Life and Limb

Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. / Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.
Style: Strong Ale / Specialty Beer
ABV: 10.2%
IBU:
Serving Type: 750 mL bottle poured into an oversize snifter

A dark, opaque brown with a solid film of light tan head. Smells sweet and toasty, a little tinge of alcohol. It's also a little bready and a tad woody, which may be what they're going for with the "life" (yeast) and "limb" (maple, birch syrup) theme.

Tastes very sweet, the maple flavor is evident. Malt is also present and very crystal-toasty. The bitterness comes through at the end and at the back of the tongue. Not a hop bitterness, though. More like green wood, raw. The flavors balance well, but are thrown off a little by the alcohol bite at the end. The alcohol gets stronger as the beer warms. Nonetheless, it's very smooth and goes down easier than 10.2% alcohol would suggest.

This is a good beer, but could do with a bit of aging. Sweet and strong, and meant to be sipped.

My rating: 3.5/5
Beer Advocate: B+
Rate Beer: 78/100
Pintley: 3.9/5

Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

Brewer: Stone Brewing Co.
Style: up for debate... Black IPA? Cascadian Dark Ale?
ABV: 10.8%
IBU:
Serving Type: 22 oz. bottle poured into an oversize snifter

Pours pitch black with a thin finger of dense brown foam. Not even a hint of highlighting, no light is penetrating this. Good lacing. Northwestern hops are very evident in a piney, resinous, even spruce tree aroma. Strong, even before the beer has really warmed to a proper drinking temperature, but not at all overpowering. And then, I get just a slight hint of medicinality at the tail end.

The flavor... I don't know; can something be intense and subtle at the same time? I feel like that's the best way to describe this hoppiness. It's very present, right up front and every bit as pine tree as on the nose... but doesn't linger, and gives way to a slight roasted malt background. And there is a hint of alcohol warmth, felt more in the gut than the mouth or throat. Very smooth and medium bodied, on the light side in carbonation.

This is a really fine beer, yet conflicting for me. I tell myself that I have no great love for hops, but I keep subjecting myself to beers like this anyway. This could be the best hoppy beer on the planet, and I'll like it just fine, but still prefer a good bourbon barrel stout or Belgian quad. Maybe that's just a failing scoring beers in general. The beer may be flawless, but I feel weird scoring it five out of five when there are so many others, whole styles, that I would prefer to drink. Is that an argument for or against rating to style?

My rating: 4/5
Beer Advocate: A-
Rate Beer: 99/100
Pintley:

Black and Brew Coffee Stout

Brewer: Boston Beer Company

Style: Coffee Stout

ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 60
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle poured into an English pub glass

Pours a deep, dark brown (like so many others, not quite black). Seems totally opaque, but the edges of the glass betray an ever so faint ruby highlighting. A quarter inch of tan colored head dissipates quickly but leaves a then, persistent film with decent lacing for the style. Bitter, dark roasted coffee aroma, fainter than expected. Maybe a little of that green pepper that accompanies coffee sometimes.


Coffee flavor is much more intense than the nose. A good, dark roast. A mild astringency comes off as a quenching acidity. The body is very smooth and creamy, but a tad thin. The body and the 5.8% ABV make this a very (in my book, anyway) sessionable beer, something you don't often see in a good coffee stout. 


A new addition to the Sam Adams winter 12-pack, and a pity there's only two per case.

My score: 4/5

Beer Advocate: A-

Rate Beer: 91/100

Pintley: 

Breakfast Stout

Brewer: Founders Brewing Co.

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 60
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle poured into an English pub glass

A pinky finger of persistent, light brown head on top of a dark, dark brown, totally opaque slug of thick liquid. Decent lacing. Has the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, or maybe just the freshly roasted beans. Dark malts come through behind the coffee.

Tastes like black coffee. The slight hoppy bitterness and the tanin/astringent character of the coffee play together well, offering just the right amount of bite back in such a big beer. The dark malt flavors linger at the back of the throat. It has a nice, heavy body, but is super smooth. Correspondingly light in carbonation.

Fantastic beer. One to look forward to every year.

My score: 5/5

Beer Advocate: A

Rate Beer: 100/100

Pintley: 4.4/5

Old Stock Ale

Brewer: North Coast Brewing Co.
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 11.7%
IBU: 36
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle poured into an oversize snifter

A deep copper or mahogany color, with short, off-white head. This beer is alive. The head fades pretty quick to a thin film, but is being constantly replinished in a curious donut shape in the center of the glass. Someting to do with the shape of the glass?

A nice fruit aroma, mostly apricot and raisin with maybe a touch of citrus. Some sweet caramely malt notes behind.

Taste is very rich and complex, with that malty sweetnes paramount. Some bitterness, but definitely playing second fiddle to the malt. Actually hop flavor is low to none. Alcohol is noticeable, but not overly so. The carbonation is moderate, but the beer is so smooth and full bodied that it's barely noticeable.

A good sipping beer, but a little overly sweet for my taste. A little more bitterness or hop character may have provided more balance. This is the 2011 vintage and has lots of potential to improve with age.

My score: 3/5
Beer Advocate: A-
Rate Beer: 99/100
Pintley: 4/5


"Donut" head

Drink'in The Sunblet

Brewer: Jester King Craft Brewery / Mikkeller
Style: American Wheat
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 30-40
Serving type: 750 mL bottle poured into a Czech pilsner glass



A collaboration between Austin, TX brewery Jester King and self described "gypsy brewer" Mikkeller, Sunbelt is offered as a flavorful alternative to macro lagers. Light, refreshing, and goes down easy on a hot day.


It pours pale gold, just slightly hazy, and with lots of bubbles. A short lived finger followed by a persistent film of offwhite head. No lacing to speak of. Strong grapefruit hop aroma, plus some rising bread dough. 


The hop flavor is just as strong in the taste, with some fresh cut grass behind the citrus. Very bright and effervescent. A slight grainy sweetness. Very light in body, I would even call in thin. A refreshing dry finish. 


There's plenty of flavor in this, but not really any body or complexity to back it up. As advertised, this is something that would be great after mowing the lawn on a hot Texas day. Or, I don't know, wrangling horses or something. They do that in Texas, right? A beer meant to be gulped. Not one that I would pick for an after dinner sipping beer.


My score: 3/5
Beer Advocate: B+
Rate Beer: 96/100
Pintley: 

Old Rasputin

Brewer: North Coast Brewing Co.
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 9%
IBU: 75
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle poured into an English pub glass

A finger of rocky, dark tank head sits on top of a dark, dark brown, nearly black beer with some faint red highlighting. Coffee and roasted malts dominate the nose, with a faint hop note in the background. The beer was poured at about 45 degrees, and the aroma intensifies as the beer warms.

The first thing that hits the tongue is black, dark roasted coffee. Plenty of dark malts and a touch of dark chocolate are right alongside. An earthy hop flavor follows, balancing the roast nicely and lingering on the tongue and roof of the mouth. Carbonation seems a little high, but it goes down smooth nonetheless. The 9% alcohol is well hidden.

This is a fantastic RIS, and a no-brainer at $8 a four-pack.

My score: 5/5
Beer Advocate: A
Rate Beer: 100/100
Pintley: 4/5