Category Archives: USA

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Brown Ale, Grand Teton Brewing Co., USA

Grand Teton Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown Ale

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Brewery: Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Brown Ale
Other Notes: 60 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Bitch Creek perfectly balances big malt sweetness and robust hop flavor for a full bodied, satisfying mahogany ale. Like the stream for which it is named, our Bitch Creek ESB is full of character… not for the timid.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.85
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 12oz bottle that was bottled on 22 January 2015 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brownish red colour with a slightly less than one finger creamy brown head that dissipates in less than a minute leaving stringy lacing.
Aroma: Sweet toasted bready malts, caramel and some dark fruits mainly plum and grape.
Taste: Mainly sweet caramel mixed with some citrus hoppy flavours and a small amount of dark fruits. The aftertaste also gives a small blast of alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.
Overall: It was quite a nice brown ale. Maybe a tad bit sweet, but I would probably consider buying this again if I craved for some brown ale. Having said that, this is quite honestly probably the only bottle that’s made it to Hong Kong.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter, USA

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Porter
Other Notes:30 IBUs, 192 calories

Brewer Description: (from website) With a dark beer as our first and flagship brand, Black Butte defined Deschutes as a radical player. A slight hop bitterness up front enhances the distinctive chocolate and roasted finish. It’s prized for its creamy mouthfeel and intense complex flavors.

(from bottle) An opening volley, this pioneering dark ale signaled Deschutes’ renegade intentions. Its creamy mouthfeel, complex layers, hop edge and chocolate finish personify passion-forward brewing.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: This 12oz bottle was dated best by 3rd July 2015 and was poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a really dark brown with a half finger tan head that dissipates quickly leaving a generous amount of lacing.
Aroma: Smelled lightly of espresso coffee with some chocolate and maybe a bit of dark fruits like prunes. Would have preferred a stronger smell.
Taste: Immediate taste of dark bitter chocolate with roasty malts and a slight herbal bitter ending.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation and somewhat creamy.
Overall: This was a nice porter that I would buy again… if only it were that easy in Hong Kong.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing, Stout - Imperial, USA

Evil Twin I Love You With My Stout

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Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed at Two Roads Brewing Company, Stratford, CT, USA for Evil Twin

Brewer Description: (from bottle) When I copied the famous Even More Jesus, I had to ask myself as an artist, why am I doing this? I didn’t honestly know. It was just an instinct about beer as pure form… in a sense this stout is like a metaphor for freedom – the sum of all the beauty that surrounds me and my perfect contemporary existence.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with bottle date code of 287:14 (which assuming the 287th day of 2014 means a bottled date of 14 October 2014).
Appearance: The beer poured jet black into a snifter with a nice one finger tan head with good retention leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Smells sweet, dark cherry, vanilla, dark chocolate, raisin and there’s definitely alcohol, but nice smelling alcohol like brandy mixed with chocolate.
Taste: Like the nose, sweet lightly burnt sugar, fruit cake, dark cherry, plum, raisins with some dark chocolate in the background and slight bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with light to medium carbonation, slightly creamy.
Overall: I was pleasantly surprised with this beer. It was a more fruity stout than I expected and although sweet, it wasn’t overly done. The chocolate and dark fruit flavours worked together and even though it was boozy, it worked with this style and taste.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Bell’s Brewery Inc., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Bell’s Expedition Stout

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A friend helped me bring back two 12oz bottles of this to Hong Kong for me from the US. They were packaged on 9 October 2014, so around 6 months now.

Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Available in winter. Brewery states unlimited shelf life.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Here’s a beer that thirsts for travel, holding up impressively under the rigors of any journey. At the same time, it’s perfectly content to sit quietly in your cellar, aging and improving while you wait for the moment that seems perfectly appropriate for its consumption.

(from brewery website) One of the earliest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Appearance: Poured pitch black into a snifter with a one finger brown head that dissipates in less than a minute leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong chocolate smells first followed by sherry, malt and pine. The alcohol also does come through at times.
Taste: Begins sweet with chocolate and malt, then turns bitter dark chocolate, pine, herbal-ey lasting finish. Like the nose, the alcohol is there but leaves a warm feeling.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, light to medium carbonation, warm, sticky.
Overall: I only got 2 bottles of this… and this was the second bottle. As per the description on the bottle and brewery website, I wish I had more so that I could age it and compare the differences it would make. Having said that, 6 months in, and this was nice.

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4 - Good (buy), Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, USA, Winter Warmer

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

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Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.9%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: Only available in winter (September to February)

Brewer Description: (from Anderson Valley website) Winter Solstice® is our take on the classic style of “winter warmer.” Boasting a deep amber hue and rich mouthfeel, its creamy finish will lift your spirits. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter.

(from bottle) Brilliantly clear dark copper color with a dense tan head. Caramelized malty and spicy aromas redolent of cinnamon, allspice, black currant, and black licorice. Pleasantly creamy, with a silky body, sweet caramel flavor, hints of seasonal spices and a clean, malty finish.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: 12oz bottle which has a best before 10 June 2016 sticker on it (seems a bit long too me…).
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass a slightly hazy deep amber colour. One finger tan head which disappears slowly.
Aroma: Strong vanilla, caramel and malt in that order followed by some light toffee.
Taste: Very much like the nose. Prominent vanilla and toffee followed by caramel. Not too sweet which I like.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, creamy with some light carbonation.
Overall: This one surprised me in a good way. Although the aroma was a bit weak, the taste was nice as the vanilla, toffee and caramel tastes mixed well together. I would buy this again, but definitely for the winter while its cold and not during the warm spring as it is now.

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