Iron Hill - Fe 10 Anniversary Ale (2004)

10th Anniversary Ale - A truly full-bodied beer. Fe-10 is rich, rich, dark, malty and very complex. Dark in color, this beer uses Belgian Abbey yeast, dark candy sugar and a huge assortment of specialty malts provide layers of complex fruity aromas and flavors, with a warming alcohol finish.

The ABV is 10.5 and the IBU rating is 27
Style - Belgium Strong Dark Ale - Quadrupel
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Tumbler or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a dark brown color with a tan head and good lacing.
Aroma - Malty, dark fruits, chocolate and a bit of molasses.
Taste - Malty, chocolate, sweet and a bit nutty.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and full body.
Drinkable - This bottle aged much better than any other corked Iron Hill brews I've had in the past.  I'm not sure on the aged, Iron Hill was formed in 1994 making their 10th anniversary 2004.  This did not taste like a 8 year old brew.  If it was 8 years old it sure did age extremely well.  Did not detect any booziness, the alcohol is well hidden.

This beer pairs well with sharp or pungent cheese and BBQ.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B.
BeerAdvocate Rating = 86
Ratebeer Rating = 95

North Coast - Grand Cru (2012)

Reminiscent of North Coast Brewing's Gold Medal-winning Twentieth Anniversary Ale, North Coast Grand Cru is brewed with pilsner malt and agave nectar, then aged in oak bourbon barrels.

North Coast had a good time exploring the brewing possibilities outside of the standard beer styles. North Coast Grand Cru doesn't fit neatly into any established category. Brewed  exclusively with Pils malt with an addition of agave nectar in the kettle. The beer is then fermented with the same Belgian yeast that is use to ferment North Coast Brewing's Le Merle. It's subtle, complex and lightly hopped with a deceptive 12.5% ABV, and aging it in oak gives this unique beer an extra dimension. The result is really "champagne-like."

North Coast Grand Cru is available in 500 ML bottles with a cork and wire finish and in 1/6 BBL kegs in limited markets throughout the country.

First introduced as North Coast's 20th Anniversary Ale in  May-2009, Vintage 12.5% ABV

The ABV is 12.9 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Pale Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 500ml Bottle

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

Pour - Pours a cloudy orange color with a white head.  Good lacing.
Aroma - Oak tannins, some fruits and hint of the agave.
Taste - Slight bourbon notes, candy sweet from the agave and fruity.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  Crisp and slight burn from the alcohol.
Drinkable - Not a bad brew, I did like it but too expensive. Worth a try if you can find one for a reasonable price.  I would rather have their Old Stock Ale!

Goes good with cheeses and desserts, white meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating = 80
Ratebeer Rating = 95

Mikkeller - Santa's Little Helper (2010)

Santa's Little Helper is Mikkellers Christmas beer.  Each year Santa's Little Helper returns, but although Christmas is tradition and repetitions, then Santa's Little Helper is not the same for two consecutive years. Mikkel believes that you can always optimize a recipe, and it is exactly what he was doing with this Belgian-inspired beers. Since 2006 the recipe for Santa's Little Helper has been adjusted and improved. In this 2010 version is nothing short of sublime.

Santa’s Little Helper is a dark, strong Belgian ale, lightly spiced with sweet orange peel, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cocoa. Enjoy now or keep it in the cellar for many years to come.

Ingredients : Water, malt (pale, special-B and chocolate), flaked wheat, dark candy syrup, dark cassonade, hops (northern brewer, hallertauer, styrian goldings and simcoe), spices (bitter and sweet orange peels and nutmeg) and yeast.

Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij in Lochristi, Belgium.

The ABV is 10.9 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a dark brown color with a tan head which hung around for half an hour. Great lacing.
Aroma -  Lots of spices, malts, sweet, dark fruits and hint of chocolate.
Taste -  Chocolate, malts, some bitter spices and just a touch of nutmeg, some dark fruits.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, full body. Creamy.
Drinkable - A very good Belgium Xmas brew, like a spiced Belgium Doubel. I have never had a fresh bottle so can not compare with the two years of aging.  Though it taste very good for a two year old brew and the carbonation is perfect.

This beer pairs well with cheese, smoked or grilled meats, BBQ or Chinese cuisine.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =90
Ratebeer Rating =98

Dogfish Head - Pangaea 2009 (Update)

This is the update from my first review (click here)

Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer.

List of worldly ingredients includes:

• Crystallized ginger from Australia
• Water from Antarctica
• Basmati rice from Asia
• Muscavado sugar from Africa
• South American quinoa
• European yeast
• North American maize.

Original Release Date: 11/2003

Pangaea is released annually in the fall and is bottled in 750ml bottles. I purchased two bottles of this 2009 vintage at the Rehoboth Beach brewpub.  My first review was the summer of 2011, this review is the winter of 2013.

The ABV is 7.0 and the IBU rating is 28
Style - Belgium Strong Pale Ale
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 an orange color with a white head and good lacing.
Aroma - Coriander, pepper, grapes and lots of ginger.
Taste - Spicy, fruity, ginger and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body, crisp.
Drinkable - Refreshing, the ginger might be overwhelming for some folks but that is one of the main ingredients.  A little too sweet for my taste. This brew aged very well.

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =85
Ratebeer Rating =86

Stone - 10.10.10 Vertical Epic Ale (2010)

This ninth edition of our Stone Vertical Epic Ale series which started 02.02.02 and takes two interesting left turns. A Belgian-style golden triple is the starting point of this beer, but the first left turn is nearly immediate with the addition of dried chamomile flowers, triticale, and Belgian amber candy sugar. The second, and rather unusual left turn takes us half an hour up the road from Stone to Temecula courtesy of the addition of just-pressed Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc grapes from our friends at South Coast Winery. As the Stone Vertical Epic Ale series has moved through the calendar, we found that the brewing schedule for a 10.10.10 release coincided nicely with the grape harvest, neatly providing an interesting twist in this epic ale.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, Stone Vertical Epic Ales are designed to be consumed in, well, an epic vertical tasting on 12.12.2012.  Well I missed the date on this bottle review by a month and a half.  However one of the brewpubs a frequent (Capone's in Norristown) did have a vertical tasting spread over a few weeks in December 2012.  I was able to sample most of the series.

The ABV is 9.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium Strong Pale Ale
Glass to use- Pint glass or Snifter, Tulip, or Oversized Wine Glass.
Delivery 22oz bottle.

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

The Pour - Pours a hazy golden amber color with a nice white head that vanishes are about 5 minutes.  No lacing.  
Aroma - Grapes, citrus fruits., sweet and some spices.
Taste - Grapes and hints of orange, sweet and a bit tart.
Mouth Feel - Low carbonation.  Medium body. Mild bitter after taste. Clean and somewhat crisp.
Drinkable - Nice and refreshing.  I wish I had open this during the warmer months, I think it's an excellent summer brew.  Try to find some bottles from the Stone Vertical Epic series and enjoy.  

This beer pairs with salads, chicken or pork.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-
BeerAdvocate Rating =85
Ratebeer Rating =93

Mikkeller - Beer Geek Breakfast (2011)

The big breakthrough in the international beer world arose with the clean and simple idea of adding french press coffee to an oatmeal stout. The result ‘Beer Geek Breakfast’ was voted number one stout on the international beer forum Ratebeer.com and kick-started Mikkeller’s international success. At the Danish Beer Festival 2006 Mikkel and Keller had their first official stand with eight different beers to offer. That same year two American distributers travelled all the way to Denmark to court the small brewery, which resulted in Mikkeller signing a distribution deal with the American beer distributor, Shelton Brothers. To cope with the demand, the two brewers started brewing Beer Geek Breakfast at the Danish microbrewery Gourmet Bryggeriet. In the beginning of 2007 Keller left Mikkeller to pursue a career as an editor of the Danish music magazine Soundvenue, and Mikkel continued on his own with the ambition of taking Mikkeller to another level.

Recent batch of this has been brewed by Mikkeller at Nøgne Ø. Has also been brewed at Gourmetbryggeriet, Denmark.

English: An oatmeal stout with 25.0% oat-based ingredients and a nice touch of gourmet coffee. A beer that goes extremely well with breakfast.
Ingredients : Water, malt (pils, oat, smoked, caramunich, brown, pale chocolate and chocolate), roasted barley, flaked oats, hops (centennial and cascade), ale yeast and gourmet coffee.

The ABV is 7.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Oatmeal Stout
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Tumbler or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a very dark brown or black ink color with a big thick dark tan head that resembles a Guinness head. Great lacing.
Aroma - Chocolate, malts, oats, sweet and hints of coffee.
Taste -  Malty, chocolate, sweet, slight bitterness from the coffee. However as it warms up the coffee taste comes through more clear.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, full body.  Creamy and smooth.
Drinkable - I've been anticipating the flavor for a while.  I purchased this bottle over a year ago and decided tonight was the night to pop it opening. It was on a very cold and snowy night in Philly. I was not disappointed, very well balanced and just a damn good tasting brew!

This beer pairs well with cheese, chocolate and smoked or grilled meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =93
Ratebeer Rating =100

Port Brewing - Santa's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel Aged (2011)

Everyone knows that Santa delivers toys and gifts to little girls and boys each Christmas Eve. But what does he do with the sleigh the other 364 days a year?

Well rumor has it he hitches up the reindeer each July testing driving to ensure it’s still in operating condition. At the North Pole they mark their calendars calling it Christmas in July.

How do we know that?

Well, Virginia, each year Santa stops by Port Brewing to load up his sleigh with beer for his return trip to the North Pole.

He’s a big fan of Santa’s Little Helper, and for the last nine months the brewers have been extra naughty aging some in bourbon barrels.

Hopefully Santa won’t drink it all by himself, but we wouldn’t blame him if he did.

Barrel-aged version of Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper.
2009 was the inaugural release of this winter time classic. After brewing the 2008 batch of Santa’s Little Helper, Port Brewing thought “wonder what this would taste like aged in a bourbon barrel?”

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is ??

Style - Imperial Stout - Bourbon Aged

Glass to use- Pint Glass, Tumbler, Snifter or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 22oz Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a dark reddish brown color with no head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Malts, boozy from the bourbon, sweet, vanilla and oak tannins. 
Taste -  Same as the aroma mostly bourbon and some bitterness and maybe just a hint of dark fruits.
Mouth Feel - No carbonation and a full body.  A nice slow burn from the alcohol.
Drinkable - This is a sipper, very enjoyable on a very cold night in Philly. One of the best bourbon brews I have had in a while.  I will purchase this brew again next year.

This beer may pair well with cheese and grilled or smoked meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-
BeerAdvocate Rating =86
Ratebeer Rating =98

Redhook - 8-4-1 Expedition (Limited Release) 2010

An American-Style Strong Brown Ale developed by eight Redhook brewers working in four teams of two to create one beer. The ale reflects a compilation of each team’s individual recipes that were then carefully blended into one distinct beer. 8-4-1 Expedition Ale offers complexly flavor notes, delivering malty sweetness, medium bitterness with hints of smoked flavors and oak chips balanced by the addition of honey, brown sugar and candy sugar.

Malts: Pale, Wheat, Munich, Caramel, Chocolate, and Smoked Malt
Hops: Alchemy, Cascade, Willamette, Crystal, and Sterling
Original Gravity: 20
Brewed Since: October 2009 (This bottle was released in the Spring 2010)
Shelf Life: 365 days (I stretch it to 1050 days)

The ABV is 9.8 and the IBU rating is 55
Style - Imperial Brown Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker, Tumbler or Snifter
Delivery 22oz Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a brown color with a tan head. Great lacing.
Aroma - Malty, spices, sweet and notes of vanilla from the oak.
Taste -  Malty, some hops and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and medium body.
Drinkable - A very nice Imperial Brown.  The alcohol is well hidden.  A bit on the sweet side for my taste.  This may be due to the aging, which by the way, aged very nice. I think by adding the honey, brown sugar and candy sugar is what contributed to the sweetness.

This beer pairs well with sharp cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating =84
Ratebeer Rating =90

Mikkeller - Big Worst (2011)

Big Worst is the strongest beer of Denmark with it's 17.6 % ABV. Second place on that list you find Mikkeller's Black. But as Mikkel Borg Bjergsø explained with his usual modesty: "My shoulders are wide enough for both gold, silver and bronze medals - this category included". Big Worst is a barley wine and it's sparse carbonation and vast amounts of hops keeps the sugar in check and makes Big Worst surprisingly easy to drink. Dangerously easy even








First it was Big Bad Barley Wine
Second it was Big Worse Barley Wine (see my review click here)
Next was Big Worst Barley Wine -- 17.6% ABV
Now a new Big Worst Barley Wine -- a whopping 18.5% ABV

I am told this is called the "Experimental Version". Cannot find much on it. It is a slightly different bottle and the beer looks to be lighter in color than the 17.6% version?

First Batch: 17.6% ABV January 2010 Second Batch: 18.5% ABV March 2011

The ABV is 18.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - English Barleywine
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet, Chalice or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 375ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a tangerine color with a very small white head that disappeared quickly. Clear coat lacing that sticks to the glass.
Aroma - Dark fruit like cherries, figs and plums.
Taste -  Tart and tangy, sweet, strong fig notes.
Mouth Feel - Low/no carbonation, full body and sticky.  Finishes with a nice slow alcohol burn.
Drinkable - Wow, I found this bottle last year and decided it was time to give it a go.  Pretty sweet but not over the top.  You can definitely taste the alcohol. Just got better as it warmed up to room temperature.  This brew is similar to Dogfish Head's Old School Barleywine. 

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =83
Ratebeer Rating =96

Russian River - Damnation (2010)

Inspired pretty much by Duvel and other strong golden ales of Belgium. It is medium-bodied, has a fruity/banana bouquet, and a dry, spicy finish.

In the great beer producing country of Belgium, some brewers have made it a tradition to give their beers an unusual name. Sometimes the name is curious, now and then it is diabolical and other times it is just plain silly. Damnation is our brewmaster’s interpretation of a Belgian style Strong Golden Ale. It has extraordinary aromas of banana and pear with mouth filling flavors of sweet malt and earthy hops. The lingering finish is dry and slightly bitter but very, very smooth.

The ABV is 7.75 and the IBU rating is ??
Style -Belgium Strong Pale Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 375ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a cloudy straw color with a white head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Biscuit, floral. and light fruit
Taste -  Fruity, spice. You can tell that Belgium yeast was used.
Mouth Feel - Medium body and carbonation.  Crisp, dry and smooth.
Drinkable - A lot like the Temptation without the oaked sourness.  No strong bitter after taste.  Worth a try, find a bottle and give it a go.  A very well balanced brew, no "in your face" aroma or taste.  I will have this again.

This beer pair well with cheese and white meat.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =98
Ratebeer Rating =92

Maine Beer Co - Peeper Ale

An American-style ale brewed one barrel at a time. The malt bill is built on American two-row malt and accented by crystal 10, Vienna, and white wheat malts. Magnum hops give the beer a nice clean bittering and Amarillo, Cascade, and Centennial hop varieties provide a pleasant floral and citrusy hop flavor. A healthy dose of additional Amarillo and Centennial are dry hopped to give this beer an inviting hop aroma. The beer is fermented with a neutral yeast strain and allowed to dry out so it finishes crisp and clean.

Our original hoppy American ale.  Dry, clean, well-balanced with a generous dose of American hops.

Vitals:

O.G. – 1.047

Malt – American 2-Row, CaraPils, Vienna, Red Wheat

Hops – US Magnum, Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial

The ABV is 5.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - American Pale Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Tumbler, Mug or Stein
Delivery 500ml Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours a straw color with a big white head head.  Great lacing.
Aroma - Hint of citrus fruit, biscuit and grassy. 
Taste - Not a lot, very mellow, a bit of citrus with a grassy note.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body. Very crisp.
Drinkable - Very refreshing, enjoyed this brew muchísimo.  Not much of a strong bitter after taste, which is good IMHO. 

This beer pairs very with cheese and salads.  Can be enjoy with Asian or Indian cuisine.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating =92
Ratebeer Rating =97

Russian River - Temptation (2010)

Is it beer, or is it wine? "Aged in French oak wine barrels for twelve months with distinct characteristics of fruit and subtle oak" sounds more like a description of wine than beer. But, of course, Temptation is indeed beer. Actually, Temptation is a Blonde Ale Fermented with a special strain of yeast, then aged in French oak chardonnay barrels. Flavors of wine and oak absorb into the brew throughout twelve months of aging. During this aging process, a secondary fermentation occurs using a yeast strain disliked by most brewers and winemakers called Brettanomyces. The "Bret" gives Temptation intriguing characteristics and a pleasant sourness. Temptation is re-fermented in the bottle to create its carbonation--a process commonly used to make fine champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment to remain in the bottle.

This is an update from a previous post.  Click here to view my review on a fresh bottle.

The ABV is 7.25 and the IBU rating is ??
Style -Sour Ale
Glass to use- Flute, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 375ml Bottle

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

The Pour - Pours a clear straw color with a small white head. Great retention and lacing.
Aroma - Sour, sweet and some tartness, followed by lite hints of oak.
Taste -  Most prevalent is the sourness followed by the wine, oak, some fruit and a touch of spice.
Mouth Feel - Medium body and carbonation.  A bit on the fizzy side.
Drinkable - I'm not a big sour beer fan, but this is a good brew.  It aged very well!

This beer pair well with cheese, I had a sharp cheddar during this session.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =99
Ratebeer Rating =100