Category Archives: American Strong Ale

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, The Lost Abbey, USA

Lost Abbey My Black Parade

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Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: Bourbon barrel-aged spiced ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) No one knew her actual name, to most she was simply Madame Marigold – Princess of the Black Parade. Each November 1st she led a procession through the town square to a make-shift altar at an unmarked grave. Year after year, the processions grew larger and the celebrations more elaborate. Patiently she waited for him always. Yet, he never arrived. Then one year, she too was gone. Her legacy endures as The Black Parade marches on despite her absence. Each fall, the entire village celebrates the live of all the departed including Madame Marigold and her anonymous lover.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, not sure of the vintage, but very likely more than 8 years ago. Poured into a Bokke tasting glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Dark roast, chocolate, bourbon, dark fruit, oak, with notes of cinnamon.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, raisin, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Thinner than expected, but not a big issue. It’s a nice sipper with good aromas and flavours that work well together.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker 25 (XXV Anniversary Ale)

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: 2021 vintage. 25th Anniversary. Special Reserve Barrel-Aged Blend

Brewer Description: (from sheet notes in box) Final blend was:
41% Parabola (14% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
10% Stickee Monkee (12.3% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
28% Tequila Barrel Merkin (7% ABV) Aged in Tequila Barrels
13% Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (13.8% ABV) Aged in Brandy Barrels
8% Whiskey Barrel Wheat Wine (11.7% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels

(from box) In the fall of 2006, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson asked a handful of his winemaker friends for their input on blending a diverse stash of barrel-aged strong ales. Together, they came up with “10” – a trailblazing beer commemorating our 10th anniversary. And so began an annual autumn rite that now continues into our 25th year. This year was different, however. When our brewers convened with their winemaker friends on July 15, 2021, it marked a return to in-person blending after conducting it all remotely the previous year. The significance of this moment was not lost on anyone, and it was made all the more special by the occasion of our 25th anniversary. The beer you are holding in your hands – 25 – was created on that day. It is a work of talent and togetherness that we are now privileged to share with you. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we conclude this milestone year for Firestone Walker.

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

Intro: A boxed 355ml bottle, 2021 vintage, 25th anniversary, bottled on 14th September 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear dark cola brown in colour with a thin tanned head that had pretty good retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate fudge, oak, caramel, bourbon, tequila, dried dark fruit, and notes of vanilla.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate, oak, a touch sweet, dried dark fruit, raisin, dates, caramel, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, and tequila.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with balanced and complex aromas and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, The Lost Abbey, USA

Lost Abbey Box Set Track #11 (Devil Went Down to Georgia)

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Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Country: USA
ABV: 12.5%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: Bourbon barrel-aged ale with peaches & black tea

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Henry Jones Sr. and his son loved to fiddle each evening at dusk; their notes sweetly carried through the wooded acres. Their farm, Jones Peaches, was a southern institution. Many whispered their fiddling coaxed sugars from the earth making them the juiciest peaches known to man. Heaven smiled daily on the Jones’ until tragedy struck, summoning Henry Sr. to his final resting place. Henry Jr. assumed his father’s farming, but the peaches slowly became less sweet. Sales plummeted as bills piled up. One evening a curious banker in an orange suit arrived with an offer… One song, two fiddles – a duel with the land deed in the balance. Neighbors witnessed an evil thrashing and heaven guided harmonics that night. The man in orange left his gilded fiddle on top of the deed, never to be heard from again. Soon the whispers of JP’s greatness returned as Henry Sr. smiled down from above.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A corked and caged 12.7 fl. oz. bottle, 2017 vintage, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A dark brown colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate cake, caramel, toffee, bourbon, dark rum, vanilla, black tea, dark fruit, and peachy notes.
Taste: Chocolate, caramel, bourbon, lightly herbal, black tea, oak, and a lasting bittersweet finish.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft to no carbonation.
Overall: An interesting and enjoyable sipper. The black tea is there and I can even imagine the peaches at times. It makes me wonder if the peaches were more noticeable fresher, and what it would have been like.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, USA

Founders Bottle Shop Series – Highball Drifter

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 11%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels with orange peel and cherry. 25 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) There’s a new sheriff in town – meet Highball Drifter, a barrel-aged sipper inspired by our favorite bourbon-based cocktails. The second entry in our Bottle Shop series, Highball Drifter presents aromatics of caramel and vanilla, dried fruit and spice while hints of cherry and bitter orange peel whisk you away like a tumbling tumbleweed. Call us old fashioned, but we think you’re going to love it.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 6th July 2021, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A rusty orange brown colour with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Cocktails, orange bitters, dried orange peel, caramel, vanilla, with light candied cherry notes.
Taste: Lightly sweet, malty, candied dried fruit, orange bitters, orange peel, citrus zesty, candied cherry, oak, with notes of bourbon and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper that’s very cocktail like, as it’s name suggests; and also with an aroma that was really good.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery Mélange No. 3

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 16.3%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels. Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary ale and our wheatwine-style ale intertwine in this time-tested exploration in the art of the blend.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our Mélange series is at the core of our experimentation with flavors that cannot be achieved outside of the art of the blend or by any one beer. This is one of our original mélanges at its very finest. Mélange No. 3 is a blend of three ales with the longest lineage in our bourbon barrel-aging program: Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary Series old ale and our wheatwine-style ale.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition, bottled on 1st February 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy brown colour with an orange tint and a one finger beige/khaki head that dissipates fairly quickly, while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, caramel, toffee, molasses, bourbon, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, chocolate, oak, vanilla, with light coconut notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sweet, bourbon, caramel, toffee, molasses, chocolate, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, oak, vanilla, and a splash of coconut and orange.
Mouthfeel: Full to medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper, with great aromas, but perhaps a touch too sweet for my palate.