Brooklyn - Black Chocolate Stout (2007)

This is the famous Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, our award-winning rendition of the Imperial Stout style once made exclusively for Catherine the Great. We use three mashes to brew each batch of this beer, achieving a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specialty roasted malts. We brew it every year for the winter season. It is delicious when newly bottled, but also ages beautifully for years.  Available from October through March.

This review is for the 2007 vintage.  Click here to see my review from 2005 or 2010 of a fresh bottle.

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Russian Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker, Tumbler, Snifter or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a solid thick black (like ink) color with no head at first then a nice 1/2" dark brown head appears. Great lacing.
Aroma - Strong chocolate, some dried fruits (raisin and plum).
Taste -  Malts, caramel and dark chocolate.  Slightly bitter in the finish.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and full body. A nice dry finish.
Drinkable - At nearly 5 years of aging, it lacks the typical aging tasting notes.  The alcohol is well hidden. I have two other vintages to try; a 2008 and 2009.  I think 5 1/2 years is perfect for this brew.  I'll wait for the other two to mature a bit before opening. 

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts (Anything chocolate!).

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =100

Iron Hill - Old Ale (2007)

Traditional English-style brown ale with a distinct malty sweetness and fruity aromas that deepen with age.

The ABV is 7.2 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Old Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Tumbler, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Small 'Pop' from the cork, Pours a dark amber color with a tan head and some lacing.
Aroma - Filled the room with a light musty smell, malty, hints of dark fruit and some grassy notes.
Taste - Malty, earthy and dark fruit.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - This bottle aged a bit better than the other corked Iron Hill brews I've had in the past.  In my experience Iron Hill corked bottles do not age well after a year or two.  This bottle was a pleasant surprise.

This beer pairs well with cheese.

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

Stone - Old Guardian Belgo

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, in all its unadulterated glory. We make small adjustments to the recipe every year, just a little bit...as it provides an opportunity to try some different hops or malts.
When our illustrious brewing team spiked a few barrels of the Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine with our Belgian yeast strain last year, we absolutely loved it. So much, in fact, that we knew we needed an excuse to make more. So, in our unending quest to constantly challenge the status quo (even our own), we came up with Odd Beers for Odd Years, a program to release odd beers – e.g. Stone Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine – in odd years (2011, 2013, 2015…). It was met with a bit of resistance (to say the least) since we weren’t originally offering the traditional Old Guardian alongside it, but we’ve mended our ways and decided to make both. You’re welcome.

First Release Date:
February 1998

The ABV is 11.0 and the IBU rating is 85
Style - American Barleywine
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 22oz Bottle

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

The Pour - Copper in color and a tan head.  Some lacing.
Aroma - Malty, sweet, hoppy and some fruit. 
Taste - Malty and hoppy, sweet, caramel, some fruitiness and spices.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  A hoppy aftertaste.
Drinkable - A good American Barleywine.  This is a sipper, enjoy it does not need to be rushed.  

This beer pairs very with pungent and sharp cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B
BeerAdvocate Rating =82
Ratebeer Rating =96

Corsendonk - Christmas Ale (2011)

On the palate this silky smooth ale is predominantly malty, with smoky, spicy and citrusy notes, and a long, lingering finish that is lightly tart and malty. 

This is my second review for this brew.  The other was the 2010 vintage.  The difference was the 2010 was from a case with 330ml bottles and the 2011 was from a gift set containing 250ml bottles.

The ABV is 8.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 250ml

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

The Pour - Brown in color.  Very big tan head that lingers around. Great lacing.
Aroma - Malts, spices and hops.
Taste - Malty and sweet, some fruitiness and spices.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  Smooth.
Drinkable - Very drinkable, the 250ml bottle went down quickly. At this size I could drink several in one sitting.  The 2011 is slightly better than the 2010.  Next I will pop open one of the 2010 after aging for a year.

Goes great with cheese and meat (grilled meat).

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