Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Dogfish Head - Chicory Stout: 21

Taste: 7 Finish: 7 Visual: 5 Aroma: 2
Total: 21

It's a beautiful stout with a pitch black color and a dark cream head. But I get very little aroma from it at all. The taste at first is very sweet with malt and cream. A nice roasted coffee flavor hits the mid tongue. It's not overpowering. That coffee flavor continues all the way through to the finish. But the flavors are a bit muted. It certainly is not a bold stout. It's very drinkable and would be good if you're looking to enjoy several stouts in a row.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Founder's Breakfast Stout: 28

Taste: 9 Finish: 9 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 28

A beer of legend. An oatmeal stout brewed with chocolate and coffee, it is one of the best rated beers. It is brewed very infrequently and the distribution has been very limited. Luckily, they started shipping to New Jersey this year.

It pours with a thin head but also black as oil. It has a great aroma of coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt.

It starts sweet on the tongue from the malt. There is a bit of creaminess to it like a chocolate malted milk. In the middle of the tongue the bitter chocolate starts to peak. At the back the coffee really kicks in. Under it all is a bit of the oatmeal's earthiness. The finish is a bit dry but very smooth. The entire combination is very complex but it's not overpowering. I half expected to get hit in the face with coffee but instead it blends perfectly and is well balanced.

Truly one of the great stouts and a must try for all.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Fuller's 1845: 27

Taste: 9 Finish: 9 Visual: 5 Aroma: 3
Total: 27

This is Fuller's bottle conditioned ale. It is a terrific deep amber color with a full creamy head. It has a very faint hop aroma.

It has a very nice sweetness upfront to it. In the mid a great caramelized malt hits the tongue. At the back of the tongue is a moderate hops. Left on the tongue is a bit of roasted malt and caramel. It has a slight smokiness and wood flavor to it as well. Also a bit of crusty bread.

A fantastic ale. Also, it's very potent at 6.2% alcohol. Lots of flavor yet very drinkable. For a straight forward English pint, this is near perfection.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Stone Double Bastard: 29

Taste: 10 Finish: 10 Visual: 5 Aroma: 4
Total: 29
2008 version:
The brew is a murky red and brown with a decent head. It has a nice hop aroma. It starts with a mild malt sweetness. It slips over the tongue with a buttery undertone. It's also a bit oily. I attribute this to the high alcohol content which when done right can slightly numb the tongue without overpowering it. There is some caramelized malt towards the middle. The hops start to pick up towards the back. It also has a bit of a piny/woodsy flavor. But above all, it is extremely smooth. I'm a bit surprised. This is typically a beer that you would store for a year or two and let it age in the bottle. So I expected it to be slightly "bright" on the palate.

Easily one of the best beers I've had. Given the Arrogant Bastard is a very in-your-face brew, I was please to see this one so well balanced with great flavors. If it had a slightly better aroma it would be perfect.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Victory Storm King Stout: 27

Taste: 9 Finish: 9 Visual: 5 Aroma: 4
Total: 27

Victory does it again with their Storm King Stout. It is completely black with a brown chocolaty head. It has a nice but mild chocolate and malt aroma. There is not much sweetness in this stout. This is more of a bitter stout. Lots of bitter chocolate pour over the tongue. There is a bit of sweet malt under it but it's muted. The finish is very dry and slightly bitter. I tried to take a big swig of it but I couldn't. This is a sipping stout. And at 9.1% alcohol, that's a good thing.

I could probably have two bottles of this before my pallet was exhausted. It's a very bold flavor. But also near perfection.