Stone x Paul Bischeri & Patrick Martinez x Abnormal Neapolitan Dynamite

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. x Paul Bischeri & Patrick Martinez x Abnormal Beer Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed w/ chocolate, vanilla, strawberries and coffee. 2017 Stone collaborations

Brewer Description: (from bottle) An Imperial Stout scooped from the freezer into your glass. At Stone Brewing we are proud to partner with the American Homebrewers Association to host a chapter member rally and homebrew competition in the commons at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. Every year for the last 8 years, San Diego region AHA members have submitted their homebrews to be judged by their peers, and a team of Stone folk (that always includes Steve and Greg, natch). The prize? A chance to strut their stuff in front of craft beer fans on the national stage. You hold in your hands the most recent winner. Finding inspiration in that humble box of striped ice cream from our childhoods. Neapolitan Dynamite is an intense Imperial Stout brewed with vanilla, strawberries and chocolate, revved up with a shot of coffee to fuel the ultimate dance contest on your palate, gosh! You seem this specialty Imperial Stout is the Rex Kwon Do of Imperial Stouts. It’s got nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills AND bow hunting skills. Pair this dynamite stout with life’s finer things, like quesadillas, tater tots and freestyle dancing. This also answers the eternal question: Can you pair a stout with a liger? Hell yes you can. We just did.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with a bottled on date of 25th August 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger brown head that had decent retention and left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Coffee with light melted and mixed Neapolitan ice cream.
Taste: Lightly sweet beginning as coffee dominates followed closely by vanilla and roasty malts. The strawberry and chocolate are lurking around in the background before a finish that is lightly bitter from the coffee.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: This was quite nice but not quite Neapolitan enough for me as only the coffee and vanilla dominates the aroma and flavours while the strawberry and chocolate were not strong enough. I’m a big fan of mixing melted Neapolitan ice cream, so that was what I was hoping for. Body was also thinner than I hoped for, but not too much of a problem. I may seem a bit overly critical here, but it really is quite good and enjoyable.

AleSmith Double Red IPA

Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Other Notes: Limited Edition, Seasonal

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Previously known as Winter YuleSmith, this warming, hoppy ale used to be available exclusively during the holiday season. But the popularity of this red-hued India Pale Ale grew to the point where sharing a limited run of the beer with our fans seemed insufficient. Our answer was to convert this crimson IPA into a seasonal offering to be enjoyed from fall through the winter months. Caramel malt sweetness combines with citrusy highlights to bring forth a dry, highly drinkable beer that’s simultaneously hearty and thirst-quenching. The holidays are too brief to contain this much flavor.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 19th September 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear dark amber copper colour with a big two finger light beige head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Caramel malts, grapefruit zest, citrus rind and pine.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with sweet caramel malts, grapefruit flesh, zest and rind, grass and pine. Finish was nice with moderate bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Solid tasting Red IPA with good balance of malt and hops.

8 Wired A Fistful Of Cherries

Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Sour Ale with Marlborough Cherries aged in wine barrels. 2016 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A sour ale brewed in the Belgian tradition. Barrel aged for two years on fresh Marlborough Cherries. Vibrant flavours of funk and fruit. Contains a fistful of cherries per bottle. No more, no less. Depending on the size of ones fist of course…

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 500ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date other than 2016 vintage. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy ruby red colour with a one and a half finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing. Near the end, the pour becomes a cloudy purple-reddish colour.
Aroma: Tangy, cherry and lemon with light citrus zest, oak, leathery brett and funk.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, cherry, oak, barnyard, funk and brett.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: A solid sour that is enjoyable and very drinkable.

Rockmill Episode 3: Maverick Meets Yuzu

Brewery: Browar Rockmill
Country: Poland
ABV: 4.7%
Style: American Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) We made a small variation on one of our core beers (Maverick). Beer base remained unchanged, instead of fresh lemon juice we used Yuzu juice (0.3%) and we replaced Mosaic hops with Denali hops, which is characterized by strong notes of pineapple.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 500ml bottle with a best before date of 14th January 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden copper colour with a one and a half finger fluffy white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Yoghurt sweetness, pineapple, mango, lemon peel with a touch of grapefruit zest and grass.
Taste: Light yoghurt, lactose, caramel malt, pineapple, lemon peel, yuzu and grass. Light sweet beginning and a light bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I preferred the aroma over taste, but it was still interesting to try.

Popihn Florida Weisse

Brewery: Brasserie Popihn
Country: France
ABV: 4%
Style: German Berliner Weisse

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Fruits de la Passion.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 8th September 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy straw yellow colour with a half finger white head that quickly dissipated to nothing and left no lacing.
Aroma: Passionfruit, wheat, bready dough and a touch of lemon.
Taste: Tart, sour, passionfruit with hints of lemon, mango and wheat on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Light, refreshing and easy to drink.