Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cigar City Brewing, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Vanilla Hazelnut

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Brewery: Cigar City Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 11.2%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Stout with vanilla and hazelnuts added

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Russian Imperial Stout is dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, arguably one of the finest generals of World War II. Huge in body with strong flavors of espresso, chocolate and molasses, this unique iteration of Zhukov’s adds roasted hazelnuts and vanilla to impart even more complexity and depth of flavor to this massive, jet-black stout. In the immortal words of Marshal Zhukov himself, “Есть вещи в России, которые не являются, как они кажутся.”

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, raisin, plum and a touch of vanilla.
Taste: Roasty, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, chocolate, coffee, molasses, licorice and hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The base of roastiness, chocolate and dark fruit is good, but I’m not getting much of the adjuncts. The vanilla come through lightly with just hints of it here and there. While the hazelnut, I’m just not really getting at all. It’s a good sipping Russian Imperial Stout though.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Cranberry

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6.6%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in oak barrels with cranberries and spices. 2016 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Northwest sour ale is a blend of wheat ales aged for up to 14 months in oak barrels with cranberries, orange peel and cinnamon.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy copper orange colour with a big more than three finger off white head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, oak, vanilla, cranberries, orange, cinnamon, leather and spices.
Taste: Sour, tart, berries, orange, cinnamon, oak, herbal and spices.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice complexity, good funk, and one of the better Cascade beers I’ve tried.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Kriek

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in oak barrels with cherries. 2015 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Kriek is a blend of sour red ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 17 months with cherries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy deep amber red colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated quickly but settled to a thin layer while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherries, oak, maybe some mixed berries.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherries, oak and a hint of spices.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice cherry flavours, slightly acidic, but not overly so.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, New Zealand, Stout - Imperial

8 Wired iStout Unchained Imperial Stout

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 3 year wine barrel aged. 2016 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our highly rated imperial stout, iStout, aged for 3 years in Pinot Noir barrels with added brettanomyces. Roasty and boozy as the original but also funky, dry, wild and unchained.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2016 vintage. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with a big two finger tanned head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a thin layer, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, cocoa, leather, brett, oak, lightly vinous and a touch herbal.
Taste: What you’d expect from the aroma, light roast, cocoa, funky, brett, tart, vinous, and oak.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice aroma and flavours although the Imperial Stout parts are probably overpowered by the brett and vinous aspects. This is really drinkable but I’m unsure I’d still call this an Imperial Stout.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, New Zealand, Stout - Imperial

8 Wired Batch 2.18 Oak Aged Imperial Stout

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Fermented in open oak vats with dates, jaggery and vanilla beans

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The most regal of stouts. Brewed to commemorate the 18th batch of our new brewery in Warkworth, New Zealand.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a dark brown hue and a thin brown head that dissipated quickly, but left lots of fine spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty dark malts, chocolate, molasses, licorice, prunes, oak, vanilla and a light char.
Taste: What you’d expect from the aroma, roasty, chocolate, prunes, plum, molasses, licorice, oak, vanilla and some light ash.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable sipper, with good balance of roast, dark fruit and light sweetness.