Tag Archives: usa

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Jester King Brewery, USA, Wild Ale

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis

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Brewery: Jester King Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 5.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged sour beer refermented with blackberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Marion blackberries were added to mature barrel-aged sour beer and refermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned.

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

Intro: A 1 pint 0.9 fl. oz. bottle, blend five, bottled in August 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen Zenne stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red with a purple tinge colour, and a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Jammy, blackberry, woody oak, light musty funk, grapes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, blackberry, lemonade, oak.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice blackberry aroma and flavours are front and centre with good lemonade notes to complement it. A very enjoyable wild ale.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Holy Mountain Brewing Company, USA

Holy Mountain Choir of the Sun

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Brewery: Holy Mountain Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale aged in oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Saison fermented and aged in oak puncheons for 5 months. Choir of the Sun was hopped with Styrian Goldings, fermented with a blend of Saison strains, and aged with brettanomyces. Refermented in the bottle with brettanomyces.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date, but I think this has been cellared from the summer of 2017. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a slightly hazy orange golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, brett, strong barrel, oak, lemon, citrusy, and cream soda.
Taste: Light sour, tart, oak, funky, musty, brett, with fruity apricot and citrus flavours.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Cellared for longer than intended, but still very enjoyable. Good mix of funk, brett, barrel and fruit, plus the lightness, just makes it very easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, USA, Wild Ale

Sante Adairius Four Legs Good

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Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 9.9%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What do a three-legged dog, a made-up beer style, and a giant oak cask have to do with each other? One great beer. Four Legs Good, our Blond Quad, belies its sweet nature with a dry, full finish and sneaky strength. Fermented first in puncheons with extensive aging in oak foudres, Four Legs Good doesn’t care what you call it as long as she is along for the ride. Four Legs Good, three legs better. Sante!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy darkish orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin fluffy and replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, redcurrants, apple, oak, funky, peach skin.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, prunes, apricot, redcurrant, and oak, with funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Blond Quad? What’s that? Well, it is self described as a made up style. Before pouring, I thought it was a Quad, so I poured it into a goblet glass, but I’m going to call it a Wild Ale, and whatever you call it, this is still very good. Great sour, tart, fruity and barrel aging flavours, combined with a well hidden abv, just makes this extremely enjoyable.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery Share This: Mint Chip

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout with mint and cacao nibs. We donate $1 for every bottle we produce in our Share This series. This release, inspired by mint chip flavors, supports the mission of Food Forward, which donates fresh produce to hunger relief agencies across Southern California.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Share This is a series of beers that spotlights unique ingredients and important causes. This imperial stout is inspired by mint chip flavors, recreated by adding spearmint leaves and cacao nibs to a rich base. It supports the efforts of Food Forward, who is chipping away at hunger relief across Southern California, reaching over 100,000 people a month with recovered fresh produce.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger brown head that had good retention and left lots of spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, and strong mint, maybe too overpowering.
Taste: Spearmint, light roast, and only a hint of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: So I like a good mint chocolate any day, but the mint really overpowers anything else in this beer and there’s just not enough chocolate and roast to support the mint. The body is also lacking and feels too thin. You have to really like liquid mint for this.

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

The Bruery Share This: O.C.

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout with orange zest, cacao nibs and vanilla beans. We donate $1 for each bottle we produce in our Share This series. This orange chocolate release supports the mission of Food Forward, which donates fresh produce to hunger relief agencies in Southern California, including Orange County.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Share This is a series of beers that spotlights unique ingredients and important causes. This rich imperial stout is inspired by orange and chocolate flavors. It’s a profile we’re quite fond of, given the abundance of orange trees in our own backyard. Food Forward takes it one step further – reaching over 100,000 people a month with recovered fresh produce.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger brown head that had decent retention and left lots of spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, dark chocolate, cacao, coffee, with notes of vanilla and citrus zest.
Taste: Much like the aroma, roasted malts, dark chocolate, cacao, coffee, vanilla, and orange notes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: An excellent Imperial Stout with great roast and chocolate flavours. The orange citrus notes also complement the chocolate well. I do wonder whether due to the age of the bottle (three years), any of the adjuncts have toned down a bit, but the chocolate to citrus proportion is great right now.