Dogfish Head - Raison d'EXtra - 2007

This is a bulbous, brown ale brewed with a bunch of malt, brown sugar and raisins. Raison D'EXtra is an amped up, bigger, bolder version of the Raison D'Etre. It is brewed from a similar grist (raisins included) to a massive 42P, giving it 20.5% ABV (pre 2005), along with 20 IBU and a color of 20L.

18.5% ABV and 40 IBU in 11/2005 12 oz. and later releases.

This blog is for the March 2007 release. (Date printed on the bottle).  I opened a bottle in January 2011.

A buddy at work told me that the brewery in Lewis, DE was selling off their last cases of this great and rare brew.  So I took a trip down to Delaware and behold!  They had two case for sale thou we were limited to just two 4-packs.  I purchased the limit. 

The ABV is 18.5 (20.0) and the IBU rating is 40
Style - Belgium Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions. Ah Men.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy brown color with a nice head that vanishes after a few minutes. Some lacing.
Aroma - Lots of dark fruit here, figs, cherries, raisins, then caramel, malty and oh the alcohol.
Taste -  Taste like smells and very much like a sherry. 
Mouth Feel - Big and bold!  Not much carbonation, smooth with a slight burn from the alcohol.
Drinkable - Very drinkable but a sipper.  Don't know the alcohol content due to aging, my guess is 22%.

This beer pairs well with bread and cheese.  Grilled meat.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 98

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Dogfish Head - Immort Ale - 2008

I visited the DFH brewpub on Saturday January 29, 2011.  They had four vintage beers available;

• 2008 120 Minute IPA
• 2008 Immort Ale
• 2006 World Wide Stout
• 2007 Fort

I had the 2008 120 Minute IPA and 2008 Immort Ale.  This review is for the 2008 Immort Ale. 

Vast in character, luscious and complex. Brewed with peat-smoked barley, this strong ale is brewed with organic juniper berries, vanilla and maple syrup. It’s aged on oak and fermented with a blend of English and Belgian yeasts. The sweet and earthy flavors meld magnificently in the Immort Ale. But, be warned the abv is 11%, so after 1 or 2 you may start feeling immortal.  Immort Ale is released each and every spring (after the sap starts flowing).

The ABV is 11.0 (13.0) and the IBU rating is 50
Style - American Strong Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter or Chalice
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions. Ah Men.

The Pour - Pours a ruby-red color with a small tan head. Some lacing.
Aroma - A little of everything due to the oak barrel aging; oak, some maple, vanilla and malts.
Taste -  Taste like smells with a bit of peat or leather.  
Mouth Feel - Not too much carbonation which is expected for an aged beer.  Full bodied and a smooth finish.  A warm feeling from the alcohol.
Drinkable - Very good. I love aged big beers.  Don't know the alcohol content due to aging, my guess is 13%.  I have to admit I find the peat taste a bit off, I think this would be a great brew without the peat-smoked barley.  IMHO.

This beer pairs well with bread and cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 99

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Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA - 2008

I visited the DFH brewpub on Saturday January 29, 2011. They had four vintage beers available;

• 2008 120 Minute IPA
• 2008 Immort Ale
• 2006 World Wide Stout
• 2007 Fort

I had the 2008 120 Minute IPA and 2008 Immort Ale. This review is for the January 2008 120 Minute IPA. (Date printed on the bottle).

Too extreme to be called beer? Brewed to a colossal 45°P, boiled for a full 2 hours while being continually hopped with high alpha American hops, dry-hopped every day in a fermenter for a month, and aged for a month on whole leaf hops, 120 Minute IPA is by far the strongest IPA ever brewed. And at 18% ABV and 120 IBU’s, you can see why they call this the Holy Grail for Hopheads.

The ABV is 18.0 (21.0) and the IBU rating is 120
Style - Imperial IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions. Ah Men.

The Pour - Pours a copper color with no head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Lots of dark fruit and malty.
Taste -  Taste like it smells and you can taste the alcohol. Also get caramel, its pretty sweet. 
Mouth Feel - Not too much carbonation which is expected for an aged beer.  Syrupy.  Full bodied and a smooth finish.
Drinkable - Very good. I love aged big beers.  Don't know the alcohol content due to aging, my guess is 21%.

This beer pairs well with bread and cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 99

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Anchor - Old Forghorn

Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale is brewed strictly according to traditional brewing methods, using only natural ingredients — water, malted barley, fresh whole hops, and yeast. Old Foghorn is based on traditional English barley wines.

Old Foghorn is highly hopped, using only Cascade hops. It is fermented with a true top-fermenting ale yeast. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called "bunging," which produces champagne-like bubbles. The "barleywine ale" is dry-hopped with additional Cascade hops while it ages in Anchor's cellars.

The ABV is 8.8 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Barleywine
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cooper/orange color with a tan head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Sweet and malty, dark caramel and a hint of pine from the hops.
Taste -  Malty, sweet, some hints of caramel.
Mouth Feel - Low carbonation, full to medium body, a little sticky with a nice finish.
Drinkable - Very drinkable, no harsh after taste.

This beer pairs well with cheese and deserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =99

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Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot

Gold Medal Winner, Great American Beer Festival (Ales: Brown, Bitter and Pale 1987, Barleywine 1988,1992,1995). Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is an award winning example of the English Barley Wine style. It boasts a dense, fruity bouquet; an extremely rich, intense, bittersweet palate; and a deep, reddish-brown color. This ale is superbly balanced between an almost overpowering maltiness and a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness.

The ABV is 9.6 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Barleywine
Glass to use- Pint Glass or Snifter
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cooper color with a tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Hoppy and slightly malty, toffee.
Taste -  Malty, hoppy, caramel, hints of orange, bitter after taste from the hops.
Mouth Feel - Good carbonation with a big body.
Drinkable - Nice warming feel.

This beer pairs well with cheese and deserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =99

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Southern Tier - 2xIPA

Not quite an imperial, but certainly not a standard India pale ale. Our double IPA is a hop lovers dream. Citrusy and clean with an incredible finish.

The ABV is 8.2 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Double IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a straw color with a white head that last. Good lacing.
Aroma - Hoppy, citrus fruit and grassy.
Taste - Good balance between bitter and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Just the right amount of carbonation, creamy and medium body.
Drinkable - A nice brew for this time of year, being that I've been drinking a lot of malty brews lately.  I nice change of pace.

This beer pairs well with sharp cheese and grilled meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating = 96

Affligem - Noël

For the season we offer you our best wishes and especially delicious Ale. Rich and dark like their Dubbel. Sumptuous and smooth like our Tripel. Enjoy..

The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Dark
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a deep copper color with a large tan head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Malty and fruity - bananas.
Taste - Malty, caramel and some spices.
Mouth Feel - Too much carbonation for me, nice smooth finish.
Drinkable - Similar taste to a light double with a hint of spice.

This beer pairs well with sharp cheese and grilled meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating = 96

Founders - Curmudgeon Old Ale

This Old Ale conjures up thoughts of classic sea fairing ports, there local pubs and the weathered fisherman that frequent them. In traditional style Curmudgeon is brewed with an intense focus on the malt bill creating a very strong, rich, malty characteristic and a sweetness indicative of its cousin the barleywine. The balance in this beer makes it deceptively smooth and drinkable at 9.8% alcohol by volume.
The 2006 bottled version has been aged in bourbon barrels.

The ABV is 9.8 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Old Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cooper color with a tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Malty and sweet.
Taste -  Same as the aroma with a hint of tobacco and a little hoppy suggesting this could be an American Barleywine.
Mouth Feel - Nice carbonation and heavy body.
Drinkable - A nice Old Ale though I would call it an American Barleywine.  When I purchased this brew I thought it was an IPA, after I poured it I realized it was something different.  I will buy this one again.

This beer pairs well with cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =89

St. Feuillien - Cuvée De Noël

This beer has a generous head - compact and firm. Its slightly brown color is the result of the roasted barley. It has a dark ruby brown color and a very intense aroma. The aromatic herbs and spices used greatly enhance its delicious smell. This beer is full-bodied with a smoothness that is the result of the synergy of caramelized malts, carefully controlled fermentation and long cold storage. St Feuillien Cuvée de Noël has a very subtle bitterness that is the dominant flavor in this harmonious ale that strikes a perfect balance between all the different ingredients.

The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Dark
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a copper/orange color with a tan and light head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Sweet like candy, fruity like banana.
Taste - Sweet, some Christmas spices and fruit.
Mouth Feel - Good carbonation, sooth nice finish.
Drinkable - Very drinkable, cannot tell it's a 9% brew.

This beer pairs well with pungent cheese and grilled meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating = 98

Ballast Point - Sea Monster

Sea Monster Imperial Stout is a new version of an old favorite. This hearty stout is black as the abyss and clocks in at a whopping 10% ABV, a real monster. The flavors of roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate are complemented by a velvety smoothness from the addition of un-malted barley and oats. Columbus and Amarillo hops help to balance out the huge malt character of this flavor bomb. Be careful the alcohol is well hidden and will sneak up on you if you don’t watch out. Like most scary monsters, it can be a little intimidating, but have no fear.

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Dark
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 22oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a dark brown color with a large tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Chocolate, malty and coffee.
Taste - Chocolate, caramel and hoppy, some coffee hints.
Mouth Feel - Good carbonation, full body and a nice finish.
Drinkable - Very drinkable for an Imperial Stout. The alcohol is hidden so be careful.

This beer pairs well with sharp cheese and smoked meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating = 98

Weyerbacher - Winter Ale

This is a Winter Ale that is a must for any malty beer lover. Winner of a Silver Medal in the 1998 World Beer Championships, Weyerbacher Winter Ale is brewed with deep-roasted chocolate malt. The taste predominates with a warm, roasty flavor, balanced out with a slightly dry finish. It's smooth but not cloying, with a warming belt of alcohol (5.6% ABV).
Although winter ales predate history, they are believed to have their origin in the pagan celebrations of winter solstice. Later, when monasteries produced the local brew, winter ales were made each year to commemorate the birth of Christ. Back then, winter ales were brewed full-bodied as a source of nutrition for the upcoming winter months. Today, winter ales are typified by their seasonality, their rich, malty flavors and by their deep, dark coloration.
Generally available November through February, Weyerbacher Winter Ale is the perfect libation for a winter meal, with good friends, or beside a warm fire fending off a cold winter night.


The ABV is 5.6 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Winter Warmer
Glass to use- Pint Glass or Mug
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours a dark brown color with a tan head that last. Some lacing.
Aroma - Malty and spice with a hint of smoke (odd).
Taste - Sweet and some spices.  Some smokiness but not much.
Mouth Feel - Just the right amount of carbonation with a dry clean finish.
Drinkable - Very smooth I could drink a few in a session.  A good Winter Warmer, seek it out.

This beer pairs well with deserts and white meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B-
Ratebeer Rating = 67

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Harpoon - Single Hop ESB - 100 Barrel Series

The 31st offering from the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is the Single Hop ESB, brewed by Harpoon brewer Charlie Cummings. Already excited about crafting an Extra Special Bitter, Charlie jumped at the rare opportunity to brew this beer using one hop varietal, Delta, exclusively throughout the process.

The Delta hop is a brand new American-grown hop developed by Hopsteiner. In fact, the Harpoon Single Hop ESB is the first beer in the world to be commercially brewed using the Delta hop. A cross between Fuggle and Cascade hops, Delta hops yield an unrestrained earthy/floral aroma and taste that compliment the rich flavors of traditional British malts and yeast.

The recipe for this beer is a nod to the beloved Harpoon ESB, which was last brewed in 2002. However this version uses imported ingredients, except for the domestically grown Delta hops. Only a portion of the batch was filtered, leaving the full spectrum of flavor and aroma of this special new hop to enjoy.

The ABV is 5.8 and the IBU rating is 38
Style - Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Glass to use- Pint Glass or Mug
Delivery 22oz Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours an orange/cooper color with a little white head. A bit cloudy.  Some lacing.
Aroma - Citrus and hoppy.
Taste -  Hoppy and not much else going on here.
Mouth Feel - Lite carbonation need a bit more, medium to light body.
Drinkable - Very smooth not much of an alcohol taste.  Kind of disappointing, I was expecting a lot more from the marketing of a special "100 Barrel Series".  So much for marketing.  On a positive note, it was very clean and can had several in one session. 

This beer pairs well with cheese and pork.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =77

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