Category Archives: USA

4 - Good (buy), American Solera, Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

American Solera Foeder Gold

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Brewery: American Solera
Country: USA
ABV: 5.6%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Golden Ale aged in oak tanks.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2015 vintage as per the date on the back label. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that disappears extremely fast and no lacing.
Aroma: Citrus mandarin and lemon with some tropical mango and pineapple here and there, in addition to oak and light funk.
Taste: Sour and tart, citrusy sour orange and lemon with hints of oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, refreshing, medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: This was nice refreshing and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Oskar Blues Brewery, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

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Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Ten FIDY Imperial Stout – This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 65 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Ten FIDY (10.5% ABV) is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Ten FIDY is the ultimate celebration of dark malts and boundary-stretching beer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz can, canned on 13th October 2016, with a note that said “Midnight on a moonless night”. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a nice two fingered mocha brown head that had great retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Roasty coffee, rich dark chocolate and light char with hints of molasses and licorice.
Taste: Roasted malts, molasses and dark fruit plum and raisins to start, followed by rich dark chocolate, roasty coffee, caramel and a light char. Finish is lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Rich, velvety, creamy and smooth. Full bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: A wonderful Imperial Stout from Oskar Blues which is nicely balanced and great to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Founders Imperial Stout

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 75 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley, this Stout is smooth as silk, yet complex and rich in body. Serve this guy at cellar temperature. Put another log on the fire, sit back and enjoy the friendship of this ultimate winter warmer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 355ml bottle, bottled on 30th November 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a nice one finger fluffy brown head that dissipated fairly quickly but left spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, cherry and a hint of coffee.
Taste: Roasty malts, rich bittersweet chocolate and coffee with hints of dark fruit balanced with some bitterness. Finish has a lasting ashy charcoal-ness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, velvety and full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice and smooth. A good Russian Imperial Stout.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

Almanac Hoppy Sour: Mandarina

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Blonde Ale aged in wine barrels & dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria.

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in November 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a one and a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour and tart orange and lemon with a hint of mango.
Taste: It’s what you’d expect from the aroma. Starts sour with tangy orange, lemon juice, unripe mango and peach. This is followed by hints of white wine and woody oak notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and some quite strong but nice acidity.
Overall: The citrusy fruits were expected from the Mandarina Bavaria, but I was pleasantly surprised by the unripe-ish mango sourness. Nice and refreshing from Almanac.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

Almanac Dogpatch Sour

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel. Ale brewed with cherries and aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This barrel-aged wild ale is named for the San Francisco neighborhood we call home. It’s our version of a Flanders-style Red with a distinctly California twist. Brewed with juicy California cherries and aged in used wine barrels with our house blend of San Francisco sourdough and wild brewer’s yeasts. Pair this complex ale with ripe figs and blue cheese or rich seafood bouillabaisse.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml bottle, Batch No.4, bottled in May 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated quickly while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, hard candy, wine and barrel.
Taste: Tart, sour cherry, red wine, acidic, vinegar and oak.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and refreshing with good tartness. Would be even better with even more cherries and perhaps slightly less acidity.