malt and triticale (a cross of wheat and rye), hopped with German Perle hops, and steeped with chamomile during the whirlpool stage. In secondary fermentation, we added a juice blend of Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties." It comes in a 22oz bottle and has an ABV of 9.5%.

Stone 10.10.10 Vertical Epic Ale

Presentation: 22oz bomber poured into a tulip.

Appearance: It has a light orange color with a one inch head that quickly dissipated. There was also absolutely no lacing.

Aroma: I immediately noticed citrus and Belgian yeast, which had a phenolic quality with a minor band-aid aroma. There's lemon, orange, and grape with some nice clove and spice to complete the bouquet.

Taste: The taste of this was completely unexpected. The white grapes are definitely the biggest player here. Up front there is tons of white grape with a bit of lemon and yeast. As the beer sits on your tongue the spiciness of the alcohol comes out. Overall, this definitely has a white wine quality to it.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium body with only moderate carbonation, which is likely due to this being a two year old brew. There is also a minor syrupy quality to it too.

Overall: This was certainly surprising. I enjoyed this much more than most people seem to have. Past reviews have basically described this beer as underwhelming, but I thought Stone nailed the style. The only problem I see with this brew is the mouthfeel. The syrupy feel was definitely a distraction. However, the Belgian yeast and the incorporation of white grapes was wonderful.

4.5/5

-Jeff

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

Okay, I realize that breweries love to play with words when naming their beers, but come on Bear Republic. Red Rocket Ale? I can only imagine what was going through their heads. "Well, everybody else has their catchy red and amber ale names. What can we come up with? I know! How about Boner Brew! Wait... Let's fine tune this. Let's go with Red Rocket Ale!" Awesome. Now I can't drink this beer without conjuring thoughts of dog boners. Thank you very much, Bear Republic. Anyway, this brew comes in at 6.8% ABV and the label describes it as a "bastardized Scottish style red ale packed with distinctive flavors and an aggressive hop character rivaled by none. This unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, amber colored ale, breaks all stye molds." Well, let's see what Bear Republic's Boner Brew is all about.

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

Presentation: 12 oz bottle aggressively poured into a pint glass. Bear Republic desperately needs to work on their labels. They almost rival Weyerbacher for some of the worst.

Appearance: Amber color with a one finger tan head. This beer is oddly still. There are hardly any bubbles rushing up from the bottom of the glass and there are some very fine particles suspended. Your guess is as good as mine as to what these particles are. A very thin film of web-like lacing was left behind on the glass.

Aroma: Quite a bit of pine and floral character with malt, caramel, and a tinge of alcohol. Even at 6.8% the alcohol aroma slightly burns the nose. I really wish the caramel malt was toned down so the floral character could come out, but I suppose that's how the cookie crumbles with a red ale.

Taste: This is hoppy up front with a nice caramel malt backbone. As the beer sits on the tongue dark fruits begin to appear. I can't really put my finger on all of the dark fruit, but I notice fig and plum. Toward the end, alcohol spiciness begins to present itself and the hop bitterness runs to the forefront. The residual bitterness in this beer is pretty high. The bitterness also carries some floral character, which makes for a very nice finish. According to my dad, this is one of those brews that is like "chewing on pine bark."

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tons of carbonation. I was surprised by the carbonation due to the fact that very few bubbles appeared after the pour. This is a very crisp and easy drinking beer. This is too easy to drink at almost 7% ABV.

Overall: I am convinced that West Coast breweries can do no wrong with ambers and reds (well, aside from Anderson Valley's Boont). The dark fruit in this sets it apart for me. It's not on the level of Nugget Nectar, but this is damn good. Now only if Bear Republic would change the name!

4.5/5


- Jeff