Category Archives: USA

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

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Blueberry

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel. Sour ale aged in wine barrels with blueberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Every year, the blueberry harvest heralds the coming of summer. We selected the very best hand-picked berries grown in the hills of Butte County, California, and added them to a sour golden ale aged in wine barrels. The resulting beer is infused with the essence of these jewel-like berries, creating a fruity character reminiscent of mom’s blueberry pie and a reminder of long summer days.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in October 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly and left sparse to no lacing. (Note: the final 1/6th poured extremely cloudy and colour became a murky reddish purple colour).
Aroma: Tart, cherry, blueberry, vinous white wine and wood.
Taste: It’s what you expect from the aroma, sour, tart, acidic, blueberry and cherry, with a vinous white wine and oaky finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice, enjoyable and refreshing.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co. x Marble Brewery x Odell Brewing, USA

Stone x Marble x Odell Megawheat Double IPA

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Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. x Marble Brewery x Odell Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 8.4%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 2017 Stone Collaborations. 70 IBUs. Hops – Motueka, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Kick back and crank it up – we’ve done all the brewing… the we being Stone and the special guest appearances of two heavy hitters in the indie craft beer industry: New Mexico’s Marble and Colorado’s Odell. Credited with 58 years of brewing chops, our trio built a wheat ale foundation on the classic “C” hops. Then we rocked a pure hop triad of “M” hops to achieve a supercharged succession of orange, tangerine, lemon, lime, spice and dankness. The undulating rifts of Motueka, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria hops slash through the wheat haze with equal footing, never playing over one another. The cacophony of flavor is what fans would expect from a name like Megawheat. So join us as we forge ahead on a path that directly leads to the main stage… and then off the front of it, into the crowd! If you feel the urge to smash the bottle afterwards, don’t. That’s what guitars are for.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 22 oz bomber, bottled on 9th January 2017 and to be enjoyed by 6th April 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear copper orange colour with a two finger white head that had great retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Orange flesh and peel with hints of honeydew melon.
Taste: Bitter with lots of citrusy orange peel and pith, pine, dankness and hints of apricot plus melon. I’m also getting a tinge of alcohol here and there.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was ok, but mainly, I’m just not fond of getting any sort of alcohol booziness in any IPA, and in this case, I kept getting a tinge of just that, here and there.

5 - Excellent (must buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

AleSmith Speedway Stout

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout with Coffee

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Speedway Stout’s ominous, pitch-black appearance has become a hallmark of this modern-day classic. Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor, supported by notes of dark fruit, toffee, and caramel. A healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee from Ryan Bros. Coffee, Inc. added to each batch brings out the beer’s dark chocolate flavors and enhances its drinkability. Despite its intensity, Speedway Stout’s fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink. This beer ages very well and will continue to mature for many years to come.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.54
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml foiled bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a just over one finger tanned head that had good retention and left great lacing.
Aroma: Roasty malts, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel with hints of vanilla and dark fruit.
Taste: Follows the aroma with roasted malts, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla, coffee and dark fruits.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, velvety and smooth. Full bodied with light carbonation and light warming alcohol booze.
Overall: A very nice classic Imperial Stout. Very easy to drink with its nice coffee and chocolate flavours.

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, American IPA, Beer Reviews, USA

AleSmith IPA

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.25%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: San Diego-style India Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from can) Our hometown of San Diego is considered the epicenter of its namesake style of India Pale Ale – extremely crisp, highly drinkable beers brimming over with hop aromas and bright yet not overly bitter hop flavors. AleSmith IPA is the progenitor of this rightfully popular style. A bright bouquet of grapefruit and tangerine aromas gives way to an abundance of fresh piney, tropical notes on the taste buds with lingering resinous sensations in the finish for quintessential San Diego IPA experience showcasing the versatility of American hops.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 12 fl oz can, canned on 5th October 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy, light copper orange colour with a nice two finger off white head with good retention and great lacing.
Aroma: Tropical pineapple and apricot with citrus orange, pine and sweet biscuit malt.
Taste: Citrusy and bitter orange peel, mandarin and grapefruit followed by sweet-ish pineapple, biscuit malt and pine. The finish has a nice long resinous bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A wonderfully tasty and balanced West Coast IPA. Also loving the cans!

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, English Bitter, Goose Island Beer Co., USA

Goose Island Honkers Ale

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Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 4.3%
Style: English Bitter
Other Notes: 30 IBUs. An English-style Bitter inspired by trips overseas. Combines a fruity hop aroma with a rich malt middle

Brewer Description: (from bottle neck tag) Golden sunset color, fruity hop aroma, biscuit malt flavor, soft body.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.2
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle, bottled on 18th November 2016 and best before 18th November 2017. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: A nice clear copper colour with a one finger off white head that slowly dissipates to a nice thin creamy layer while leaving curtain like lacing.
Aroma: A bit light, but what I do get was grassy, nutty, sweet malt and hints of toffee.
Taste: Toasty biscuit malt, caramel, nuttiness with hints of orange citrus.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Not my favourite style, but this is easy to drink.