Category Archives: My Rating (out of 5)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Company, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Hoppin’ Frog D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer

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Brewery: Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 70 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This extreme Double Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will overwhelm, satisfy, and destroy your taste buds like no other!! D.O.R.I.S. is even darker, hoppier, and stronger than our gold medal winning B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Stout. Dry-hopped and first wort hopped with the finest American hops for a great Imperial Stout experience! Enjoy the darkness!!

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, with some dark berries, and charred notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, roasty, chocolate, coffee, molasses, charred oak, and light notes of dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A smooth sipper, but the charred notes were a little too distracting for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery So Happens It’s Tuesday

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 14.6%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. A dark and delicious display of rich malt, toasty oak flavors and vanilla-like notes from extended aging in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our infamous Black Tuesday® stout is named in honor of the great stock market crash of 1929. So Happens It’s Tuesday™ is similarly dark and delicious, but in a more affable format, reminding us that there is always a bit of good to be found within the bad. Things happen, life goes on. This beer can be enjoyed in all of those moments and seasons.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that had decent retention but settled to a ring around the glass while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, oak, bourbon, with notes of prunes and other dark fruits.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, lightly sweet, chocolate, cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, oak, dark fruit, prunes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium to full bodied, with low carbonation.
Overall: It’s well balanced and dangerously drinkable at 14.6% ABV. As temperatures drop again, this was an enjoyable sipper that provides a comfortable warming feeling.

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

Deschutes The Abyss Brandy Barrel Aged

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 13.3%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: 2016 remarkably limited release. Barrel aged in brandy barrels for 12 months

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Imperial Stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark and whole vanilla beans, 100% aged in brandy barrels for 12 months.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, bottled on 9th December 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Moderate roast, chocolate, coffee, light char, and some sweet notes of molasses, licorice, and brandy.
Taste: Sweet and bitter, roasty, chocolate, coffee, light char smoke, molasses, licorice, vanilla, oak, and a touch of brandy.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very nice and enjoyable sipper. There was a good balance between sweet and bitter, and the brandy barrel was complementary and not overpowering.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Deschutes Brewery, USA

Deschutes Pinot Suave

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.8%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Belgian style ale with pinot noir grapes aged in French oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian style ale aged in French Pinot Noir barrels with Pinot Noir grape must. The result, notes of Pinot grape, berries and fruit along with light malt and a hint of caramel.

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

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, bottled on 25th April 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: An amber orange brown colour with a thin tanned head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, caramel, dark fruit, prunes, fig, vinous, grape.
Taste: Sweet, vinous, overripe grape, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, caramel, oak, with red berry notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A touch sweet, but the Pinot Noir grape must and barrels give this sipper some nice interesting aroma and flavours.

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

Deschutes Black Butte XXIX

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 29th Birthday Reserve. Porter brewed with Dutched cocoa, Saigon cinnamon, and cayenne, 50% aged in Bourbon and Rum barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In celebration of our 29th anniversary this year’s Imperial Porter delivers notes of dark chocolate and cinnamon spice with hints of coconut, vanilla, and dried fruit finished by a warm dash of cayenne.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 29th birthday reserve, bottled on 12th June 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin khaki head that had dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, dark chocolate, cayenne, vanilla, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a hint of cinnamon.
Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a very light hint of chili spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper with adjuncts that work very well together.