Tag Archives: usa

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

Almanac Coffee Barbary Coast

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, chili peppers, sea salt and oak. Brewed with coffee roasted by Sightglass and cacao nibs from Dandelion Small Batch Chocolate

Brewer Description: (from can) Every great city has its wild side, and in 19th century boomtown San Francisco, that was The Barbary Coast. All manner of debauchery ran unchecked here for decades. But from this chaotic cauldron emerged San Francisco’s vibrant jazz culture and a rich legacy of poets, artists, writers and entertainers. Inspired by this creative tradition, this decadent imperial stout was brewed with oak staves, sea salt, a hint of spicy chili, Dandelion Chocolate’s cacao nibs and Sightglass Coffee. Pair with rich chocolate cake and a flair for the adventure!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 16 fl oz can, canned on 13th December 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin brown head that dissipated quickly and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Light dark fruit followed by milk chocolate, roasty coffee and vanilla with perhaps some light spice.
Taste: Milk chocolate, cacao and coffee with a hint of chili pepper spiciness and salt.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Very nice flavours of chocolate and coffee which was well balanced with chili and salt.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, USA

AleSmith Decadence 2015

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Belgian-style Amber

Brewer Description: (from bottle) AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. Each year since, our brewers have commemorated our anniversary with a special beer of a new style. Now, ten years after brewing our first beer of the Decadence Series, we’re proud to present another hand-forged addition, AleSmith Decadence 2015. In the spirit of traditional Belgian brewing we’ve departed from style-constraints to bring you a fresh take on the popular European style, the Belgian Amber. This big, complex, amber-hued ale was brewed with a substantial amount of Belgian and European malts that complement the spiciness imparted by Belgian Abbey yeast. The result is a perfect balance between rich, toasty maltiness, Belgian candi sugar and the light floral profile of European hops. Enjoy this hearty Belgian inspired brew now or age at a cool temperature to increase it’s complexities.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl oz foiled bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber colour with a one finger off white head with an orange tinge that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Malty, candi sugar, caramel, brown sugar and toffee, with a hint of clove, banana and apple juice.
Taste: Toasted, lightly sweet, caramel with hints of clove, banana, alcohol and apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Quite nice and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Prairie Artisan Ales, USA

Prairie Brett C.

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Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 8.1%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Conditioned with brettanomyces claussenii. Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A farmhouse ale brewed with Cascade and Citra hops, and a touch of sea salt.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 17315, meaning it was bottled on 22nd June 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw colour with an almost two finger white head that had decent retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tropical peach, apricot, pineapple, wood, citrusy orange, hints of lemon peel and the right amount of funk.
Taste: Semi-sweet orange, lemon, dried mango, dried apricot, honey, dates and prunes with light oak and funk. Not getting much of the sea salt that was added.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Nice and enjoyable with it not being overly sweet and having funkiness that is not overpowering. The high carbonation assists it in being refreshing on a hot day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Blackberry Farm Brewery, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Blackberry Farm Barrel Series Brett Fruit Blend 2016

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Brewery: Blackberry Farm Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.3%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Our Barrel family is fermented with a variety of yeast strains and aged in wine and spirit barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale aged in red wine barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A corked and caged 12.7 fl oz bottle, bottled on 17th August 2016. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy blonde orange colour with a slightly more than one finger white head that dissipated quickly to a thin layer around the glass and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, grass, hay with a hint of brett.
Taste: Tart, oaky, vinous, wine, funky with only a touch of mixed berries.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The taste didn’t quite match the aroma, but it was still quite nice.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Epic Son of a Baptist

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Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Novo Coffee – Epic Espresso Blend. Malts – Ultra-Premium Muntons Marris Otter, 2-Row Brewers Malt, Black Malt, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Cara-Aroma and Demerara Sugar. Hops – Nugget, Chinook and Cascade

Brewer Description: (from website) Son of a Baptist is an 8% ABV imperial stout. It is not barrel aged like its father, Big Bad Baptist; instead its flavor profile was designed to highlight the complex and often unique flavors of small batch coffees. Instead of sourcing a coffee that would play well in a beer we sought out creative and innovative roasters, then asked them which beans they’re passionate about. Each resulting release of Son of a Baptist is widely different depending on the coffee selected. Some are fruity and sweet with notes of jam and chocolate, others are rich and earthy with a big roasted finish. Each limited release will return to the Roaster’s home market where the beer and the coffee can be sampled side by side.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with no clear canned on or best before date. Novo Coffee – Epic espresso blend. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was dark brown to black in colour with a just over one finger light brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate with hints of brown sugar and a light char.
Taste: Roasted malt, coffee, milk, bittersweet chocolate and caramel. Sweetish to begin, while lightly bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and velvety smooth, medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice tasting and great to drink, but definitely preferred the barrel aging of its father, Big Bad Baptist.